16 Aug Why Politics Can Mean Bad PR For Your Business

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Why Politics Can Be Bad PR for Your Business

We’ve all heard the expression, ‘no religion or politics at the dinner table.’ Well, mom may have been on to something when she said that to the family; but sometimes it’s pretty hard to escape both religion and politics around the water cooler when it’s overwhelmingly apparent in the news and affecting so many lives.

From a public relations perspective though, it’s best to avoid the topic of politics in the workplace. The subject is a very personal one, and sure, you’re entitled to how you feel (personally), but at work, you’re not paid (unless you’re a journalist or blogger) to share your point of view.

Social media posts. Be wary of your social media posts. Whether you have either a professional and private profile page, or you manage one profile respectively, be wary of hitting ‘share’ or ‘like’ if you do intertwine your workplace people on your social media account. Others can see your interests and may think differently or so strongly about a topic that they choose to no longer align with you or your business. “Even though it’s hard for me to admit, I know someone who shares their political viewpoints on a professional page and I no longer feel as interested in doing business with them. I know that may sound harsh, but it’s a deeper psychological impact than most people realize,” says Jennifer Vickery, CEO of National Strategies PR.

Also, any social media managers reading this should avoid politics as social posts for any business page. Even a simple sarcastic or joke post may impact a few customers from doing business with the organization you help build.

Emails. If you’ve ever been the recipient of a politically-incorrect or politically-based joke through email, you may want to think twice before responding or forwarding to others; especially if you click ‘reply-all’ to a list of recipients. You don’t want to be discussing non-related work through your corporate email regardless, but it’s best to avoid passing along a politically-charged joke no matter how humorous you feel it might be.

Networking. There are many networking opportunities that are partisan or candidate based. While we mention avoiding politics at work, it should be noted that while networking at such events, passing out your business card is not taboo. It’s great to engage with others that are like-minded and may in fact help grow your business through referrals.

Networking should be handled carefully though; all of the above notations should still be applied. Avoid mixing social posts, emails and other opinions outside of such networking opportunities.

Questions. ‘So who are you voting for?’ could seem like an innocent enough question and this is probably one of the most entertaining elections of many years. Not sure how to handle this question? It’s best to go undecided. You may feel that is abandoning how you personally feel, but then again, if you’re asked such a personal question in a work environment, you may not want to answer from a personal perspective regardless. “It’s highly unlikely that you will insult someone professionally by answering your vote for candidate, but often these conversations open the door to workplace debates on politics, even if done in a humorous way,” says Vickery. “It’s best to keep this door shut in the workplace and discuss it with your personal circles.”

For tips on how to maintain your public or business image or reputation, feel free to reach out to us at www.nspublicrelations.com.

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