Is your organization’s social media run by a Scrooge?

What was the most obnoxious thing about Ebenezer Scrooge before he was visited by the three ghosts? Was it his miserly lifestyle? His sour attitude? His general rudeness? No, I think his worst act was to make Bob Cratchit work on Christmas Day. Scrooge himself was “all business, all the time,” and he believed that everyone else should behave in the same way.

It was hard not to think of old Ebenezer when I browsed Facebook on Christmas Day. Among my friends’ posts about presents, cooking, travel and music were posts from Facebook Pages run by political action committees and business services. And what were the PACs business services sharing? Business as usual! I assume that their offices were closed, but their automated message machines just kept on going all the same.

It was the same story on Twitter and in my own email inbox. And it’s the same story on other holidays as well, like Thanksgiving and the 4th of July.

You know what message this sends to your followers and clients? That yours is a soulless organization run by drudges who have no family, no friends and no concept of the things that are dear to most people. This is mildly problematic if you own a shoe store; it’s devastating if you’re a politician or you run a PAC.

I’ll say it bluntly: If you can’t program your automated posting services to lay off on national holidays, you shouldn’t be using them. And if you can’t restrain yourself from talking “business as usual” when you know damn well that the only reason your constituents are using email is to send photos to grandma, maybe you shouldn’t be in politics after all.

Please post your questions and comments about this subject!

Want to learn more about the EFFECTIVE use of Facebook? Take the 2010 Christmas Vacation Facebook Challenge!