Katie McKiever

Work with me

12 questions to consider before posting about politics

3–5 minutes

read

To post about a political topic or not to post about a political topic – that is the question.

Please keep in mind that we don’t all agree on even what a “political topic” is. What’s political to one is not political at all to another, which is why this is all so nuanced and it’s important to think through all of the questions that I outline below.

I am ALL FOR using your platforms (your online ones and your in-person ones) to communicate your values, to take action on passions you’re deeply committed to and doing so in a smart way.

My goal for your brand (personal/executive brand or company brand) is to further your mission in a way that aligns with your values and keeps your reputation intact, i.e. doesn’t cause a PR crisis where you’ve landed yourself in a reputation hole that will take a lot of strategic effort and time to dig yourself out of.

12 Key Questions to Ask Before Posting About Politics

  1. Is This Relevant to My Brand?
    • Does this political topic align with my brand’s values and mission?
    • How does this post fit into my overall content strategy?
  2. Do I Understand the Issue?
    • Am I well-informed about this political issue?
    • Have I researched multiple perspectives to ensure a balanced view?
  3. What is My Goal?
    • What am I hoping to achieve with this post?
    • Is my goal to inform, persuade, or simply express an opinion?
  4. Who is My Audience?
    • How might my audience react to this post?
    • Will this post alienate or engage my audience?
  5. Am I Prepared for Backlash?
    • How will I handle negative comments or backlash?
    • Do I have a plan for managing a potential PR crisis?
  6. Is This the Right Time?
    • Is now the appropriate time to post about this issue?
    • Are there more pressing or relevant topics my audience is interested in?
  7. How Will This Reflect on My Brand?
    • What impression will this post leave on my audience?
    • Does this post maintain my brand’s tone and voice?
  8. Is This Ethical and Legal?
    • Is it ethical to post about this issue in my industry or community?
    • Are there any legal implications or regulations I need to be aware of?
  9. Have I Considered the Long-Term Impact?
    • How might this post impact my brand in the long term?
    • Could this post be used against me or my brand in the future?
  10. Am I Respecting Diversity and Inclusion?
    • Does this post respect diverse viewpoints and promote inclusivity?
    • Am I using language or content that could be seen as discriminatory or offensive?
  11. How Will I Moderate Discussions?
    • Am I ready to moderate and engage in the discussions that may arise from this post?
    • Do I have guidelines for respectful discourse?
  12. Do I Have Support?
    • Do I have the support of my team or stakeholders to post this content?
    • Have I discussed this post with trusted colleagues or advisors?

I am fully aware that there are many who don’t and won’t consider any of these questions, but if you’re on the fence about a post and are going back and forth on whether or not you should hit publish, these are the questions to walk through.

THE SCOOP

It’s Summer Olympics time and the social content from the athletes is showing up on my feeds and is so fun. Flashback to the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics when the BBC interviewed me about athletes building their personal brands on TikTok, which was an emerging platform for this type of content at the time.

INSTAGRAM: “Instagram is the world’s second-favorite social media platform.”

INSTAGRAM: Notes on notes on notes.

LINKEDIN: The move to make LinkedIn “stickier.”

META: The big selling season is coming up.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Real people, real pictures, the best kind of content.

X: Whether you like this next statement or not, it doesn’t change the fact that X is alive and well. While I don’t feel confident believing what Musk reports for X’s recent usage, I do agree that the assassination attempt was a turning point bringing people regularly back to the platform to check for updates and they haven’t left since because the headlines keep coming. By NO MEANS does this mean that the platform has become any less toxic though, so continue to proceed with caution. 

Leave a comment