No, you’re not going out dressed like that

If your biz is engaged in social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or a blog, you know its not something you can just set-and-forget. It takes a significant chunk of your time to cultivate your online personna. Whether for personal branding or for your business, staying on top of your outreach keeps you on the radar of your desired audience.

So why is it a surprise that when some of these social platforms, specifically and lately Facebook, change up their M.O. and suddenly your fan page needs to change dimensions or settings? By surprise I mean adjustments need to be done stat, right now. When those tasks involve your designer or web geek, be prepared to receive an invoice if the work extends beyond a contractual agreement.

To avoid your brand imaging and message appearing even slightly askew when these website requirements change (announced or not), you’ve got to dig in and fix whatever has changed on the visitor’s side. You can’t have your business looking like a train wreck online because of a technical change. That’s part of staying on top of your brand online.

As a designer I have no less than a dozen clients at any one time – clients all with a comparable number of social inquiries as you. I’m happy to work until the wee hours to get us all back on track, but please don’t be insulted when your designer has to send you an invoice for their time and talent. Those sudden required updates aren’t something we anticipated, either. If only we had a crystal ball for the constantly changing world of social media. Talented and at-the-ready designers and geeks we are, fortune tellers we are not.

Sure, I’ll be happy to park a link to my website on your fan page in lieu of payment for my time, but that in turn devalues your site a little as something not all about you and your own audience. I’m not working for you to shine a light on me, but to shine a brighter light on YOU and your efforts.

No, I’m not going to let you sit out there online looking like a train wreck anymore than you would expect me to donate my time on behalf of a social website’s technical switcharoo.