Facebook Live Video Tip of the Day

Tip of the day for when you are doing Facebook live video: sometimes when you have hit the stop recording button, it may still record another five seconds. I have had clients tell me that this has happened to them before- they hit stop, they think that their device has stopped recording them, and they say something embarrassing such as a curse word almost immediately after they have stopped it.

It is a wildly embarrassing situation but there is no pulling it back- it is already out there. You can always delete the video so people cannot see it on demand but the damage is done. The rule of thumb should be this: just assume, that five seconds even after you think the video is not recording, it is active. Only after a certain amount of time and once you have pointed the camera elsewhere should you think that you are not being recorded.

So just give yourself those five seconds after pressing the stop recording button to be on the safe side.

The Camera Is Always On

Here is your media training tip of the day: some reporters have a standing rule with their camera operators. The second they go into the office of the person they are interviewing, whether it is an executive, a CEO, or a politician, they have to have the camera running.

This way, sometimes, the reporter will make some small talk and will try to get the person being interviewed to say something off guard with the implication that nothing is on or recording yet but it has not been stated that anything is off the record. It is all fair game for the reporter to use the audio or the video even though it doesn’t look like the camera has been setup with lights and other equipment.

So be careful. Assume that every time a reporter comes into your office, everything is being recorded. Do not say anything that you would not want the whole world to know or see. That way, it doesn’t matter if the reporter is being sneaky or not, you will be in great shape.

The Secret Naughty and Nice List

You have heard of Santa’s naughty and nice list, right? Well, the major media outlets all around the world also have their naughty and nice lists.

I am not talking about naughty and nice in terms of behavior that is appropriate or inappropriate, but I am talking about people who can give good interviews and good quotes.

I was speaking to a former journalist from BBC the other day, and he told me that they kept a book in their newsroom and it listed the people who were specifically good at giving interviews and quotes and soundbites in under the time they needed them, as well as listed the people who were difficult to deal with.

You need to be aware of this book and you need to be thinking during every interview how you can get in the good list of every media outlet.

Speed is as Important as the Message During a Crisis

When it comes to crisis communication, too many people, in my view, fixate on what the perfect message is and what if they are asked a tough question, when what they should really focus on is timing. Because you can have the best message in the world, but if you waited days, weeks, months, too long to deliver it, your message will not resonate as it will not seem authentic or credible and you are not going to build any good will with people.

So I believe much of what you should focus on during a crisis is not just having a perfect message, but you also need to get it out quickly. If there is something you need to apologize for, you must do it quickly, ideally the same day, same hour even. Because if you wait days and weeks and everyone has deemed you guilty and you then try to apologize saying how you are filled with remorse and will try to do better, you will have zero credibility and you will only further damage your reputation.

So always think about how you can have a good message delivered as quickly as possible otherwise, events will define you, your enemies will define you, your opponents will define you, the media will define- and that usually doesn’t look good.