Social Media Advice from the DKNY PR Girl

Social Media Advice from the DKNY PR GirlSocial Media Advice from the DKNY PR GirlSocial Media Advice from the DKNY PR GirlIn the crowded social media galaxy, Aliza Licht stands out as a superstar.As senior vice president of Global Communications at Donna Karan International, Aliza is the person behind the DKNY PR GIRL on Twitter which boasts a half a mio followers. Her new book Leave Your Mark Land Your Dream Job Kill it In Your Career Rock Social Media, is published by Grand Central Publishing. The book is a sassy and seasoned guide to the contemporary work world.In a recent conversation, Aliza shared her insights on social media and how companies can create an authentic brand voice.Monster Youve done a great job with the DKNY PR GIRL. I wonder if it was any easier doing that because it is such a fashionable brand and cache.Aliza I think you cant paint the DKNY PR GIRL brush across every brand. Whats right for one company is elendlage necessarily right for another. Before a company or a brand embarks on social media they really need to think about what kind of image they want to portray because social media really has to be a curated version of your best self.The person who is in charge of that social media can really be positive to the company brand or detrimental to the brand. I always advise brands to create a filter first so that they themselves understand what their core brand values are and the types of things that they would or would not be talking about.Monster It sounds like you probably want to mix it up. You never want it to be one thing but you dont want to be schizophrenic.Aliza You hit the nail on the head. The best way to sort of judge yourself is to look back at your own timeline and just think if you werent you, if you were a stranger reading your timeline, what kind of impression do you make?Monster When you first started tweeting as DKNY PR GIRL, you used a fictional persona so it wasnt you that was out there in front of the audience, and t hen later you sort of came out from behind that persona. Why was that important to do at some point did you feel?Aliza The idea to reveal me as the person behind the Twitter handle was really stemmed from other people in the company saying, Okay, all anyone wants to know is who this person is. It became this big mystery and it started to inhibit the brand from participating in social media conferences.Monster Was it difficult when you were then starting to tweet as yourself?Aliza I really kept true to the persona that I had created which really is my personality but of course its much easier to say whatever you want when nobody knows who you are. I really stuck to the program because I didnt want people to turn around and be like, Oh, god now that shes out that handle is terrible, shes not tweeting anything she used to. I really wanted to be true to the voice which is my voice in real life by the way but it just felt much more vulnerable once I came out.Monster Youve been very gener ous in talking about your team, your PR team that helps you do what you do. Im wondering what can you tell us about how you guide them in how to best represent the DKNY brand?Aliza I tend to create a very open work environment where people feel empowered and when people feel empowered they innately feel more passionate. Everyone gives 200%, its just how it is and I do as well. They know theres nothing that they do that I havent done before or wouldnt do again. Its very much that mentality.As far as living and breathing the brand, I think that thats one of the most important things you can do when you sort of look to represent a company in any communications role whether it be PR, marketing or advertising. I think you have to believe in the product. I personally could not do this job if I didnt believe in the product.Monster Do you use or provide your employees with a social media Blue Book or guidelines for the company?Aliza We have a social media policy, of course, and every compan y should have a social media policy in place for their employees. Every employee should read that before they post.Monster How you have recovered from moments where a tweet has gone out and its like, Ooh, should not have said that. Or, Wow look at that reaction. How would you recommend employers navigate that territory?Aliza I always say theres a big difference in saying Im sorry or saying Im sorry but Pointing your blame elsewhere doesnt go over well in social media.People expect brands to take that responsibility and to own that responsibility. Weve seen many, many examples of CEOs who try to sort of point the finger elsewhere when things have not gone their way in their companies.I think they should read my book first of all, but they should really stop doing that because its a self-perpetuating problem. People jump on Its always the David and Goliath story when it comes to brand versus consumer.And I think the number one thing that brands should not do is leave their Twitter h andles in the hands of interns or assistants who are new to the company and dont understand the brand voice, the brand effects, the brand DNA and certainly how to edit what they say.Alizas book, Leave Your Mark Land Your Dream Job Kill it In Your Career Rock Social Media, published by Grand Central Publishing. Aliza Licht graduated the University of Maryland with a B.S. in Neurobiology and Physiology and dreams of becoming a plastic surgeon. After she realized that she couldnt spend a life in scrubs, she decided to pursue her childhood love of fashion and started in the magazine industry. Licht decided to make the jump to fashion public relations in 1998 when she joined Donna Karan International. She is currently the senior vice president of global communications.