Cyber-squatting is something that plagues brands in social media all the ruddy time. There is plenty that can be done to help prevent that ‘worse case scenario’ from becoming reality and it’s something that we advise all new businesses do from the outset. Username check is Ronseal and does exactly what it says it does and checks a variety of social tools to see whether your potential username is already in use. Hell, it even checks ones that no longer exist such as rejaw RIP, but it’s free and easy so can’t complain.
But what happens if you have a pre-existing brand and are only just catching up, or maybe you have a new brand but unfortunately someone else had the bright idea of using your username for themselves??? The instant reaction is to want to kick them to the curb, but maybe they could be your butler? *tweet for me Wilson will you*. Okay sounds ridiculous but in this day and age where crowdsourcing shifts from being absurd to a norm, is it really that far out to look to utilise potential brand advocates in this way? (Please note: i someone is pretending to be your brand then don’t interact or negotiate with them, try to sot it via the official channels).
Here are a few ideas of what you could possibly do:
1. Get started & Get on side
So, someone on twitter has the username you would prefer you had but go with your second choice and start doing everything as you would normally to generate authenticity & authority – clear branding & frequent tweeting. Now once you have gone some way to establishing yourself it’s time to get in contact. Contact your namesake maybe commenting on their username. The idea is to get them on side so some general friendly chitchat is a good place to start. There’s a reason why it’s called social media. DON’T BE PUSHY!
2. Involve the user
Sometimes you need a bit of creativity, so why not suggest the idea of involving the squatter in your campaign. This is good especially if they have a pre-existing following. The more flare you share the more likely they are to get involved. If you are able to forge a good relationship then that user might just be willing to forward on the odd tweet here and there should someone make a mistake – at the very least. In the early stages it’s all about increasing visibility so those first interactions are essential.
Who knows, if you throw a ‘social media guidelines’ document their way they might decide it’s not worth the effort and hand over the name 
3. Gift Aid
This is always going to be easier for existing brands that are new to social media as are likely to have promotional material but never forget about ‘giving’. If you have a product that the squatter might potentially like then why not give it to them, they’re bound to be far more impressed than you trying to bully them. One brand advocate isn’t going to hurt now is it?
Obviously these aren’t ‘the new rules’ or anything of the sort but we wanted to address whether a new thinking could be applied to an old problem? We think there is potential there but would have to be reviewed on a case by case basis. Just think though…. if you were one of the first to tackle the situation in a clever way that could be a nice PR story.
Just remember the basic rules of social media. Listen>engage>add value
What do you think? Is it ever just to interact with a squatter? Seen any examples of brands doing this? Let us know your thoughts in the comments…
Related posts:
- Brands: Have Facebook’s announcements sealed our F8?
- A month away from twitter – what have i learnt (AKA Going Niche)
