Transparency in Social Media: 7 Tactics to Improve It

It’s funny how our perception of certain topics changes over time, ebbing and flowing across trends, conversations, and whatnot.

Transparency in social media is a fine example of this.

The concept doesn’t have the same connotation nowadays as in 2017 – when the Facebook – Cambridge Analytica scandal was in full rage.

Back then, transparency in social media was more often associated with how companies collected data and the purposes they served with it.

Nowadays, conversations about transparency have shifted toward other concepts, such as authenticity, openness, and originality.

This can be challenging for marketers – no one wants to get caught with a strategy anchored in ideas that fail to hold people’s attention, right?

That is why we decided to dive into social media transparency.

Before we get into the tactics, let’s take a minute to understand what we mean when we say social media transparency.

What is social media transparency?

Social media transparency is the practice of openly disclosing information and processes to an audience on social media platforms, to foster trust and accountability.

This is correct, but also somewhat broad.

At its core, social media transparency consists of the deliberate and authentic sharing of information.

However, social media transparency goes beyond mere information disclosure. It’s also about making information:

• Accessible: How the information is shared. Timing, format, visuals, and contextual resources are all factors to consider here.
• Approachable: If you’re trying to be transparent, people must understand what you’re trying to say. Heavy use of corporate jargon and acronyms are two common mistakes.
• Verifiable: Can the information be cross-checked by other parties? Can you offer resources to sustain your messaging?

Naturally, the messaging must be intentionally honest, even when you can’t provide a satisfying answer.

In short, social media transparency can be defined as the intentional, ongoing effort to share authentic information in an accessible, verifiable, approachable way to foster truth and improve accountability.

Now that we’ve set the record straight, here are our favorite tactics to improve it.

1. Show what goes on behind-the-scenes

Sharing glimpses into the inner workings of your brand or company is an evergreen tactic that has benefited from the tech advances we’ve seen in the past few years.

How so? First, it’s evergreen because it’s been done for decades. A good example would be employee-generated content.

However, behind-the-scenes content is usually heavily curated, and this doesn’t always help to build a case for transparency.

The capacity to livestream virtually anything from anywhere can help you avoid the perception of “sanitized” content, and offer a truly transparent experience to your audience.

A good, contemporary example of a behind-the-scenes sequence was shared by legendary LA ice cream brand Thrifty in late 2023.

2. Explore user-generated content (UGC)

Organic, user-generated content can help you improve transparency in your social channels as:

• It’s focused on your brand.
• It provides honest, valuable information.
• It isn’t paid, sponsored, or guided by the brand.

Finding and sharing this content is paramount for brands that strive for authenticity and transparency.

Below is an example of UGC from recent times:

https://x.com/OGdukeneurosurg/status/1758854812790038590

3. Embrace storytelling

This is a fancy way of telling you to share your victories, but also your failures and challenges.

A proven method to tell good stories is following the “hero’s journey” template, which includes sharing all kinds of situations, emotions, and outcomes.

Elements in the hero’s journey include finding opportunities, choosing and refusing one alternative over the other, meeting people who can teach you something, being tested, overcoming difficulties, achieving goals, and so on.

This is a universal narrative structure because it resonates – it holds the power of being believable, engaging, and worthy of your audience’s time.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is pretty good at it:

If you want to explore social media storytelling in depth, here’s an article we published on the topic.

4. Report on transparency efforts

Publishing transparency reports where you detail your efforts is a straightforward way to show what’s going on.

The information to be shared in transparency reports is for you to sort out, but common items include:

• Data usage.
• Content moderation practices.
• Details about the work environment.
• Openness about the values that drive your business.

In addition, it’s vital to create a good experience around these reports. A link to a landing page (or worse, a PDF document) won’t cut it.

Instead, structure the information in visually appealing formats that are easy to understand and consume.

5. Leverage transparency tools

Nowadays, companies have a full menu of transparency tools available, ranging from APIs that allow you to automatically share information to third-party certifications that guarantee certain operational and ethical standards.

Adopting these tools and sharing the outcomes of using them aligns well with the premise of providing intentional, authentic information as a way to convey transparency and accountability.

Here’s a great example from tech services leader Globant, properly executed on LinkedIn:

6. Don’t escape the difficult questions (and show patience when answering)

A curated social channel that strives for transparency does not evade its share of less-glamorous interactions.

When it comes to dealing with public displays of dislike, it’s better not to ignore them, and to have a strategy in place to deal with them.

Lately, many companies have been exploring some of these to deal with (for example) unhappy customers who bring their claims to your social channels.

A good example here is Pizza Hut, and how they answer every single comment on X coming their way.

7. Roll out an executive social media strategy

An exec social media strategy is instrumental in humanizing a brand, boosting public sentiment, fostering new relationships, and promoting open communications.

By building this, you’ll be making your company and brand more accessible, authentic, and accountable – talking from behind a logo is not the same as doing it face-to-face!

Now that we’re familiarized with C-types posting, commenting, and sharing on a more intimate level, one thing stands clear: If transparency is the name of the game, it’s time for the execs to show up.

The critical building block to achieve transparency in social media

While authenticity, engagement, and accessibility are vital for transparency, data underpins these efforts.

Data provides the evidence we need to sustain claims and present new ideas.

Data empowers us to move beyond anecdotes and into factual statements.

Data empowers brands by pulling them away from the flimsy “trust me bro” dynamic.

Our final advice is obvious: Make the most out of data, as it’s nothing but a huge competitive advantage in the quest for transparency.

So, this marks the end of our take on social media transparency in 2024.

If you want to keep exploring the topic and get serious about a strategy to improve it, drop us a line – we’re here to help you find your sweet spot in socials.