Even the best fall down sometimes.

The Walking Dead committed quite the social media faux pas on Sunday after the East Coast premiere of their mid-season finale. Barely even 30 seconds after the episode ended, The Walking Dead official Facebook page posted which major character died during the finale. The episode hadn’t even premiered on the West Coast so it was pretty much ruined for a solid portion of the fan base. Naturally, nobody really held back about how they felt and they were even calling for TWD social media team’s termination.

This is just one of those things. As a fan of any show, you can expect spoilers from your friends on social media. You know who to avoid, you know whose posts to hide. But you never really expect such a major spoiler from the actual TV show. While the argument has gone both ways, it can be safely said that The Walking Dead should’ve further considered that nearly half of their United States audience did not yet see the episode. It really comes down to knowing your audience and actively thinking about what you’re writing before you post it.

Mistakes like this can’t happen – no matter if you’re of The Walking Dead status or you’re a mom and pop shop downtown. At Cote Media, we strive to be mistake-free for every one of our clients and we can safely say we would’ve never let that happen. Know your audience, know your message, and know your goal. Most often, it comes down to those three things. If there is any shred of doubt in what you’re about to post, there’s probably a reason for it. There’s nothing wrong with a double and triple check! We’re a big fan of those at Cote Media. A little extra effort goes a long way!

Speaking of effort, The Walking Dead did exactly what should be done after a mistake like theirs.  They normally do a pretty great job with their social media and despite their mistake, they stepped up to the plate and offered an apology to their fans. Apologies are a great and often humbling way to gain back what you may have lost during a media mishap. People like apologies. People like humility. People like to know they’re being heard. We can bet The Walking Dead won’t make a mistake like that again!

#RIPSpoiler