Social media has changed the way companies
do business. There is an extremely positive aspect to this new form of
communication. Developing a strong brand identity across various social media
platforms allows a company to expand their
customer base like never before. Direct messages to millions of consumers
can be effectively delivered with a click of the mouse.
On the other hand, that same vast social
network can turn against a company if a negative aspect were to go “viral.” The
best way for your business to protect itself is to not only understand all the
social media platform policies but also to develop a comprehensive
social media policy for your employees. Here are some of the basics to
social media that will help you deal with your customers online.
Every social media platform has rules that
should be read, understood and followed.
These rules and
guidelines cover the expected behavior of the users. If someone on your staff
is assigned the task to create Facebook posts or Twitter tweets they need to
understand those policies before diving in. Just because they use these
networks in their private lives doesn’t mean the same rules
apply in the corporate realm.
Essentially, you should strive to always be
respectful.
When you open
your company up for social media interaction you’re going to find yourself on
the receiving end of negative comments. That is just the way it will go. One
option would be to scrub those comments as they come in but that can generate
even more negative responses on other sites. The
best approach is to be proactive. Whenever possible, try to respond to
those comments in an affirmative way that puts the company in a positive light.
You might not sway the poster’s opinion, but you could be having an impact on
all the other readers. Don’t engage in a back and forth defense. State your
company’s policy and leave it at that.
Keep company secrets - secret.
This is
especially true for the employees. There are many trade secrets and
confidential information that a company keeps locked away for good reason. No
employee should be sharing that information across the social media network.
This aspect of the company is especially important for new staff members to
understand. They might not be up to speed on what information can be made
public. Make sure every employee knows your company’s
“sharing” policy.
Restrict social media at work
As an employer
you can’t infringe on your employee’s right to post on a social media network
about their private lives. However, you are well within your right to restrict
that kind of posting during work hours. Your employees shouldn’t be monitoring
Facebook, Twitter, Reddit or Pinterest unless it is work related.
Social media can’t be ignored; it is here
to stay. Fortunately, there are many resources and tools at your disposal to keep
track of your company’s reputation. Depending on the size of your business
you might find yourself hiring staff to exclusively work in the social media
realm and that could turn out to be a very smart investment.
