Facebook, Twitter and Instagram is no longer used to post what your college roommate from decades ago had for dinner. Social media is a vital tool to a companies sales funnel and managing its reputation.
For many companies it is the first line of defense, an early warning system into issues becoming problems and problems turning into crises.
To manage risk and monitor the digital chatter, companies (large and small) should:
Adopt a social media policy - This policy will provide guidance to employees as to what is permissible to post and who speaks on behalf of the company online. It could also remind your team members what is appropriate to post as an employee and as a private citizen. In crafting a social media policy, law departments should work with marketing and HR. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has stuck down some social media policies for being too restrictive and so drafters should review other policies in adopting their own.
Seek employee and customer input -- In drafting the policy, seek to understand how people use social media as it impacts your company and incorporate that into your policy and strategy.
Communicate with staff -- Once the policy is drafted, work with your colleagues in understanding the policy.
If your business is in a highly-regulated industry where federal or state law provides guidance on social media use, than the training will also prove extremely helpful to ensure your company is in complete compliance.
