As more companies discover the usefulness of employing social media to grow their business, the need to implement a comprehensive social media policy is also growing.
Social media may be a great tool for marketing. But it can be a potential hazard as well, if it’s not used thoughtfully.
Your employees should be cautious about what comments they make about the company in blogs and other social media networks, like Facebook or Twitter. It’s a sad fact that negative news spreads much faster than positive news. If you already have a policy in place to guide your workers, you’ll be able to handle issues proactively, rather than react to something that could be detrimental to the company’s image.
If you’re not sure what to address in your social media policy, there are resources available. In fact, a new book on the topic is in the works, by Chris Boudreaux, called “Social Media Governance.” The book covers such topics as: What is Social Media Governance and Why Do I Need It? Principles, Enablers and Process; Capability Architecture and Road Map; Roles and Responsibilities That Will Help You Succeed. You can sign up to receive a free preview edition of the book from his website.
Boudreaux’s website also features a great resource that you can access today: social media policies from more than 80 companies, ranging from non-profit organizations like the American Red Cross to such big name corporations as Dell, GM, IBM, and Wal-Mart. What better way to develop your own company’s policy, than by studying the social media policies from other organizations.
