09 Aug Social Media Usage at Work
Most companies today use social media as an integral part of their marketing and customer service. However, social media usage at work can lead to numerous risks, including revealing proprietary secrets and confidential data or misuse of company resources.
Since social media encompasses so many aspects of a company, it is also very important to manage it well. One mistake or omission could have a huge impact on your company.
Here are a few ways to minimize risk of social media usage at work and how to manage it properly.
Craft a Social Media Policy
Unless you detail what people should and shouldn’t do, it’s hard to keep your brand safe. Social media is all about sharing, but employees need to understand security and safety guidelines.
Tell employees which topics your company considers off-limits. For instance, GAP tells their employees not to discuss religion or politics. They also precisely state employees can’t give away confidential information or respond to customers negatively or offensively.
Your social media policy isn’t a static document, either. It must respond to insights garnered over time. For instance, compliance regulations change frequently and your company’s procedures and practices must reflect these changes. Companies should expect social media regulations to broaden as more risks become apparent.
Finally, include the repercussions if an employee fails to adhere to your policies. They need to know your company is seriously committed to your social media presence and creating a positive brand image.
Provide Employee Training
Policies are only your first step. Employees need an opportunity to ask questions about them to clarify grey areas. Many times employees can also highlight gaps in your policy so you can correct them.
Ensure your training includes basics such as secure password creation, how to avoid spam, phishing scams, and malware. Also provide procedures if they discover or suspect they’re a victim.
Training streamlines social media management and increases security. Highlight your dos and don’ts of sharing and how to use the security features of your social media tools.
Manage Social Media Settings
Restrict social media publishing access to top-end staff. Employees can draft and edit posts, but only a few people should have the right to publish. Restrict everyone else to read-only permission.
Assign a Social Media Manager
You need one person to take charge of your social media activities. They needn’t do all the work, but they need to be the go-to person for questions and concerns during a crisis.
They should verify and monitor security. You may also want comments to go through an approval process before they appear on your company’s social media profiles.
Monitor Your Presence
Your social media presence reflects your brand, so it’s well worth monitoring to ensure employees meet your social media policy and ethical standards. Include any communications your company uses such as blogs, video, podcasts, presentations, and other sharing events.
Audit Security Regularly
Social media privacy settings change often, so it important you review security measures at least quarterly. Check for new social media threats and review your network privacy settings and publishing and access privileges.
Social media offers many opportunities, but you need to protect your business from its risks, too. It’s helpful to make a plan for social media usage at work. Gilbert’s Risk Solutions can help you do so affordably. We’ve served Pennsylvania business for over 160 years, and we’re here to serve you too.
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