Americans spend more time on social media than any other major Internet activity, including email, according to Business Insider. Having a robust presence on social media is an absolute must for businesses and organizations. Here are four best practices aimed at protecting your business on social media:
Keep an eye on who has access to your profiles. Grant only the level of access necessary based on responsibilities. Review profiles regularly – once a quarter – and revoke access where necessary. Change passwords regularly, and always after personnel changes. Failing to keep access permissions updated could give disgruntled former associates the opportunity to highjack your profile and wreak havoc on your image.
Be aware of copyright permissions. Don’t just Google for images to go along with a post; you are more than likely violating the copyright of whoever owns the image and opening yourself up to a lawsuit. Purchase rights from a stock photo service, or look for images available under creative commons licenses or in the public domain. Be sure to credit appropriately as indicated under the license.
Beware the overshare. Before you share in image captured inside your facility, review it from a security point of view. Does it reveal anything that might put customers or employees at risk? Look for exposed computer screens with sensitive data on display, research and development information that might tip off competitors, or anything that might compromise security. Before you post an announcement about a new employee, deal or partnership, be sure you’ve gained approval from all parties involved.
Be responsive. If a customer engages with your business online, be sure to respond in a timely, appropriate manner. Customers expect two-way communication on social media, and failing to respond can damage credibility. Responses should be handled by a team member trained in customer service, and with privacy and security in mind.