Every company will have specific information it doesn't intend, or ever expect employees, to share on social sites. Information it may have neglected to make absolutely clear to staff. Thus creating a questionable line over which an employee, or outside social marketer, can easily step.
What each business shares, socially, is important for a variety of reasons. Some of which, better left unshared, can seriously affect sales, brand acceptance; even a company's bottom line. These are reasons which should be taken into consideration, and made clear, when hiring a social manager or planning to allow independent posting by employees.
Should your company set social networking posting policies?
Today social networking is fact of life. Stats showing people posting and sharing content several times a day. In fact, in the January 2013 comscore presentation "The Rise of Big Data on the Internet", Judy Bahary, Senior Vice President, comScore, Inc., told the CCASA Big Data Conference "120 billion pieces of data are added to Facebook in a month". While this shows how popular Facebook is, good or bad it also shows just how much information people feel confident publically sharing.
While social networking is a way of life, using it as a marketing tool is still a fairly new strategy. Many companies stopping short of considering it an integral part of their marketing department. One which also requires its own individual set of policies. Not the least of which should be how much and what should be shared.
Company social networking policies should not only include what's allowed to be shared, and not, but how it's presented. In short the voice used to present the information. This includes how comments are responded to.
Why should your company steer clear of over-sharing?
We've all seen companies and celebrities over-sharing and emotionally posting. Brands ignoring customer problems and questions. All, as we know, can quickly lead to major PR problems, financial loss, customer complaints and defections. And that's just to start. In short, improperly sharing company information with clients, fans and followers can also translate into great marketing fodder for the competition. Escalate to a nightmare for you and your biz.
Here are 5 Tips to help you determine what your company should share on social networking sites:
1. Biz Stats: For example, financial info, marketing plans, new product info, tax filings - Do customers really need this info? With the exception of customer complaints you should deal with, and customer reviews, likely not.
2. Internal and/or privileged info - Privileged discussions regarding product creation and development, internal policies for such things as security, payroll, for example. Unless you're launching a product, you may want to consider keeping this info within the company; not for public consumption.
3. Company problems, court cases, etc. - Each legal scenario should be considered separately. For most companies it's best to make a one-time formal post including salient details. Discuss this with legal counsel. If customer questions persist, consider setting up a website or blog to handle responses. Or turn it over to legal. Customers and potential clients won't jump ship, as easily, when facts are provided to allay their fears.
4. Info about competition - It's always best to steer clear of competition bashing. This is a legal gray area; which may rear up and bite you if you regularly post negative info about a competitor.
5. Personal Info - As many now know, when posting to a networking site, or blog, the info is immediately made public once the 'publish' button is clicked - sent out into the blogosphere and Internet. For anyone to see and read. That said, a company should make it crystal clear exactly what personal info an employee can share on their biz network sites.
Do Share: Provide info about new products, useful resources, pertinent case histories, how-to and related articles, tips and other product and service info. Clients, fans and followers are eager to receive, and do appreciate, information, tips and techniques which help them better utilize your products and services.
Summary:
That said, think twice about what you allow employees, or those who socially market your biz, to share. You, and they, not only represent the company but what it stands for. Posts show how well it cares for and responds to its customers. Not only that, each social post, or comment made, can make a world of difference in how positively or negatively your business is perceived.