As companies look for ways to expand their reach and attract new customers, the importance of updating social media is becoming more apparent. It’s a great way to cast a wider net to reach more consumers, and to foster greater engagement with their brand.
However, there are some issues that companies should stay clear of when beefing up their online presence. The Government of Canada has posted some helpful tips that business owners and corporations should consider when posting sharable content.
The entire list can be viewed on their site. The main highlight of the tips is that owners should beware the impact of negative comments and polarizing opinions.
Negative Comments
Also known as internet trolls, these are people who post negative comments and bring a potentially damaging image to your brand. Sometimes, it’s someone posting about a negative experience – but only providing a one-sided story. In other situations, it can be a legitimate issue that your company needs to address. But in either case, bad publicity can spread quickly online, so beware that you may not always be able to moderate the comments.
Polarizing Opinions
Where does personal opinion end and the corporate opinion begin? Some companies may own multiple social media accounts and have multiple moderators. Other companies may encourage their individual employees to be active on social media for more promotion. If there is a message going out regarding your company, it’s less confusing if its consistent across all brands. It’s important you have a clear guideline about what your company will allow to be posted, and what you will not allow to be viewed as corporate content.
It’s also crucial to let employees know whether they can post their own views on corporate social media accounts, or if they may associate their personal social media accounts with corporate accounts in any way.
If you have questions about social responsibility and how laws may impact how liable your company is for the type of social content you post online, it’s best to speak to a corporate lawyer. He or she can advise you on the types of guidelines and agreements you should consider before posting content.