4SepThe Business Pitfalls of Social Media?
Posted on 4/09/2014 by Nine2Three
In these days of social media, new situations are arising that we have not dealt with before. Social media is growing at a rate of knots and businesses are struggling to keep up.
Business development staff and managers often have large online networks as part of their business circle. These could consist of LinkedIn associates, Outlook contacts or Facebook friends and more. Many businesses like to employ a person, because of the contacts that they bring to the business. Indeed this is expected in some business development and sales roles and makes a candidate very valuable.
However some recent court cases have highlighted that we as business owners need to think about social media and our employees. In the UK, three employees of a publishing house used the companies Linkedin Group contacts to communicate the launch of their own rival business. The role of one of the employees was to maintain the companies LinkedIn contacts. Because the contacts were clearly from the businesses LinkedIn group, the high court found in favour of the business.
However, what if the contacts were part of the individuals personal LinkedIn? Are you currently relying on contacts of individuals for your business development? Should you be thinking about developing more social media platforms under your business name?
In Australia, 2014 saw the first Twitter defamation case proceed to a full trial and demonstrate how careful individuals need to be when posting defamatory remarks on social media.
As an author of a defamatory post, individuals will endure the brunt of the law, but from a business perspective, the damage may already be done. What can a business do to minimize the risk of defamatory comments from workers, contractors and individuals associated with the business?
Even Tony Abbott has made comment on the grape vine effect of social media … ‘The thing about social media is that it is anonymous, so it can be much more vitriolic and extreme than normal media and yet it is there for everyone to see. It is kind of like electronic graffiti.’
Being clear at the start of a business relationship, is one of the most important aspects of progressing. A sound Social Media policy that is customised for your business is paramount. If you talk about situations that may arise around social media initially, you are in a better situation to document your agreements in your Social Media Policy.
Think about documenting who has access to all your social media platforms and change passwords regularly. Who in your organisation is allowed to post on social media, what checks and balances do you have in place to safeguard your business voice?
When employing business development or sales staff, have the discussions around their contacts at the start of the relationship. Think about how they will integrate your business with their contacts and ensure the contacts become shared.
Talk to Nine2Three HR Management Solutions about what you need included in your social media policy. Our policies are written by Industrial Relations Lawyers, are Fair Work Compliant and may just save your bacon in the future!
Important Note: These articles have been prepared for general circulation and are circulated for general informational purposes only; these articles should not be regarded as business or investment advice. The articles represent the views of the writers and are subject to change without notice. Additionally, while every care has been taken in the preparation of the articles no representation or warranty as to accuracy or completeness of any statement is given. An individual or organisation should, before any business or investment decision is made, consider the appropriateness of the information in this document, and seek professional advice, having regard to objectives, situation and needs. This document is solely for the use of the party to whom it is provided.
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