Is it a good idea to have your employees promote your business on social media sites?
Letting your employees talk about your business on social media sites is an easy way to advertise and attract viral attention. A lot of companies already use websites like Facebook, Twitter or Youtube to post pictures, videos, work in progress, company news, and even coupons. Some of these companies also encourage their employees to talk about the company on their own profiles to help spread the word.
However, this practice can be risky. Divulging sensitive company information, using inconsistent branding messages or posting company information in the wrong place are all probable mistakes. With large companies, it would be almost impossible to control all that is being said. Once you post something online it is available for the world to see and cannot be undone. To avoid this, law experts suggest implementing the following guidelines:
- Establish communication expectations. Be consistent with the brand, stay appropriate and have longer-form articles go through an approval process before they’re published.
- Be clear about confidential information. Communicate to your employee what is considered confidential for your company: new products, contracts, or company procedures.
- Get the clients’ OKs. Even if something seems appropriate to you, it may not be to your clients. Ask them if you can talk about what your company does for them.
- Be careful with copyright. Always make sure that you have the rights to the material you wish to post.
