Social Media Do’s and Don’ts.

Social Media Do’s and Don’ts.

Last month we chatted about recent social media commentary which made news headlines, resulting in outcries from the public and court cases taking place. You can read our blog on this over here.

The importance of these situations got us thinking about the ramifications that can occur from social media mishaps and more importantly, the costs involved. We have since created a new business and personal insurance offering for social media, in the event of any unfortunate court cases taking place due to online commentary. Contact us to find out more.

Let’s take a look at some social media etiquette of what you should and should not say online, in order to protect you and your business from any future problems.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Social Media.

Social media can be a very powerful tool for both business and personal uses, and if used correctly can be extremely effective in promoting your brand and connecting with people personally in your day-to-day. Here is how you can achieve this:

Don’ts:

• Don’t post personal information online like bank details or your home address – anything that could be used for criminal purposes.
• Don’t misuse copyright material – when you quote someone else’s work or use an image that does not belong to you or the company, you need to link to the person that it belongs to her quote their name as the owner.
• Don’t assume that posting comments or content anonymously automatically excuses you from saying whatever you feel online. Inappropriate comments and content like racial slurs or sexual innuendos are not acceptable and there are ways for people to source your identity in these instances.
• Don’t ever talk about clients online in a negative light or post information about them without their prior consent. Not only is this disrespectful, but can also land you in hot water with their lawyer.
• Don’t engage in any online activities that could be damaging to your business or family. If it is not acceptable behaviour or language at work, then it is not acceptable to post online.

Do’s:

• Do be mindful of the fact that everything you post online is going to be there for a long time, for anyone to see, and in particular, future employers or clients. Drunken or crude photos of yourself are not things you want the whole world to see, especially if it means loss of business.
• Do make sure that your online profile portrays how you want people to see you in a business sense. If you want your fellow co-workers, staff or clients to see you as professional, then you need to act professionally online.
• Do remember that whatever you or someone in your company posts online, is a reflection of your brand, so should reflect its values and ethos at all times.
• Do try to add valuable content or comments online on behalf of your company, whether on your own pages or when commenting on other company blogs or pages.
• Do consider other people’s religions, sexual orientations, political standing and race when posting online. You can very easily offend people by posting things that relate to your beliefs or outlook, which could result in you being sued.

Forbes also offer some insightful social media etiquette tips to use before you post anything online, have a look at them here.

Whatever you post online, always be mindful of what others will think, because ultimately, the internet is universal and belongs to everyone, so you need to be considerate.