The Latest Threat To Your Business Success
Did you know your business is under 24/7 media scrutiny? Today’s technology provides unprecedented abilities to capture the smallest pieces of content and virally share it with a worldwide audience. Your employees, family, and friends all have the ability to share content on social networks in text, audio, and video formats that can significantly impact your business relationships and future growth. From small to large businesses, here are some thoughts to consider to help you manage content sharing and defend your company’s position:
Every Business is a Publisher.
To drive web traffic to your business or service, you may use your own employees or a third-party resource to draft and publish content on your behalf. If not properly reviewed, the content could be misinterpreted by your audience and lead to damaged public relations or even legal liability. Make sure you have clearly defined processes for review and that third-parties have clear legal obligations to abide by your processes.
Implement a Social Media Policy.
Disgruntled employees often share their experiences via social media and through online forums and job review sites. Many can be prevented through effective social media policies that are communicated as part of your hire and on-boarding process. Having a legal professional work with you on your policy can insure that information related to your business allows for effective marketing online, while protecting your business interests.
“Your employees, family, and friends all have the ability to share content on social networks in text, audio, and video formats that can significantly impact your business relationships and future growth.”
Know the Implications of Contests and Sweepstakes.
Marketing your business may involve product giveaways and contests to increase sales or provide lead generation. Many small businesses take advantage of Facebook and Twitter to promote and run their contests. If the contest rules, participation criteria, and process for choosing the winner are not clearly defined, then you run the risk of having to defend against a possible legal claim. Your business is valuable, hire a legal professional to help you with running a successful contest or giveaway.
Address the Impact of Live Video.
Whether using YouTube Live, or Facebook Live, the ease with which anyone can start a live streaming video can greatly affect your business. It’s a great opportunity for creating brand awareness and marketing your business, but can also open the door to litigation if employees use it at work or at an after-work function. Because it is live, chances of it going viral are high, and removal after the fact is nearly impossible. Address this within your company policies and revisit annually with employees.
You hire great people to manage your operations, to oversee your accounting and human resources, to increase your sales, and to provide customer service. An important support element to consider is partnering with a law firm that knows how to protect the identity and branding of a business, especially in an environment where an email, Facebook post, tweet, or live video can greatly damage the reputation and sustainability of a business.
