Many businesses forget that while social media is a great new opportunity to market and expand, there are many dangers that come along with the opportunity. David Lewison says in “Social Media and the Insurance Implications” that most marketing and communications departments recognize social media is a great chance to elevate a personal or corporate brand, and while employees use media to talk about themselves they also tend to use platforms as forums to discuss their work, their company, and their boss. Though social media can lead to a lot of free advertising, it can just as easily have a greater negative impact on your company or your brand.

Using social media to generate business leads. Employees making their own posts mean that there’s a lot of unedited content going online about your company and work. Can your competitor feel their products or customers have been slandered? Will an employee reveal information that gets them fired, or even offend prospective and current clients? Potentially, yes. But while this may seem scary, it shouldn’t stop you. Any company that doesn’t use social media gives off the appearance of not being able to keep up with the times, and a well-crafted media strategy can generate interest in your product or service while driving traffic to your website for more specific information. Randy Stoloff, Director of Marketing and Social Media at AmWINS Group Benefits said that “In time, the proper execution of a focused social media strategy is an efficient means of staying in front of prospects.” To that end, always have content reviewed by someone who can be responsible for stopping inappropriate content from being released.

Using social media for crisis response. Picture a scenario when your best customers follow your social media feed and you have to quickly get word out about something that could damage your prized customers. You can get news out immediately to show concern for your customers as well as transparency if you have qualified media professionals. Social media provides an immediate way to communicate with your audience, and establishing a media presence before a crisis helps deal with it in a targeted way.

Can social media sites be a network security risk? Employee ranting can be one risk when using social media, but these sites can also be used to transmit computer viruses and dangerous malware. Many corporations block employee access to these sights for this reason, and even sometimes have cyberliability insurance policies in place to guard them—if that is the case, be sure it addresses security issues from social media.

Should I address social media in my employee handbook? Though it makes sense to establish guidelines for social media activities that employees can engage in, this topic requires counsel with experience in employment law to seriously examine. Most companies work hard to establish professional images online, but employees often think commenting in networking sites is not connected to their personal responsibility. Employees have been terminated for conduct and have sued for wrongful termination. It is imperative to work with a professional to successfully navigate your way through these waters—you may be unable to avoid litigation, but you can begin setting up an effective defense. And these kinds of situations aren’t limited to employees—executives have been known to make the same mistakes and launch the same lawsuits against wrongful termination. In both instances looking to an employment practices liability insurance policy can help coverage against those claims.

Should I review the social media content posted by job applicants? Many states have laws prohibiting employers from requesting full access to applicants’ media profiles. While there are the common stories of one post or picture influencing an employer’s decision, some companies have taken to requesting login credentials to view all material in an applicant’s file. It appears to be an obvious invasion of privacy, leading to the laws that have been passed, and any claims that arise from these scenarios may have coverage apply under the “wrongful failure to hire” coverage on employment practices policies.

Opportunities have to be investigated with the proper prudence. Remember, there are insurance products available to help protect you against missteps—having an employment practices liability policy can provide protection against wrongful termination claims. Having an internet media or cyberliability policy can provide solutions for allegations of libel, slander, or defamation from other parties.

Social media can be one of a company’s greatest tools, but enthusiasm must be tempered with caution.

If you’re in healthcare, insurance, technology or other professional services industries, and need help with a PR, marketing or social media campaign, contact Scott Public Relations.

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