Make Sure Your Company Has a Social Media Policy in Place

Think about it. Today’s employees are on the web in more ways than ever. They’re posting photos to Flickr, sharing information on Facebook, participating in polls, blogging about anything and everything, posting videos to YouTube, voicing their political opinions online and more. People are sharing information, interacting with others and exchanging ideas on a daily basis. They could be talking about your company. Or your customers.

If you're not considering how your employees' online sharing of information can impact your company, you're missing a critical point in your social media strategy. When it comes to protecting a company's proprietary information or customer information, do your employees know the company's guidelines? Sharing proprietary or customer protected information in a personal or industry blog could spell disaster. Ditto with erroneous or misinformation that can spread like wildfire. Companies not only need to have contingency plans in place so they can respond quickly to social media crisis situations, but also should ensure their employees are aware of the company's social media policies.

In today environment, savvy companies are embracing the blogosphere. Businesses should work with their Public Relations department and/or agencies to develop strategic social media plans to educate employees and secure their understanding and agreement to exercise personal responsibility whenever they participate in social media conversations that concern the company.