It has been interesting to see the latest developments that are happening in the business and public relations community. It only seems now with the rise of social media and increase in numbers getting their information online that people are finally recognizing the power of this new form of media. However, there are some corporations that are handling social media proactively within their corporation by implementing a social media policy for their employees like Best Buy. On the other hand, there are some organizations that are being extreme in their policies when it comes towards social media like the Associated Press and the SEC’s recent social media policy about Twitter.
Of course, like most situations and daily life activities – we face risks, and the same can be said about practicing public relations online with social media. An article that appeared in Ad Age discusses some of the risks that public relations, marketing, and advertising professionals have to deal with on a regular basis with social media. From handling employees online to dealing with vocal and invested stakeholders online (ex. Motrin and Mothers Social Media Crisis Case Study) to dealing with the different perspectives of social media within the corporation (ex. legal, financial, human resources, senior management, etc.)
Even with all of these risks, the rewards of being on social media are worth it. Social media has created a virtual environment where public relations professionals and stakeholders can interact with each other and establish transparent and open relationships with each other. In other words – life is full of risks – always has been and always will be. However, if you acknowledge this fact and make sure that you conduct thorough environmental scans in the business community, conduct ethical practices both professionally and personally, and invest the time and resources in understanding what is going on in the lives of your key stakeholder groups, these risks are manageable.
To have an effective social media policy that reflects the brand and corporate reputation positively, public relations proefessionals need to communicate clearly and concisely what the purpose of this social media policy, and the overall goal it serves for the corporation. It is also good to advocate that people display professional conduct and behavior online with others. These points can be characterized as being common sense, but it is still important to reiterate these messages to those involved in the corporation.
Hope you all have a great day!
Best Wishes,
Karen
0 Comments