Social Media Policy or the policy that keeps employees within boundaries is much needed for any company who wants to control its social media endeavours.

iridium Interactive has come up with its own Social Media Policy that will aid their clients and their own social media activities. Our intent was to keep it as simple as possible and not confuse our social media representatives with complicated legal jargons. Absorb this and become ready for social media. Also read the social media etiquette blog as it is closely related to this policy.

Iridium’s Social Media Policy Compliance:

Social media is a loose term for widely used social networking platforms like Facebook, twitter, Linkedin, blogs and other public forums. We believe as a business, Social Media can substantially boost our company’s development, performance and services. In our endeavor to utilize the inherent benefits social media has to offer, these are the official guidelines that have to be adhered to while using social media solely for business purposes.

These guidelines apply to those who are actively or indirectly participating and contributing to the company social media activities. Social Media being vast but traceable, it is important that some amount of training will be provided for social media compliance. Dynamic as the social media sphere is these guidelines will also be evolving as new tools surface, keep a continuous track and stay upto date with these changes.

Strict that these guidelines may seem, this is solely for the purpose to participate in a responsible manner while safeguarding our company’s reputation and be in line with the unsaid social media laws.

Guidelines:

• Create a Balance- Yes we are giving you access to the social networks in office like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. It is your responsibility to make a balance between work and socializing, unless it is for your company. Your work commitments come before your personal online activities.
• Permanancy- Posts, comments, tweets all become permanent once you have published it. Think a lot before publishing any content on behalf of the company.
• Professional Profile- remember to identify yourself as a company employee and the post you hold, this will provide transparency to our company and you, which will be duly noted in the social media ecosystem. This is how you would portray yourself in to your clients and coworkers.
• Although you are representing the company, social media activities involves your own discretion and thoughts. Make this very clear!!
• End Credits: Give credit and source to any information taken from external sites and photographs used. It is important to acknowledge others hard work and borrowing without intimation is like stealing.
• Politically correct: Sensitive topics related to any caste, creed, religion or political group should be avoided.
• Rise Above the Noise: If someone is making rude comments on your blog or other social networks do not engage into a row over the matter. Instead listen to what they have to say and politely respond back.
• Confidentiality- restrain from giving away any confidential information. So take a smart stance and protect your company’s privacy policy.
• Competitors- Do not be harsh about them at any point in any social network . Be politically correct and stick to facts and figures with enough reliable sources.
• Courtesy- Be polite, do not engage in any arguments with any reader. Rude comments to be handled diplomatically.
• Made a mistake- Permanency may be one big disadvantage of social media admitting to a mistake and making the change will improve credibility.
• Second opinions- get the posts checked by your supervisor/employer before publishing.
• Personal Blogs- If you have your own blog and you do mention where you work, mandatory to include a disclaimer stating “Posting on this blog are strictly my own and do not contain/represent iridium Interactive’s opnions.

Image Source: Intersection Consulting from Flickr.

Follow us on @iridiuminter or my personal twitter @sbharatam.

Without joining the bandwagon of people who are attempting to defame Nestle’s online reputation, here is a fair view of how a global company like Nestle can learn to handle this attack through online media.

This type of incident can surely destroy a company, who should instead directly, honestly and personally address this issue rather than escalate it with a hostile approach to criticisms.

Nestle’s online reputation downfall started when Nestle’s Facebook page was flooded with protests and complaints from people over Nestle’s Palm Oil actions in Indonesia and deforestation that endangered orangutans. Already a heated issue,  Nestle added to the fire by posting on their fan page:

“Nestle To repeat: we welcome your comments, but please don’t post using an altered version of any of our logos as your profile pic – they will be deleted.”

This sparked a wild fire that will only be put to rest when the moderator cordially and patiently talks to sort Nestle’s tainted image and not further taint it with such comments.

Customers have increasingly started using social media as a medium to vent their anger as this provides them a platform to be vocal about their thoughts and views. Companies should take these criticisms with a pinch of salt and try to rectify these issues without any ego.

As I have mentioned in my previous blog on Social Media Etiquettes, Nestle should have simply read the rude remarks and politely responded back. They should appoint a customer care representative to answer their questions politely. In a state when people are angered, humility and modesty should take the front seat instead of hautiness.

Follow us on @iridiuminter or my personal twitter @sbharatam.