Behind all the social media hype, there are a number of social media issues that business owners and Internet marketers should be wary of. While the solutions to these issues are still in a gray area, being aware and vigilant is vital to ensure that your social media campaign will not backfire.
1. Confidentiality and security. Undoubtedly, these two are the biggest concerns for entrepreneurs. Social media opens up networks and consequently, information passes intentionally and unintentionally. One employee’s access to various social media networks can indirectly affect the business. Of course, preventing your staff from accessing social networking sites is a violation of their freedom but it is important to recognize the risks involved and manage it early on.
2. Making your employees more visible to the world. LinkedIn, the largest networking site for professionals, started as an online recruitment tool. While it is a good way for employees to expand their business networks, it also makes them very easy to spot and hunt. by competing companies and third parties. As the head of your company, you definitely do not want your best employees to be recruited by your competition. One way to manage this social media risk is to make sure that you are an employer of choice so that it will be easier for employees to resist temptation.
3. Allowable social media tools. While you cannot prevent your employees from accessing social media tools, you can provide guidelines on the allowed sites and information that they can publish online. Tomlinson suggests that employees should be allowed “small amounts” of social media indulgence and manage the risks as they go along. Consequently, the higher the risk, the more restrictive your policies should be.
4. Relevance of Facebook. Despite its ubiquity, Facebook is not for everyone. A business may not always benefit from the influence of the world’s most dominant social networking site. Before jumping in on the bandwagon, know and understand the pros and cons of registering a Facebook account because once you start on it, the effects, whether good or bad, are irreversible.
5. Value of social media. Tomlinson shares how she encountered a lot of skepticism about social media from her entrepreneurial clients. Of course, social media has proven itself, and there are many believers who have experienced its positive effects firsthand. Despite the risks, the fact remains that there is a great deal of potential and value to social media.
