How to Protect Your Organization’s Image on Social Media

Social media can be a great tool to help build awareness for your organization, and to connect with others. However, if not used properly, social media can be detrimental to your organization’s image. Businessman Warren Buffett once said, “It can take twenty years to build a reputation, and 5 minutes to ruin it.” With social media, negative information (whether it’s true or not) can go viral within minutes.

Here are some things you can do to help make sure that your organization is using social media safely:

1. Develop a social media policy if you haven’t already. Assess legal risks with your social media presence, define staff roles for your social media pages, create a strategy that coincides with your vision, and determine what types of information should be kept private and not shared publicly.
2. Claim your organization’s name on all networks. While most organization’s focus on larger networks such as Facebook, make sure you check all networks and claim any other pages with your name that may exist. This allows you to take control of your brand name.
3. Keep all social media password secure. Consider using a password manager tool to keep your passwords confidential. Only share your passwords with staff members on a need to know basis.
4. Monitor “mentions” of your organization on social media. When someone mentions your brand name on the internet, be aware and prepared to take quick action if an issue needs to be addressed.

Social media is a part of our world that’s not going anywhere any time soon. When we use it safely it can be an excellent tool to help our organization’s grow. It is vital to your image that you take the time to ensure that your social media is being used properly. One small mistake can destroy your organization’s image in minutes. We want to help you avoid that situation! If you would like more information on social media risk management, click here to access a free downloadable checklist that will help your organization mange your risks on social media.