Today, company representatives must be careful what they post online. This goes beyond website content, or official notices but also delves into social media. It includes all posts made by officers and even employees whose profiles tell where they are employed. One unguarded statement made about a controversial issue could create a groundswell of complaints directed at the company. However,there are ways to prevent the incident before it happens, according to Computer World.
A type of online “sensitivity training” could help companies avoid a serious problem from employees who post on social media without thinking about the possible ramifications or misperceptions of their words.
Many companies have policies in place for the way in which company representatives should conduct themselves on social media. The main intent of these standards of behavior is to keep people mindful of the fact that if you are associated with a brand then you should conduct yourself in such a way that will represent the brand in a positive way.
First and foremost, avoid controversial issues. For example, the old rule of avoiding politics and religion applies. No matter what you post on these two areas, someone will disagree and probably will be offended.
Second item, and at least as important, would be conducting employee training sessions that focus on these policies. Experts agree that a large majority of incidents can be avoided with the proper training time. These sessions should include tactical training to avoid trouble, but also they can brush on the strategic use of social media to promote the brand. A single of hour-long sessions would be able to cover these areas.
