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| DO IT RIGHT: People need to follow social media guidelines and never do anthing that is out of line. Image Source: http://www.beth.typepad.com/ |
By now, most companies or organisations have launched blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages, mindful that actively engaging online audiences is essential to the survival of any business. But social media
offers a major benefit that is too often ignored, which is the ability to monitor the online space to glean information about your customers, your competition, and even your own company. Facebook continues to be an issue and an employee time drain, despite all the warnings about carefully using the privacy settings. Even updating your status from work can violate company policy if you're not supposed to be using Facebook in the office. Twitter is an issue too. Every tweet shows up in Google, so it's easy to see what you're posting. Blog posts show up on the search engines, too, so be cautious what you say when you blog. LinkedIn can be problematic, as well, even though it's a professional networking site. I read a story about the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU)' spokesperson, Reagoikanya Molopyane, who was suspended because of a post on the union’s Facebook page and tweets to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) boss Zwelinzima Vavi. The news about SATAWU's spokesperson got relayed to her bosses and she was out of a job sooner rather than later. This issue is so controversial because when you work for a company, it is important that you follow your organisation's social media guidelines, properly in order to avoid expulsion from work.
offers a major benefit that is too often ignored, which is the ability to monitor the online space to glean information about your customers, your competition, and even your own company. Facebook continues to be an issue and an employee time drain, despite all the warnings about carefully using the privacy settings. Even updating your status from work can violate company policy if you're not supposed to be using Facebook in the office. Twitter is an issue too. Every tweet shows up in Google, so it's easy to see what you're posting. Blog posts show up on the search engines, too, so be cautious what you say when you blog. LinkedIn can be problematic, as well, even though it's a professional networking site. I read a story about the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union (SATAWU)' spokesperson, Reagoikanya Molopyane, who was suspended because of a post on the union’s Facebook page and tweets to the Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) boss Zwelinzima Vavi. The news about SATAWU's spokesperson got relayed to her bosses and she was out of a job sooner rather than later. This issue is so controversial because when you work for a company, it is important that you follow your organisation's social media guidelines, properly in order to avoid expulsion from work.
Here are some do's and don'ts on social media:
- Do not post something that is against your company's social media policy
- Don't get fired because posting inappropriate information on Facebook are just a couple of examples of what can get you in trouble, or even cost you your job, especially when you do it from work
- Becareful about what you tweet because you don't know who might read it. Search Twitter for "I hate my boss or my jobs sucks", is an example of what I mean.
As fun as social media can be violating it is wrong
ReplyDeleteYes it is wrong, but its not the social media that is violating its people who have no control on how to use it and follow proper guidelines on how to use it
DeleteAlmost everyone working is on social networks.this means that as an individul when you tweet,blog etc you must watch your how you frame your message because it can harm your organisation
ReplyDeleteEmployees are facets of the organisation, because whatever they say, public buys to it and believes that the story is credible. Whenever people are on social networks, they must know what they are trying to achieve and try by all means that they meet the objectives of social networking by building effective relationships
DeleteSocial media is a very nice way of sharing and engaging with other people from different parts of the world but unfortunately some people are just using it for wrong reasons. people tend to post what ever they want and forget that it will one day come back to haunt them.people must know that their posts on socia media reflects their image.
ReplyDeletethis is true and they need to ke sure that they follow company's social media policy and never go beyond the company's requirements of using it. It is a good platform of sharing information because the information gets to a diversified audience in time
DeleteEmployees should just know how to put their messages out there when using social media
ReplyDeleteyes, they should focus on conveying messages that align with company policies of social media and make sure that those messages have a constructive meaning that can not affect or tarnish the corporate image of the organisation or marketing perfomance that the company aims to accomplish
Deletejust being carefull all the time will put us in the safe place
ReplyDeleteYes it can put us in a safer place and keep your job as well, because whatever you do reflects to your personality and the image of the company that you working for
Deleteemployers must train their employees about these new technologies of social media, teach them the importance and the purpose of it to avoid company's disgrase infront of its social media publics or audiences.
ReplyDeleteIt is Social Media's managers who are supposed to train emoployees on how to behave on social networks and present themselves in a good manner that does not go against what the company stands for.
DeleteSocial media is our everyday life in this age and time. However, I believe that if your employer does not allow Facebook or twitter at work then why do it? Almost everyone knows that even the employers go search what their employee's post on their pages. So people should stop being ignorant and post things they shouldn’t or that will make their relationships with their bosses bitter.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you have to agree with me, when I am saying that it is important to follow instructions from your employers and don't go against their will. When you feel that the policies of your company are too oppressive, it is your responsibility to show your employer, that its important that they recruit FAcebook, for better interactivity with company's general stakeholders
DeleteMost people they are unaware that whatever you're posting in this social networks is not for the sole but it's public, people need to be warned how dangerous it is to post whatever negative issues, or activies can get them int trouble yet it can not be naw but it can caught up with them in the future.
ReplyDeleteSometime as an employee you might post something, like "the company that I work for, behaves so unethical", but that does not mean you are the only one who is going to read that, that simply means you have posted to space where anyone will be able to interact with the information you posted on twitter or facebook. It is necessary to be aware because one tweeet can put your organisation down
Deletevioleting social media is wrong but i hink companies should make it a point to their employees that once they violet it they can lose thei jobs because once a person violet it he/she will ruin the hole company image
ReplyDeleteI think almost all companies have a Social Networking policy, which means that each any every employee have to behave in a certain way when participating on social media because once you start posting on social media, it is hard to change what you have said because it has ultimately went to people's perception which may contribute to public opinions
DeleteWhat is exactly 'damaging the company?'. If someone is not happy,arent they supposed to communicate how they feel so that they can be heard?
ReplyDeleteWorkers need to read their work contracts to avoid such actions.That was unproffessional of Reagoikanya to publish such issues with looking at the company's code of conduct based on media.
ReplyDeleteBoth employees and employers of a company need to know the do's and dont's of social networking and I think this is very vital for especially employees because they are the ones who often up getting into trouble or being fired.
ReplyDeleteI say we must always have an understanding of how sacial media works so as to always stay cautious at all times. Social media can be very dangerous watch what you say at all times.
ReplyDeleteAs public relations practitioners we are well aware of our do's and donts in the organisation we know very well that we should avoid things that can damage the reputation of an organisation
ReplyDeleteSocial media is a great tool just like any other tool e.g. a hammer. Thus a hammer can build or destroy. Samething with social media. The bottom line is people are responsible to use media as a tool.
ReplyDelete