The Best Defense Is a Good Offense

The first step in overcoming your concerns about privacy and security risks is to take charge of the education requirements necessary to use social media responsibly. We obviously advocate implementing a process to handle any type of social media platform you use now or in the future. With a consistent process, a company will not be taken unawares as new social media tools become popular and consumers and employees migrate to different sites. Online and in-person training programs are available to corporations. These programs cover how to use social media wisely and how employees can learn all the basic security requirements they need to be part of any technology being used today and in the future.

Second, with the right tools in place, you can defend your company, your brand, and your privacy. We have discussed a number of tools to aid this process, and each month new tools to address social media are being released. Like any job, without the right tools, you will be unable to meet your goal. Whether you use free or paid tools, they are available, just keep up to date with what can actually help you manage your social media landscape.

Third and finally, be proactive in managing your social media reputation. If a story comes out, whether positive or negative about your company, you can instantly act and manage the story to a certain extent. Your company can put out true responses to a lie; your company can effectively communicate about things your company may have done wrong; and your company can build upon positive mentions quickly to expand the story and increase your brand value. The real-time capabilities you have should be used aggressively and proactively rather than slowly and reactively.