The Importance of Social Media Policy in an Organisation - Essay Example

The Importance of Social Media Policy in an Organisation Student’s Name: Institution: Date: The Importance of Social Media Policy in an Organisation Introduction Social networking through various online platforms makes it possible for a business firm to open up more channels of communication to engage better with its stakeholders. Since social networking is a phenomenon whose popularity increased at the turn of the new millennium, many firms do not have appropriate policies that address this issue. Social media networks have revolutionised the manner in which people gather, share and consume information. It is important for business firms to evaluate the relationships they have with their stakeholders to come up with appropriate social media strategies that can make a positive impact on them. this paper will discuss how social media policy can be used in an organisation to control, benefit and make profits for an organisation. Communication and Social Media Any initiative made by a firm to include crucial social media strategies in its business has an impact on its long term operations. Therefore, any social media policy a firm adopts should be aligned with its communication needs and internal expectations that influence the direction of various departments. The biggest social media networks in the world based on the number of their active users include Facebook, You Tube, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn. It is important for a business firm to find out its specific operational needs and how they are likely to impact on its internal social media engagements (Kaplan & Hainlein 2010). All business strategies such firms use should not divulge from their business operations to ensure that other important functions of the firm are not neglected. A critical component of the communication policies used by organisations for their social media functions is the need to make all employees understand how they need to engage through social networks. Before a social media policy is implemented, all HR expectations need to be evaluated to find out how increased engagement on social networks is likely to affect the firm’s output in its key markets (Kaplan & Hainlein 2010). All employees must understand the overall goals of the firm and managers need to look at other existing policies that are important to the firm’s existence in a particular industry to find out if they are properly addressed by the new social media policy. It is also important for a firm to find out the legal environment that it operates under to find out if it has obligations to its clients to keep some of their details private. All these factors guide business managers to come up with effective technological systems and machinery which can be used by different stakeholders in the firm to perform their duties. Consequently, a firm needs to find out which specific departments will be charged with the responsibility of pushing its social media agenda forward to help it attract new business (Kaplan & Hainlein 2010). All these considerations help managers to set standards for employees working under them to ensure they understand the importance of confirming some crucial details before posting it. This approach ensures that all employees that are given the responsibility of updating information on social networks understand their responsibilities in their specific workstations. A firm needs to establish important internal controls to guard against the release of sensitive details that may jeopardise its image and reputation in the public. A comprehensive communication strategy set standards for social media engagement at different levels of the firm. Consequently, there is a need for several members of staff to be in charge of different social networks a firm engages in to monitor and react to any issues that require urgent attention (KPMG 2011). The convergence of different media technologies makes it possible for a firm to use appropriate media to communicate with both internal and external stakeholders who are interested in its operations. An appropriate communication policy also needs to take note of specific boundaries a firm needs to be aware about as it engages with different stakeholders through various social media platforms. This will make it possible for a firm to integrate its social media operations into its main operational strategies to improve its longevity in the industry it operates. Social Media Marketing Many firms have embraced the concept of social media marketing to boost their profits in various industries they are operating in. Since social media is highly interactive, many business firms have found it important to leverage on their industry positions to strengthen their operations by attracting new customers. They use different opinions of their followers on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube to take note of trends in the market and appropriate products which can satisfy current needs of consumers (KPMG 2011). As a result, these business firms are able to improve the value of their products in the market because they are able to carry out effective market surveys to find out how they are perceived in different consumer segments. A social media marketing policy makes it possible for a firm to connect with diverse consumers on the internet who are interested in consuming its products. Social media marketing opens up business firms to new consumer segments which have not been fully exploited by other firms. However, a business firm needs to ensure that the manner it engages with potential consumers through digital networks resonates with them by appealing to their emotional instincts. Moreover, marketing campaigns which are conducted through social networks need to be fresh and appealing to clients to make them interested in products a firm is marketing. This means that firms need to have precise campaigns that connect with a specific segment of the market to give them the competitive edge they desire in their respective markets (KPMG 2011). A firm that seeks to use a social media marketing policy to grow its revenues needs to use modern tools to analyse the usage patterns of different users and how they react to various products which are marketed through social media. Business intelligence applications that perform social media analytics and target marketing platforms are able to assess specific behavioural factors that are likely to impact on a firm’s marketing strategy. Moreover, a firm that has market intelligence about consumer preferences and lifestyles in various geographical regions can use this information to develop appropriate products that address these market needs (Pasewark 2014). Marketing is a crucial function and a business firm that seeks to establish a strong social media presence needs to have the right data to understand the manner in which it needs to conduct its operations. Other additional functions that are crucial to a firm’s supply and distribution chains need to be included in the marketing policy to increase a firm’s presence in the market. For instance, other additional operations such as billing, shipping, financial management and coordination with other organisations have to be considered in the overall social media marketing policy adopted by a firm. Consumer Relations and Privacy Social media consumer relations policy is another critical area a firm needs to focus on to improve the quality of its operations. It is important for a firm to measure customers’ views and opinions to find out internal problems it faces and how they can be resolved. An appropriate social media policy should be proactive in coming up with solutions that adequately respond to various issues which customers face as they consume specific products (Pasewark 2014). A firm needs to have several customer care professionals who have the responsibility of engaging with its customers through various social media platforms to improve their usage experience of various products. In some instances, customer service staff can provide more details about how a customer needs to use various products purchased to ensure that it satisfies his or her needs. There are other issues which relate to privacy controls which need to be considered when a firm engages with its customers through social networks. For instance, there are some internal policies and business secrets which should not be shared through social networks because they make a firm vulnerable to other external parties whose intentions are negative. Financial transactions between a firm and its clients should be handled through discreet channels such as phone calls, business letters, invoices and secure email connections. It is crucial for a firm to inspire confidence in its customers by ensuring that different financial and private details that are shared between them do not leak out to third parties (Mennie 2014). In addition to that, information gathered from various marketing surveys should not be used for other purposes which may violate online users’ right to privacy. Therefore, it is important for a firm to invest in strong data security systems to safeguard its internal databases which contain important customer information. Conclusion In conclusion a comprehensive communication policy can enable a business firm to achieve its objectives in the industry. Social media marketing and consumer relations policies improve the value of a business firm in the industry by helping it attract new customers and maintaining their loyalty. Business firms need to secure their data to minimise different types of risks they are likely to be exposed to due to their increased engagement on social media. References Kaplan, AM & Hainlein, M 2010, ‘Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media’, Business Horizons, vol. 53, pp. 59-68. KPMG 2011, Going social-how businesses are making the most of social media, KPMG, Geneva. Mennie, P 2014, ‘Is this the future of social media?’, Social Media Today, viewed 17th Jan. 2014, . Pasewark, R 2014, ‘Why precision, not volume is the real social media story for 2014’, Social Media Today, viewed 17th Jan. 2014, . Read More