Social Media for Professionals - Managing Risk
Social Media can blur the line between personal and professional creating new risks & exposures.
Social Media is the "buzzword" in online marketing now. But, make no doubt about it, Social Media is not a passing fad. It may evolve from it's current format, but Social Media reflects a paradigm shift that was inevitable since the development of the consumer based Internet. Control of information has shifted to the consumer.
Companies can no longer rely solely on "pushing" out information. They need to develop engaging "inbound" marketing strategies. This includes Social Media which actively engages your audience and encourages a two-way dialogue
But, Social Media does not come without exposure. As a professional, it is essential to understand how this new medium impacts your liability, and what steps you can take to manage this exposure.
Social Media Questions for Professionals
- What are the benefits of social media, and how
do I gauge results?
- Social Media efforts should be driven by objectives. With established objectives you can create a clean list of benefit and metrics.
- Benefits and Metrics for social media
- What guidelines should I implement for my
practice and employees?
- It is essential that you establish basic guidelines for your practice in addition to amendments to your Employee Handbook
- Basic guidelines for social media use
- What are acceptable work related uses of social
media?
- NAPLIA has developed an easy way to determine acceptable use of social media for your practice
- RECON - acceptable use of social media for professionals
- What are some of the liabilities and exposures?
- Exposure will vary based on your practice and extent of media use
- Common social media exposures
- Actual case involving social media - impact of not having a social media policy
- Is there Insurance protection?
- Social Media creates both "first party" and "third party" exposures
- Understand your insurance coverage
- What resources/time should be spent utilizing
social media in my firm?
- Every firm is different, and only you can determine the best mix for your practice, but...
- Some guidelines on developing marketing plans for your practice
- What changes should be made to our employee
handbook regarding social media?
- Social Media blurs the lines between personal and professional behavior
- Essential updates for your Employee Handbook
- Is it acceptable to utilize social media sites in your hiring process?
The intent of these web pages is to provide a resource to firms considering social media for their company, and to answer some of the more frequently asked questions related to this medium. It is essential to understand the exposures created from such use. Social media has the ability to blur the lines between personal and professional activity. You cannot stop this evolution, but you can manage your risk through education, guidelines, and updates to your employee handbook.
This information and guidelines are intended solely for general educational purposes. They are not intended for the purpose of providing specific legal, or other professional advice to any particular recipient or with respect to any particular jurisdiction. The author, publisher, and distributor of this document (1) make no representations, warranties, or guarantees as to its technical accuracy or compliance with any law ( federal, state, or local) or professional standard; and, (2) assume no responsibility to any recipient of this document to correct or update its contents for any reason, including changes in any law or professional standard. Before making any changes to your Employee Handbook, you should formally retain the counsel of an attorney knowledgeable to your practice, and the laws of any jurisdiction(s) within which you conduct your practice to ensure the document’s maximum usefulness and compliance with applicable laws and professional standards.
