Whether you like it or not, your staff is on social media and probably on it quiet often. If you are smart, you will have your company or ministry on social media as well. You can be a knucklehead and ignore social media or you can leverage it to help your company or ministry fulfill it's mission. Google+, Blogs, Facebook and Twitter are popular and powerful tools. And like most tools, they could be helpful if used correctly or dangerous if used inappropriately.
I can share examples of how I have tweeted complaints to companies such as McDonalds and Delta Airlines and gotten great responses back from them, while at other times I have tweeted suggestions or something I was having a problem with to other companies and you could hear the crickets for the silence. I believe it essential that your business or church have a social media presence and you will need someone who is dedicated to presenting your organization in a professional and compelling manner. They will need to answer any questions and be involved in the conversation as it relates to your business or ministry. In other words, be involved in what is going on in the cyber-world as it relates to your ministry or business.
You also, must have an internal policy about those for those who on are on your staff in the way they represent themselves on social media and the way they represent your company on social media.
The bottom line principle is that you are responsible for what you write. The Internet is a public forum, and writing something is the same as speaking it from a stage. Even if you delete a blog post, Google caches (saves) a copy of every website that will still contain your post. Once something is published, it’s impossible to take it back, so think before you update, and be responsible for your words.
All personal blogs should contain a disclaimer. Here’s a sample: This is my personal blog and does not necessarily represent the views of [Company name or ministry name] or any groups mentioned here.
Here some other tips that might be useful:
• Be nice and be positive. Like it or not, people will equate you and what you say with the organization you represent. So even though you may be making a personal statement, people may not make a distinction.
• Think before your write. If you’ve got a doubt, let someone else read it before you post it. For example, it’s probably not a good idea to complain about your boss on Twitter. There’s a good chance he or she might read it.
• Don’t discuss private matters in a public forum. And the Internet is a very public forum.
• Follow copyright rules. If you give information that did not originate with you, be sure to give credit. Cite and link when appropriate.
• It’s perfectly okay to talk about work and church related stuff, but don’t talk about sensitive things. Private conversations, finances, future plans should not be discussed openly.
• Don’t set up social media accounts using your [the Company Name or your Church Name] email address. Use your personal email address
• If a member of the media contacts you, contact your supervisor.
• Don’t create something if you are not going to use it. An abandoned blog or twitter account could do more harm than good.
