Social media is a fantastic way to connect with your audience, but if you’re not careful, you can quickly get a rude awakening.
As social media becomes more prominent in the business world, so do regulations for its fair usage. These regulations are constantly changing and the updates can have a big impact on how you should manage your social media. If you don’t pay attention, you could end up with a costly penalty.
Luckily, there are ways to avoid getting into trouble, as long as you pay attention to your specific industry and follow the rules.
Become familiar with your industry’s regulations
You probably have compliance officers if you use social media for regulated businesses. They’re your company’s in-house compliance specialists. They should be your first point of contact if you have any issues regarding what you can (and can’t) do on social media.
Your compliance officers are up to date on all compliance regulations. You’re up to date on the latest social media tools and methods. When your compliance and marketing departments collaborate, you can optimize your brand’s social benefits.
You also lessen the dangers.
Establish a social media policy
Make sure your social media policy is up to date and effective. This crucial document serves as a roadmap for your social media efforts. This contributes to the team’s compliance.
Make your policy official by writing it down. Assist the team in understanding that this is the cornerstone document for all social action. This can help you avoid making honest mistakes based on erroneous assumptions.
A well-intentioned social marketer may reshare a public post about the company. Did they examine the post for compliance and obtain the necessary permissions? If not, you could be breaking the law.
This type of basic error could be avoided if there were clear instructions on how to interact on social media.
Make a privacy policy and post it
Many privacy regulations require you to provide a comprehensive privacy policy on your website. Make sure your policy covers social media users.
People can learn about how you use and store their data by reading your privacy policy.
Keep a record of everything
It is imperative that all communications be archived when using social media in regulated industries.
Automated social media archiving tools make archiving much easier and more effective. These solutions can help you organize information and build a searchable database.
They also keep messages in their original context. As a result, you (and regulators) will be able to see how each social media post fits into the larger picture.
Manage who has access to your social media profiles
You should be aware of who has access to your social media accounts. You’ll also need to assign different levels of access to different team members.
For instance, you could want various individuals on your team to be able to develop social media material. However, you should have a person in charge of approving everything before posting.
Another thinking to keep in mind is employees that no longer work for you. Sharing passwords with your employees can expose you to risk if you fail to change them once they step down from their positions. That’s why It’s essential to have a password management and authorization system in place.
Keep an eye on your accounts for imposters
Keep an eye out for social accounts that appear to be affiliated with your company but are not under corporate control.
Using your brand name to open a non-compliant account may be the work of a well-intentioned advisor. It could also be a fake account. Each can result in its own set of compliance issues.
To find any unused or unofficial social media accounts, perform a social media audit first. After that, implement a routine social monitoring program. As more accounts become available, be on the lookout for them.
Incorporate compliance into influencer agreements
If you work with influencers, make sure that the content they distribute on your behalf is legal. Influencers are unlikely to be well-versed on compliance issues. As a result, it is your job to inform them of the criteria.
Contracts with influencers should include compliance clauses. Not everyone pays attention to the small print. So make sure your influencer partners understand what you’re asking by following up.
Make regular training a priority
The requirements for compliance are not always clear, and they are subject to change.
It is important to include social media compliance education in the onboarding process for new employees. After that, make a commitment to continuing education. Make sure everyone in your field is aware of the latest developments.
When it comes to compliance training, collaboration with your compliance staff is essential. They can keep you up to date on the newest regulatory developments. You can keep them up to date on the latest developments in social media marketing and strategy. So that they can flag any new compliance risks.
Over to you
Social media compliance is an increasingly important issue. With new regulations cropping up all the time, it’s important to keep abreast of what’s going on.
To make sure you avoid social media compliance issues, you need to collaborate with compliance officers. You should also work with your marketing team to ensure that all compliance issues are addressed.
From social media archiving to training, there are many ways you can stay compliant, you just have to follow the right steps.
