(Article published in Issue 9 of the Australian Business Solutions magazine. December 2009.)
Author: Nicola Barnard
Question: A number of my staff are Facebook friends with our clients and I am concerned on how this may be impacting on the image of my business.
Like it or not, social media, such as Facebook, is not going to go away. Therefore, it is vital for companies to engage, to some extent, in this form of communication. The reputations of a number of companies have been built and destroyed in chat rooms. That is why it is important to communicate to your staff that they are the representatives of the business wherever they interact with the client. Your staff could be your best marketing resource.
Here are some amazing statistics: As of September 2009 Facebook had more than 300 million active users – That’s a growth of 50 Million users in two months! The fastest growing user demographic is 35 years old and older. About 70% of Facebook users are outside theUnited States. More than 2 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photos, etc.) are shared each week. 80% of all Australians are using it.
Recommendations
Lead by example. Teach staff how to use it effectively and instill an awareness that if they are interacting with clients, that their online relationship be professional. They are the ‘face’ of the business in the clients’ eyes.
Consider running a workshop for your staff that includes how to set up a Facebook (or other social media) account. General guidelines to share with your staff are: Don’t share any current financial or operational challenges. Don’t talk about other clients unless they have given you permission to share a testimonial. Don’t pass on incomplete or incorrect information. It needs to be clear to staff the potential issues of writing or passing on derogatory comments about the organization, other staff or clients. Employment contracts often have this information in them but it is a good reminder.
Encourage them to have a professional smiling photo of themselves, not one of the family pet or children. Even as a photograph, the face is a communication tool.
Avoid using the cute applications, like ‘poking’ for example, if you are clear that your online presence is professional.
Make the session a value-add and not a rules delivery lecture and it will be a valuable activity in your brand management strategy.
It is also valuable to promote a policy that staff feed back any negative communication they encounter about the business to you or your business manager. There are some examples out there of companies that had negative comments circulated about them in forums, and the company’s lack of acknowledgement, or denial, permanently damaged their brand, customer confidence and consequently their profits and future viability. With any negative communication, show you are responsive and proactive by actively addressing concerns.
Philip Brookes’ discussion in the Feb/Mar issue of this magazine, plus the cover story in the Oct/Nov issue outlines the benefits and uses of social networking. Applications such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn etc are just another way you and the business can interact with your current and potential clients. It can be even more valuable than conventional advertising as you can get immediate feedback on an issue or product. I believe that we will see a faster turn-around from business idea through to development and successful implementation as a result of faster and more direct communication between smart businesses and their customers.
You can’t stop the boat. So jump in, monitor your course and lead by example.
