5 Ways to Prevent Social Media Disaster

As the NFL season kicks off in the U.S., I’m just waiting for this year’s top end zone celebration to be someone pulling an iPhone out of their pants and sending out a tweet or updating their Facebook status with a misplaced comment that reveals the team’s new playbook.

Social media continues to pop up in unexpected places. But, what’s wildly entertaining for us, could be considered disaster to an NFL team. In fact to prevent loose lips (or careless keyboarding), the NFL has created strict social media guidelines for players on game day.

The popularity of social media, has caused many disasters for corporations around the globe including

United. How can large businesses use social media without having a disaster like this?

Here are 5 ways to prevent social media disaster

1. Encourage the use of social media. For years, many work places have been labeled as disconnected from their employees, yet what better way to be relevant and connect with your employees then by encouraging them to use social media. Employees who feel backed by their bosses to use social media, are more likely to use it for the company’s good then employees who are discouraged or threatened not to use it.

2. Educate. Whether you’re using social media for the good of your company or not, make sure that your employees understand social media. Many people use social media improperly simply because they don’t understand it.

3. Create Best Practices. Develop a social media policy for employees on how to properly use it for the workplace and your company. Include things like limits to how employees can use it to discuss the company and stress the importance of using it as typical conversation and not as a place to vent.

4. Create a Social Media Strategy. Many companies fail with social media because they never had a plan to begin with. Create attainable goals and action points of how you can implement an appropriate social media strategy.

5. Have a Back-up Plan. By the time many brands notice they’re in the middle of a social media disaster, it’s too late. Have a plan of action for that unforseen moment when you find yourself head to head with a social media disaster.