Dangerous Social Media Risks
Dangerous Social Media Risks
At our website www.oneminutefromnormal.com we ask visitors the question: What if an unscheduled event suddenly seizes control of your business? Are you ready?
Last month we covered how social media tools can be used to quickly disseminate information should disaster strike your organization or local community. Unfortunately, there is also a risk these tools will be used improperly, resulting in disastrous lawsuits, regulatory action and negative press coverage.
We have listed a few guidelines to help your organization get ahead and stay ahead of the curve, so that damage control isn’t your only option:
- Publish and disseminate social media standards to all employees. Require that they acknowledge receipt with their signature. By doing so, you are more likely to ensure the standards have been read. Contact KMRD if you would like a sample.
- Social media is fluid. Just as Twitter was not a significant force just a few years ago, new tools will continue to move to the forefront. As a result, standards should be updated regularly.
- Limit control of all company social media organs to staff members who are well known for their maturity and common sense. Just because young people are most familiar with these tools is no reason to place them in control, unless they exhibit these attributes.
- Help company staff to understand social media is not anonymous, and they should be prepared to own every post as if it’s on the front page of the newspaper.
Like all risk, the risk of a social media disaster can only be mitigated and never erased. Your company could find itself one minute from normal following improper usage, and so should have adequate liability insurance coverage. A KMRD account representative will be happy to analyze your risk and outline your coverage.
KMRD Partners provides risk management consulting and property & casualty insurance to protect against potentially catastrophic losses that wait on the other side of one minute from normal. We are dedicated to anticipating risk, and helping firms to recover from unplanned events.
Contact us at contactus@kmrdpartners.com before one minute from normal strikes your company, and we will identify potentially disastrous social media coverage gaps.
