Social media has created numerous opportunities for business growth. Aside from building more awareness and helping companies establish a unique brand voice, it is an essential tool for driving more web traffic and increased revenue potential.
Nevertheless, maintaining an active presence on social media does come with certain business and ethical restrictions. In fact, strategies you create to help elevate your brand could inadvertently harm your business or lead to significant legal penalties.
This is why businesses should focus on understanding any specific compliance boundaries of the social media platforms they use and tread carefully when launching new campaigns.
Adherence to Data Privacy Policies
Every country has specific data privacy policies related to social media that protect the rights of its citizens. However, broader regulations are being implemented concerning the use of the Internet as a whole in many parts of the world, even though currently, some laws are still only exclusive to particular regions.
The US, the UK, and similar countries are leading the pack due to laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, and the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. These laws are meant to enforce that secure data processes are to be put in place, particularly for companies that collect and use sensitive personal data.
When using social media or any other type of digital platform for growing a business, knowledge of customer rights is critical. The purpose of these rights is to help guarantee that any individual is informed about what type of data is being collected and how it will be used in the course of business. These rights also include the ability to withdraw their data-collection consent at any time.
Guaranteeing Transparency and Disclosure
Establishing customer loyalty and a positive image should be at the top of the business’s goals. This applies not only to the company’s dealings with customers directly, but also to the use of its website and social media pages.
When building social media profiles and webpages, certain ethical considerations should be made. A significant one is the use of clear and honest advertising tactics, specifically concerning how customers’ data will be used. Individuals must be informed when they are being advertised to and whether the materials presented by your company were produced strictly by you or in partnership with a third-party vendor.
Additionally, any influencers or brand ambassadors working with your business should disclose their relationship with your business, as well as any rewards obtained from reviews or promotional work, openly. Not doing this could be seen as deceptive, and in some locations, individuals could make a legal claim against the brand.
Running Contests or Promotions
Social media is constantly being leveraged by brands to run product giveaways, targeting both existing and new clients. These campaigns can do wonders for building excitement with a target audience and capturing more traffic on the site. While free giveaways are certainly allowed, there are rules regarding how they are executed.
One of the most important aspects of social media marketing is the clear communication of the rules regarding entry and their eligibility. These should have documented qualifications, details of the awards given, and the procedures used for selecting winners.
Depending on the area, specific local or even federal laws govern the conduct of sweepstakes and similar promotional activities on social media.
Social Media Archiving and Record Retention
Data archiving and retention policies are also important in social media. Many compliance standards treat social media activity as an official record. To fulfill legal requirements, businesses may need to save all posts, comments, and direct messages over time.
Failing to meet these obligations could lead to legal challenges and heavy penalties, especially since digital communication is now becoming increasingly accepted as evidence in many legal cases. These digital assets could be called in for examination during compliance audits or even criminal investigations.
However, digital records won’t have any value if they can fall prey to data tampering. Because of this, having a comprehensive archiving system in place is critical. This also includes making sure archives are time-stamped and encrypted to ensure their integrity.
Respecting Intellectual Property Rights
Social media-based communications are often highly visual. Most companies try to differentiate themselves from others by adding images, videos, and audio to increase engagement with their posts and updates. But the highly accessible nature of social media platforms is dangerous if appropriate measures are not put into place.
Intellectual property rights protect original creations, such as text, graphics, videos, photographs, and music produced by other companies, artists, and designers. Many creators trademark these works to protect themselves. If a business uses these assets without permission, whether accidentally or on purpose, it can lead to violating copyright laws, which might lead to legal battles or banning the business from certain platforms.
Make sure to stay clear of these risks by performing a detailed verification of all content rights before going live with it.
Employee Social Media Conduct and Business Risks
The online behavior of an employee can also pose a risk to a company’s reputation, especially on social media. Companies can be liable for actions taken by an employee outside of work hours if they are acting on behalf of the company’s brand. There should be comprehensive guidelines regarding social media that set boundaries of participation and repercussions of crossing those boundaries. These guidelines should include issues related to propriety, nondisclosure agreements, and other communications relevant to an employee’s business role and the expectations that come with representing the business on social media.
Employers should be proactive when drafting and implementing these policies/ Employees and other stakeholders should be thoroughly trained on the consequences of using inappropriate speech or slandering the company in any way. Training should also be conducted on a regular basis throughout the year to ensure compliance.
Frequent Checkups and Monitoring for Updates
Changes on social media happen constantly. The rules that regulate business activities on these platforms evolve all the time as new policies are issued. Even if your business is compliant today, new advertising and data privacy legislations can pop up with little notice. This makes staying proactive and anticipating changes an important part of marketing your business online.
In order to ensure your business is compliant at all times, a series of system checks has to be put in place. Frequently review the social media platforms‘ terms of service, especially as new updates are released. Social platforms are legally required to inform users when changes are made, but many users miss out on these notifications. Don’t just rely on the company’s alerts. Instead, actively look for information online and consider how it might change your social media strategy overall.
Apart from tracking changes on particular platforms, follow other legal and regulatory changes within the industry. Subscribe to various industry newsletters, follow advice of legal professionals, and learn as much as possible to keep your marketing approaches relevant. Doing this will allow you to effectively predict certain trends that could impact your approach and help you change your marketing strategies beforehand. Keep in mind that compliance is not a one-off business task. It’s a continuous effort that takes real effort and due diligence to manage effectively.
Keep Your Social Media Activity Compliant
Adopting a proactive approach to compliance and keeping your marketing teams informed about pertinent updates will allow your company to continue harnessing the benefits of social media, while steering clear of costly legal troubles that could damage your brand’s image and customer loyalty.
Author Bio:
Keith Kakadia, founder and CEO of Sociallyin, has been at the forefront of transforming the social media marketing landscape for over 13 years. From humble beginnings at Mississippi State University to building a world-class agency that serves clients like Samsung, Carnival Cruise Line, and Nikon. Keith has earned a reputation as a trailblazer in leveraging social media to drive brand success.