ReputationChanger.com Reviews Top Corporate Reputation Risks in Age of Social Media

WEST CHESTER, PA, May 17, 2013

The Age of Social Media presents businesses and brands with numerous opportunities, but also many risks--and as ReputationChanger.com reviews the social media landscape, the company urges enterprises to protect themselves against the most prevalent social media faux pas. To find evidence of social media's potential for ruining a corporate reputation, one needs only turn to the most recent news headlines, ReputationChanger.com warns. With that said, there are strategies businesses can implement to protect themselves from acts of self-inflicted reputational disaster.

"Businesses are increasingly excited about the opportunities that social media provides for brand enhancement, for lead generation, and for online reputation management," comments ReputationChanger.com president Michael Zammuto, in a new statement to the press. "As such, they are jumping into Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+ with abandon and with enthusiasm--but this is not always smart or prudent. The fact is, these social media sites offer many potential pratfalls, just as surely as they do opportunities--and companies that are not careful and strategic can easily stumble into these social media blunders"

The social media faux pas that Zammuto mentions are not necessarily obvious ones. While all companies know never to post anything potentially offensive, controversial, or unprofessional to a social media site, regulatory concerns and compliance issues are harder for businesses and brands to fully fathom and formalize.

Zammuto points to Netflix as one example. A few months back, the CEO of Netflix got into trouble with the SEC, simply for posting a minor company update to Facebook rather than sharing it through the more traditional, SEC-approved methods. The incident ignited a minor controversy and landed the company in some trouble with the SEC; Forbes summarized the SEC's actions as "inane," but also noted the "awkwardness" that companies face as they seek to communicate via social networks.

A similar example is that of Applebee's. When one of the restaurant chain's waitresses shared a customer's receipt on the Internet earlier this year, it was met with protests about privacy breaches. The company's corporate social media team addressed the situation via Facebook but sent mixed, muddled messages, ultimately making the entire debacle much more pronounced.

"There are a couple of obvious takeaways from these accounts, and the first is that smart and safe social media use is not just a matter of good branding and public relations; compliance and regulatory issues are critical for companies to consider," Zammuto offers. "Make sure you know what can and can't be shared on Facebook and Twitter, because a failure to do so can prove catastrophic."

Zammuto also expresses the importance of having all of a company's team members on the same page. "The people who run your social media accounts need to be aligned with the company's strategy, vision, its mission, and its identity," he says. "We have seen clients who treated their social media responsibilities as a minor task, delegating to interns or a part-time employees and failing to prepared or support them. This is not a good way to build a strong and effective social media presence."

Reputation Changer reviews the social media needs and objectives of businesses across the world, ranging from small start-ups to Fortune 100 brands.

ABOUT:

Developed in 2009 by a group of direct response marketing pros, ReputationChanger.com reviews the online reputation defense needs of clients from across the world. The firm is devoted to helping businesses and individuals to take control over the way they are presented on the Web, and to helping clients protect themselves against acts of online attack and defamation. The firm's client list encompasses Fortune 500 brands, small business start-ups, colleges and universities, and even government agencies. Furthermore, the company lends it services to public figures, politicians, and celebrities, as well as everyday citizens and lay people.

Website: http://www.reputationchanger.com