3 min
Updated: Jul 22, 2019
Everything you have ever said, posted, or otherwise put onto the Internet will be there forever. Everything. If you’ve posted a mean comment, somebody took a screenshot. If you uploaded a video of you ranting and raving, somebody downloaded it. And if a picture you posted ever so much as touched the Internet? Kiss it goodbye, it belongs to the information superhighway. And just like how the Internet will never forget what you’ve said, posted, or contributed, the people on the Internet will as well.
Saying or posting the wrong thing on social media can cost you a job. There have been countless examples of this. If you’re lucky, this type of damaging Internet behavior will only cost you a job.” If you happen to be the owner of the business or entity, it can fall twice as had on you. Whether you sent out the post or a member of your staff, your business has a lot to lose from an ill-fated tweet, post or comment.
If the public happens upon some kind of offensive content that you or an employee has placed online, it can reflect poorly on your company’s public image. Your business could face a myriad of different problems including but not limited to:
Negative Review Spam on Facebook, Google Maps, Yelp, etc.
Boycotting of Your Business by Customers.
Competitors swooping in on the “moral high ground.”
The Local Press Running a Story on the Controversy.
Losing Key Accounts or Customer Bases.
It can be really tempting to post content sharing your opinion on a “hot topic” to the Internet, but know once you press send, that content good or bad will remain there forever for the world to see. People are social creatures, so voicing our opinions and gossiping is hard to pass up. Just because you may have something you feel is super important to share about the world, politics, or something with the potential of offending others, don’t do it. The outcome will be much greater for you if you don’t say it.
You might have the perfect response for what is going on in the moment, but it won’t be there “in the moment.” Years later, whatever you said can come back to haunt you. Why? Because the future does not care about the context in which something was said or done. You will be judged on the criteria that society lives in when it is seen.
Sometimes it can be difficult to remember what social media page you are logged into. We’ve all felt like during some big event, be it a T.V. show moment, a crazy sports play, a soap opera twist etc. that we just had to retweet the latest news with their own witty commentary. And right when you’re about to post you notice that you are still logged into the company profile. Woops! The next thing you do of course is throw your phone in terror and go on a social media hiatus.
Here’s an example where one Chrysler employee forgot they were still logged into the company’s Twitter page. The social media agency who employed the person promptly fired the person who posted the content but that didn’t stop Chrysler from ending their contract with the agency.
The Internet is a dangerous place. Here are some tips for when you are posting content for a company or yourself to avoid any negative repercussions:
Think before you post. Are you willing to face the worst-case scenario of whatever you’re posting?
You are not your company, but you speak on its behalf.
In general, NO POLITICS.
Just because you don’t find something offensive, doesn’t mean somebody else won’t.
Yes, you should care about other people’s feelings. What’s more important, your business or your ego?
Make sure you check your profile before posting.
The Internet is a truly mystifying place: equal parts thrilling and dangerous. Make sure that you don’t put yourself, or your business at risk and be careful with what you do and say on the Internet.
Make sure your best practices go beyond the Internet. naturalForms' digital forms work online or offline with your mobile device wherever you are.
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naturalForms is an innovative software company based in Dayton, Ohio USA and is the leader in natural input technologies and provides an end-to-end mobile data capture platform that automates the collection of natural input (such as handwriting, photos, notes, drawings, and signatures) instantly at the point of entry. Information captured with tablets or other mobile devices is immediately converted to digital data and seamlessly integrated to backend systems. Straight-through processing eliminates cycle time delays and human data entry errors, creating an unsurpassed workflow optimization and significant cost savings. naturalForms’ solutions are used around the world, delivering value in multiple industries. To learn more, visit http://www.naturalforms.com.