Social Media Ethics: Public View Of Company

Social Media Ethics Name of Student Institutional Affiliation Date of Submission Abstract Technology has come in handy in growth of businesses, communication and marketing has been enhanced through social media and other networking platforms where business owners can reach their consumers and clients with much convenience. Companies also use social media in order to brand themselves and send to the public the message and image well speaking of the company. Businesses are no longer limited nationally, the internet and more so social media has allowed marketers connect with customers all over the world. Nonetheless, there is a need to put into consideration a set of ethics when it comes to online communication and sharing. This is because companies can fall in the risk of lost confidentiality and other improper activities that could be damaging to the image of a company. Introduction Social media has allowed online users to post and share anything and this is both utile and harmful to a business. Social networking can be useful because it allows companies solidify their relationship with consumers and marketers can reach a variety of customers through online networking. On the other hand it can be very harmful to a company that has no boundaries and regulations about what its employees post on social media and what image is being portrayed concerning the company. It is therefore very important for a company to put in place social media usage policies and ethics that govern what is being shared online. Social media ethics play a major role in business as it determines the public view of that company and a well painted image means a credible business but when a company’s image is tainted in social media, this could land a company on a setback that will cost the company its integrity and inevitably huge financial losses. Social media policies in the professional world work to protect the image of the company, its confidentiality, marketing power and acts as a guidance on what should and should not be shared on social media CITATION Ham17 \l 1033 (Muraikhi, 2017). According to Akbar, it is of great significance for a company to put in mind certain guidelines that will ensure social media policies are followed to the letter. First it is to think critically before sharing information on social media such as Facebook, twitter and instagram. The aforementioned social media platforms have been very pivotal in helping marketers market their products and enhance purchasing. Most people rely on the internet to search and find items they need to buy and social media has become a necessary medium between buyers and sellers. Therefore with the many onlookers a business has on social media it is fundamental to think before sharing or endorsing anything online. Sharing imprecise information will create a negative perception of a company and affect their market platform negatively. Additionally, social media policies allow for consideration of the impact information will have to the audience. What customers think about your brand is very important as this will determine the course the company will take in the marketing grounds. Information shared or endorsed should present the right image about the company and no customer should feel prejudiced by online content. Recently H & M company used a black child to market a hoodie with information that was considered racist and this caused the company a setback since some of the company’s promoter pulled off and the particular item could be sold in the U.S. this is an example of a scenario where online ethics were not adhered to causing a racism outcry and the image of Hennes & Mauritz was tarnished. The above example was a case of a company failing to observe ethics that insist on a company being aware of its audience. The U.S is very strict on racism issues and posting such a clothing could obviously attract the outraged reception received from online users. However if such an advertisement was made in countries with a huge population of black people it would not have impacted negatively on the company’s image. The number one goal of an online marketer is to engage a customer and have them make a purchase. If this is to be achieved it is important to know one’s customers preference and therefore send appropriate message. This can be done by studying the psychographic and demographic tendency of the intended audience, if H & M had put into consideration on this aspect of ethics they would have avoided the scam they fell into CITATION Tah16 \l 1033 (Akbar, 2016). This brings the next issue on ethics in social media which advises against any manner of biasness which appears mostly in marketing and endorsements. A marketer needs to steer off from any inclination towards a certain culture, ethnicity, politics or religion. Knowing your social media audience guides on this matter. A marketer cannot retweet a Christian inclined post in a Muslim based company, this is a sign of biasness and the Muslim clients of that company may feel a sense of prejudice and being left out. Companies with rigid social media policies are very keen on what their employees especially those at managerial positions post on social media because they are aware what a wrong message could do to their public image. When endorsing or promoting a brand, a company needs to let its online customers know the reason behind the promotion. This helps eliminate conflict of interest and any backlash that may come due to misinterpretation of information. For an online marketer it is always good to keep in mind that information can be received well and even negatively, therefore straightening out the reason for promotion without loopholes of misinterpretation will avoid a public relations mess. Transparency and being truthful should be upheld if affiliations are to be put forth on social networks and explaining the reason behind will impact the integrity of a company positively CITATION Tah16 \l 1033 (Akbar, 2016). Problem Statement With the clear understanding of the role played by internet ethics policy it is of great importance for companies to adhere to professionalism and compliance of the laid out policies governing social media use in order to protect both integrity and brand. Social networking in the right hands can boost a company’s sales and public image but in the wrong hand it can cost the company its sales and portray the wrong image to the public if the information shared does not adhere to the ethics policies. Purpose of the Study Internet makes it possible to share any sort of information on social media platforms both for individuals and businesses. This plays a role in setting out an image and companies can take advantage of this to depict the right kind of brand to their clients. This internet liberty demands for businesses to lay down policies that will govern how information is shared by employees if the right kind of message is to be sent and positive reception from customers achieved. Research Questions The questions directing this research include the role of social media in businesses and the implication of social ethics policy in a company. Social media obviously plays a crucial role in boosting business through marketing and expanded range of market that is inclusive of the whole world not just around the physical location of a company. Each company should engage ethics when it comes to social media and there are regulations to be followed by managers and company owners when it comes to the use of internet in marketing. Discussion When it comes to employing ethics in social networking, a business should focus on certain areas and include the necessary guidelines when it comes to training employees on these ethics. Strict adherence to these policies should be insisted upon since the image and professional integrity of a company relies on what information is relayed on social media. The policies should be clear to every employee so that the standards a company wants on its online business presence is well understood. In implementing social networking policies, it should be clearly understood the role that social media will play for a business. The major reasons that companies have for engaging the usefulness of the internet are communication with existing customers and reaching to new ones through marketing. Clients may want to review products by complimenting or complaining over something that concerns the company. This way the company is well aware about their strengths and weaknesses and therefore work accordingly. Additionally, the internet serves as a way of companies to access...