Is Your Social Media Policy Ready for What’s Ahead?
It’s always nice to know what the “super success seekers” are doing, and here’s some telling scoop. Half of the fastest-growing companies have a written Social Media policy incorporated within their business plan, according to a recent survey of Inc. 500 executives. (Inc. 500 is a designation for fast-growing companies, similar to the familiar term Fortune 500, which is their giant, profitable industrial brethren.)
Do note, this survey result doesn’t say “half have a policy; half don’t.” So, don’t pat yourself on the back and say, “Call me when it’s 71%.” Because while 50% of these companies incorporate Social Media planning into the business plan (up 17% from the year before), 21% have a stand-alone Social Media policy (up 9% from year before).
Contractors are wise to recognize: It’s more and more important to have a Social Media policy. This need is in keeping with the top three concerns those Inc. 500 execs have that you probably have too: How do you manage Social Media’s return on investment, time allocation and resource allocations?
So, create a policy that guides your investment in platforms, post creation and Social Media marketing. Also, in a season where tweets and posts go viral (often for embarrassing reasons), Contractors should be aware that 39% have a strategy in place in case an online crisis/firestorm erupts (up 12%). To protect your image, prepare in advance to respond to negative or ill-timed posts.