There’s no doubt that Facebook participation can be an asset to any business. The question is: how can you use it to promote your products and company, yet be sure your team members are cautious in the way they use it? What should the salon owner and manager post? Where is the line between personal and professional? Knowing the good, the bad and the ugly of Facebook for business, your company can take full advantage of this tool and watch your business grow.
The Good
One benefit Facebook offers for businesses is it lets the customers and potential clients know your company on a personal level. Clients come to you for a relationship. They assume you know how to take care of their needs. Being accessible on social media sites helps your clients and customers feel connected to your salon.
A Facebook page can also help bring people to your Web site. Customers will look for your presence on the Internet, and a Facebook profile is just another way they can find you, leading them to your Web site to find out more information and possibly contact you.
Facebook can be a tremendous networking tool. Business pages on Facebook can elevate your Web site status through search engine optimization. In addition, if you have a Facebook business page link on the opening page of your Web site, potential clients can feel that they know you and your salon before coming in for their new customer experience. Several companies have gained new clients simply because of their Facebook page.
The Bad
A recent study of companies with 1,000 workers found that 8 percent of their employees had actually been dismissed for their behavior on sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn. That’s double from the previous year! Companies also fired employees for sharing sensitive details about the business and their clients. In addition, team members had been sanctioned and fired for making unprofessional remarks about their bosses via social networking sites.
The Ugly
Realize that even if you use Facebook privacy settings, you may still be in danger. Remember being in high school and doing things you thought your parents would never know about – and yet somehow they always found out? The same is true of social media. Avoid bad-mouthing your employees, co-workers, boss, clients or anyone in your professional life in such a public way on a public forum.
Setting Guidelines to Avoid Trouble
Every business should have specific guidelines that apply to social media use. There are two factors at work here: employers need to be closely monitoring social media sites, and employees need to use common sense when posting about work life. Employees need to be careful about sharing sensitive information, as well as making foolish remarks about their employers.
The owner needs to set the vision and goals for the salon regarding social media with the help of the team by developing a mission-driven ethical use policy.
Following are some basic guidelines for using social media in business. The guidelines listed below must apply to every member of the team, including the owner:
•Never post anything that directly or indirectly insults customers, clients or the business itself.
•When posting on personal and social media sites, be nice and keep it clean. Develop verbal cue cards on “what to say and not to say” on social media. Have clearly developed expectations that apply to all team members.
•Consider leveraging your salon’s Facebook profile to start positive conversations about your employees and your services. You can do this by regularly posting testimonials from current or past clients.
•With your customers’ permission, involve them in your efforts. You can do this by connecting with them and posting information about their businesses.
•If you have a personal page and a business page, consider your policy regarding clients who want to become your personal friend. One business owner lost a family of customers who requested to be his personal friend when he said “no.”
•Create a page in your employee policy manual regarding Facebook and social media posting so each employee understands what to do and what not to do.
•Designate one or more specific employees to be responsible for posting on and updating your sites. Business page content will need to be updated frequently and consistently to ensure the Wall tab stays fresh. Carve out one-two hours a week for this responsibility.
With a clearly established policy and understanding of the good, bad and the ugly, Facebook and social media can be a great asset to your business. By enforcing social media policies and following these guidelines, you’ll see great results from your efforts!
Dr. Rhonda Savage is an internationally acclaimed speaker and CEO for a well-known practice management and consulting business. She is a noted motivational speaker on leadership, women's issues and communication. For more information on her speaking, visit www.dentalmanagementu.com or e-mail rhonda@milesandassociates.net.
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