Don’t Let Facebook ruin your Brand Image

Many entrepreneurs are eager to grab some publicity off of the social networking model and Facebook is obviously the most obvious place to begin. However, just because Facebook is the most successful social networking site does not mean that it is the easiest to work into your business model. Facebook is NOT for Business - says other social networks can already do everything that Facebook is capable of.

Of course, this article is three years old and the site has added a number of additional applications, so some of these points are not valid. The truth today is that Facebook can be a powerful medium for your business and an important part of your social media strategy. However, it can also be potentially dangerous if not utilized correctly.

The biggest risk with using Facebook is that it can destroy the brand of your business and make future networking opportunities impossible. Social networking communities can be a very clicky place and businesses may be pressured to fit in. It can be easy to careless and accidentally post a message that can be damaging to your business. Once you click the mouse, that message is out there for ever and close to a billion people can get access to it.

Another problem raised in the article Facebook is Dangerous for Business is the negative impact associated with word of mouth of customers. We all think of using customer testimonies as a great way to build business, but misleading or libelous statements can be the death of a business. Social networks bring everyone in the world together and allow them to share their opinions with each other.

This is a wonderful concept, but when spiteful customers or malicious competitors abuse the system to make a nasty comment, it is remembered much longer than a single positive comment. If you set up a page or participate in a group, you must monitor what people are saying. You can delete harmful comments, but this sometimes makes it look like you are trying to cover things up.

It is better to be ready to address comments with a rebuttal and to do so professionally. This will reaffirm the brand image you are working on. Facebook is not useless for business, but it must be managed closely. This does not only include monitoring what you post, but addressing the lies and allegations before they propagate unchecked through the digital universe.