Ethics and Policies with Social Media

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The first amendment is typically the most memorable and is one of the reasons that the country was founded. Freedom of speech has long been a staple of American life. With the development of social media, freedom of the press and freedom of speech has become an issue on a much grander scale. Social media allows millions of people to interact and share with one another within seconds. Social media is an important resource, but it must be managed properly.
 
The first amendment is one of the most used policies on social media sites. Most social media sites are careful to allow their users to own their own speech, posts and pictures, while still reserving the ability to monitor and control any use that is against company policies. Since harassment is an ethical issue of social media, most sites that host user pages and connections try to cut down on the possibility of harassment through their site. This is offered with users having the ability to flag comments deemed inappropriate. User privacy policies and settings for the site can allow social media follower to decide who to allow access to their materials.
 
Another big issue with social media sites is the use of copyright or patented software. On various websites across the web, users may share music and software that is licensed only for the person who has purchased the software. This is an ethical and legal issue, as many software developers and artists have sued to get sites shut down over inappropriate use of copyright material.
 
Company social media policies are also an issue for those who run businesses and those who are employees. Many businesses have social media clauses for employees and require their workforce to comply with certain standards of social media use. These policies are used to protect the reputation of a company. Companies must be careful to comply within the bounds of the first amendment with these standards, so that they are both ethical and legal. Company social media policies are enforceable but they should not cross the line of privacy infringement of employees.
 
 
Sources: 
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/22/technology/employers-social-media-policies-come-under-regulatory-scrutiny.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/tag/social-media

Social Media Management Tools

A man (or woman) is only as good as the tools they have – as the old adage says. For example, you can try to build a house with a hammer and a few nails but it will take you a LONG time and realistically be near impossible. Even if you do manage to build something, it will lack the potential it could have had with the proper tools. The builder (you) would also be understandably exhausted and surely not want to continue building more houses.


Likewise, when it comes to social media this principle rings true. Managing social media is something that can be rather time consuming, especially if you do not know the correct tools to use. There are dozens of tools which this task could be utilized. This article, however, will focus on discussing some of the top rated tools that social media managers use to make sure that they are always in the loop about what is going on with the accounts they are managing.
 
Cyfe

Cyfe is a tool that is referred to by many social media managers as the “All-In-One-Tool.” It allows them to keep tabs on social media, marketing, analytics, sales, support, infrastructure, and so much more. Not to mention that to get started with Cyfe it is 100% free. With this tool you are going to be able to save numerous hours each and every day.
 
Cloze

Cloze is another free tool that simplifies a social media manager’s job. This tool is an aggregation and curation tool combined into one. You can follow new people from the dashboard, respond to the mentions, and even re-tweet your followers. It has more targeted settings so you can see who is influential in your niche as well as filter out what took place on which day if you have to take a day off from social media.
 
SproutSocial

SproutSocial is one of the paid social media tools that is definitely worth the investment. This tool is ideal for social media managers who have to manage multiple accounts. You are able to manage your brand from the dashboard including conversations, publish and schedule content across numerous social networks, and measure your process with their detailed report and analysis system. Not to mention the fact that the reports are professional and contain all of the information that your client is going to want to see. So, you save hours each week by eliminating having to put your weekly reports together.
 
Some other social media management tools which could be used, include: HootSuite, Sendible, Viralheat, Jugnoo, AngoraPulse, and many others.
 
I would love to hear what tools you are using, or know about, and how they differ. What do you recommend as the best tool(s) overall in managing your social media, especially in the context of a business, and why?
 
 
Sources
http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/24-must-have-social-media-marketing-tools/
http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225587

Thoughts: Applebee's Waitress Fired Over Godly Customer Comment

This controversial story took a wrong turn when it should have been blown off to begin with. Although not directly done for reasons of media exposure or fifteen minutes of fame, this may just cause a bit of lost revenue to Applebee's. It does not help their marketing as a brand to fire someone over something so silly that really just got out of hand entirely. It also does not help them to openly charge an 18-percent gratuity to each party in a large party. If they are all separate bills, each customer is separate, at least that is how it is seen in the mind of a customer.
 
As for the waitress, if it were myself in that situation, fighting for my job back would not be an option. I would not want to work for a company that was as unprofessional as that. There are plenty more establishments to seek out employment in. You want to work for a place that values you as an employee and as a person. This tends to show that she was just a number and was not valued. After all, it was not even her that posted the photo of the receipt. There were no names mentioned and no identifying information. The only people that would have known who this was, were the server and the people in that dinner party.
 
At the risk of adding religion and controversy into the mix I forewarn you that I share openly my own religious beliefs…and that is what they are “my own!” The "self-proclaimed minister' did act inappropriately. Perhaps she thought that her actions were justified at the time, but no, it was inappropriate for her to voice her opinion in that manner. As a bystander in the situation you have to ask 'What is she giving God 10-percent of'? That is the unanswered question. If she were as godly as she claimed to be, she would not have let frustration or anger take over her mind that day. She would have let it pass and kept her thought to herself. She also could have spoken politely to the manager instead of causing this ruckus. Although self-proclaiming yourself as clergy does not mean that you are that Holy, her attitude in the situation and body language in her interviews leaves a lot to be desired.
 
Not only is this very poor marketing and poor media exposure for Applebee's, their actions just make the situation worse. Failing to comment on the situation makes them look guilty, and does not make consumers want to go to their establishment. When consumers see a brand ignoring a problem it looks bad on that brand and is poor marketing. Sales are likely to go down and the overall morale of the diners and staff will be a bit muddled. All of the advertising in the world for great specials may not help them right now. This story is everywhere and is giving them negative attention. Applebee's is a huge brand, they will bounce back from this setback, and it will not take long but how people view them as a company has already been damaged. There are millions of people that eat at Applebee's every year. Most will find this to be something stupid that should not have happened in the first place and it will not change their view of the company. Those with morals will likely see that how this waitress was treated is wrong and uncalled for. Two wrongs do not make a right and firing her over something so petty is ridiculous. The moral here is, think before you speak, or write, in this case. Social media is used by the entire world, you never know when something you do or say is going to end up blown out of proportion by someone blowing off some steam, and with social media it can spread FASTER than wildfire.
 
 
Source Links
http://fox2now.com/2013/01/31/web-world-i-give-god-10-receipt-goes-viral/
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57567225/applebees-waitress-fired-for-posting-customer-comment-online/