Critical Assessment and Consequences Social Media

Social Media: Critical Assessment and Consequences

Organizations seeking to be competitive in this digital age ought to conduct regular social media audits so as to identify their weaknesses on the social media front, while at the same time assessing their future social media needs. For purposes of tis discussion, social media will be inclusive of all "internet-based resources that facilitate user participation and user-generated content" (Flynn, 2012). In seeking to assess my organization's current social media presence, I would first perform an internal audit of the company's online presence. This is an exercise that would call for the identification of all the social media profiles the company has. Here, I would be seeking to answer this question -- where exactly is the organization online? It would be wise to start with the big four spots, which include, Google+, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. I would also want to consider YouTube, Pinterest, Instragram, etc., while taking stock of all accounts that are unofficial -- i.e. those created by spammers or, perhaps, well-meaning employees.

Next, in seeking to assess my organization's current social presence, I would embrace a number of tools. These include, but they are not limited to, Google Analytics and Social Media Monitor by Wildfire. Google Analytics is an important tool that would come in handy in the real time tracking of website user activity. This tool would tell me exactly how many people have visited the organization's website, how they were referred to the said website, as well as how long they stayed. The Social Media Monitor, on the other hand, is an important tool that could make it easy for us to compare and contrast the organization's social media presence vis-a-vis that of competitors. It is from an assessment of this nature that I would be to determine or chart the organization's future social media needs. Checking all the social media profiles would help determine whether there is any need for a comprehensive once-over. Utilization of the tools defined above would help in the formulation of an alternative or more effective social media strategy.

Part 2

An organization that does not understand or have in place a social media strategy has no idea of how to harness the full potential of social media. In addition to helping the organization determine what social media is, or is not, a social media strategy defines social media for the organization and outlines its purpose. It could be that the organization seeks to make use of social media for marketing purposes, as an information dissemination tool, or even as an awareness platform. However the organization intends to make use of social media, the relevance of a social media strategy cannot be overstated. A social media strategy also comes in handy in the formulation of a fair use system or code. It is important to note that organizations have the right to limit or tightly regulate the use of social media at the workplace. An organization could even totally ban the use of social media for non-work related undertakings. This approach, however, is counterproductive in the long-run. This is more so the case given that social media not only enhances, but also facilitates information delivery as well as discovery in the organization. A social media strategy acts as reference point when it comes to how employees make use of social media. By outlining the does and don'ts and providing examples of fair use violations, a social media strategy ensures that social media is used for the promotion of the organization's interests, while protecting the same organization from unnecessary lawsuits or confidentiality breaches. In formulating a social media strategy, however, the organization should ensure that it does not interfere with employee rights, particularly those highlighted under the National Labor Relations Act. In the words of Flynn (2012), it is "essential to determine exactly how social media use, content, and records fit into your organization's regulatory mix." In the final analysis, it is clear that without a social media strategy in place, the organization risks losing all the benefits associated with organizational social media use, while at the same time putting its reputation on the line due to the risk of wrongful use of social media.