The explosion of social media has created new ways for businesses to stay in touch with existing customers and reach new ones, but it's not without its dangers. Reputations, both corporate and personal, can be damaged or destroyed on the Internet. So how to make sure you know what's being said about you or your business, and how to respond? Gerry McCusker, of Engage ORM, is an expert in the field. He says a crucial first step is to have a social media policy and to make sure everyone in the business understands and follows it. Next, he says, find out what's being said about you. Open-source monitoring systems like Google Alerts can help there. If there's no problem, don't rush into social media: you may waste a lot of time and do more harm than good. But if there's a debate about you or your brand, listen to it carefully, learn from what's being said, and then respond in a measured and considered way. By contributing to the debate, you'll restore some balance and build credibility in the marketplace.
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