Social Media Alphabet Soup

(Apologies are in order for not posting anything Monday or Tuesday. It's been pleasantly busy in the Emogen camp this week!)

As we have discussed in previous blogs, social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter offer many benefits in terms of generating awareness and connecting with customers in ways that were impossible even a couple of years ago.

However, several industries have “alphabet soup” to deal with… regulatory agencies like SEC, FINRA, FDA and HIPAA.

These agencies have very strict guidelines governing, among other things, what language may be used in marketing literature, how prospects and clients may be contacted, what information can be presented, and so on. There are also rules regarding how data from marketing communications must be retained, which can be tricky if you have numerous employees posting frequently to several different sites.

And, of course, failure to comply with these regs can entail severe penalties, including steep fines.

Before letting employees or marketers embark on a social media adventure, a company governed by any of these agencies MUST develop corporate policy and procedure with respect to the regulations applicable to their industry.

-Brian, Emogen sales strategist