critigue discussion below

Justin,

Introduction

Red Clay Renovations is continuously pushing to improve our brand through a diverse range of marketing and communications channels. Perhaps one of the more popular trends in recent years is leveraging the capabilities of social media to market products and services to potential customers worldwide. Social media is one of the most cost-effective methods of marketing and improving company visibility (Blue Fountain Media, 2016). While social media outlets may offer great opportunities for marketing, there is often many controls which should be implemented to ensure the brand is appropriately recognized throughout these channels, while ensuring our reputation is not tarnished through employee misuse. Navigating the challenge of implementing these changes can be difficult, therefore the following recommendations can be used to aid in restricting misuse of social media for marketing and communications Red Clay Renovations’ products and services, while also ensuring compliance is respected throughout each of the field offices.

Reality Media Services

In 2015, Red Clay Renovations acquired Reality Media Services (RMS), a media and production company that provides web design and social media marketing. With the acquisition of RMS, Red Clay Renovations no longer requires field offices to conduct past activities such as social media marketing. Therefore, specific policies regarding these changes, to include social media conduct should be communicated to the field office personnel.

Communicating with Employees

With the adoption of any new policy, it is important to communicate the reasoning for the document, the purpose, and how the document will be used in the company, to all employees affected (Hesse, 2016). It is also important to ask employees for feedback, as this not only allows for employee involvement, but can also allow for many employees to back new changes. The changes can be communicated effectively through a variety of communication means. It is recommended that employees are notified of the impending development of policy changes, by means of a company newsletter, or the companies intranet page which is accessible by all Red Clay Renovations’ employees. The initial development could include the incorporation of employee concerns, if deemed necessary during implementation. Additionally, once the policy is drafted, the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and CISO staff should hold a face-to-face meeting with employees to provide answers regarding any questions about the changes the employees may have.

Using Social Media

Red Clay Renovations’ social media accounts are public facing entities which must be used with caution in order to alleviate any potential reputational mishaps. These changes are not to discourage the use of personal social media accounts which can positively affect the company. Employee satisfaction and a healthy workplace culture can be a great marketing resource when employees are encouraged to highlight their own experiences with Red Clay Renovations. However, it is important to also highlight these changes within the policy, and offer some guidelines, such as what to say and what not to say, a list of appropriate hashtags, and even pre-drafted messages which promote the company (Hennetier, 2018).

Overview and Conclusion

Social media is a cost-effective marking tool, however these methods to promote Red Clay Renovations’ products and services should be controlled to address any potential reputational risks. Reality Media Services is to take over as the primary social media service for Red Clay Renovations’, therefore field offices will be restricted from using such platforms to promote the brand. Communication of the changes should be made prior to implementation, allowing for employee feedback. Finally, personal social media use regarding Red Clay Renovations should be encouraged, however with limitations and guidance.

References

Blue Fountain Media. (2016, April 4). 10 advantages of social media marketing for your business. Retrieved from https://www.bluefountainmedia.com/blog/advantages-…

Hennetier, L. (2018, January 4). How and why employees should support your social media strategy. Retrieved from https://www.weidert.com/whole_brain_marketing_blog…

Hesse, A. (2016, November 11). How to communicate policies and procedures to staff. Retrieved from https://clearhrconsulting.com/blog/hr-smalltalk/ho…