University Assignment: Impact of Social Media on Company Reputation

This report examines the multifaceted impact of social media on organizational identity, image, and reputation. It begins by comparing the challenges posed by social media tools with those of traditional communication channels, highlighting the potential for both positive and negative consequences. The report then delves into the impact of individual employee behavior on social media, considering how comments and actions can affect a company's broader perception. It explores the essential components of a comprehensive social media policy, focusing on aspects such as content guidelines and user interactions. Finally, the report includes a communication strategy, designed using a communication plan template, for effectively disseminating the social media policy to staff, outlining key messages, target audiences, and appropriate media channels to ensure widespread understanding and compliance. This report offers a comprehensive overview of social media's role in the modern business environment.

Running Head: IMPACT OF SOCIAL-MEDIA
Impact of social-media
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

1IMPACT OF SOCIAL-MEDIA
Table of Contents
1.1. The introduction of social media tools across an organisation can pose significant
challenges. Managing these challenges goes beyond installing the right tools and technologies.
Compare and contrast the challenges posed by social media tools with the challenges posed by
the traditional channels of communication......................................................................................2
2.1. What impact might an individual employee’s comments or behaviour on social media have
on an organisation’s identity, image or reputation in the sense that it might be seen by broader
and unintended audiences?..............................................................................................................3
3.1. What social media interaction should a company’s social media policy cover?......................3
4.1. Using the communication plan template, devise a communication strategy for the Director of
Social Media to communicate the social media policy to staff.......................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................7

2IMPACT OF SOCIAL-MEDIA
1.1. The introduction of social media tools across an organisation can pose significant
challenges. Managing these challenges goes beyond installing the right tools and
technologies. Compare and contrast the challenges posed by social media tools with the
challenges posed by the traditional channels of communication.
According to the author Trainor et al., (2014), the tools besides being an effective means for
the business-related purpose has the potential to cause harm to the general employees of the
organisation. Moreover, these tools can be made use by the rival firms for breaching into the
security layer of the company by identification of the loopholes. On the other side, these tools are
a part of IT codes that can be manipulated and can be redesigned. The entire redesigned can be
undertaken as to cause harm to the concerning firm such that the breach of security can result.
Thus, leading towards the loss of data and information’s that are vital. For the business
proceedings.
Besides, installation of these tools is one of the major challenges for any business nature firm
such that efficiency and productivity is not achieved irrespective of huge amount of investment
that is being made. On the other hand, these tools entirely mess up the company’s data if not
carried out under the supervision of the experts. However, there are pros and cons to making use
of social-network tools.
It is to be noted that within the present era of time much of the business firm is successful
because of the ability of the social-media, it is the audience of the social-media that enables a
concerning business firm to get exposure to a particular consumer market (Fan et al., 2014). This
social-media tool helps in the formulation of the business official pages and that too at a free of

3IMPACT OF SOCIAL-MEDIA
cost. This page act as the face of the brand. Moreover, it also helps in the formulation of the
business prospects from within these pages.
2.1. What impact might an individual employee’s comments or behaviour on social media
have on an organisation’s identity, image or reputation in the sense that it might be seen by
broader and unintended audiences?
It is very often observed that individuals mix up with that of their professional and that of
the personal lives such that one of their comments ruins the entire professional life. Moreover,
one specific comment may rise to such an extent that it may lead to mass chaos. On the other
side, sometimes these comments are created by hackers to cause harm to the general reputation
of the concerning firm. These hackers are sometimes being paid by the rival firms to cause harm
to the goodwill and that of the reputation of the firm. Besides, the comments are used to pull the
legs of each other such that a political party takes place. Sometime, it is also of political interest
(Horn et al., 2015).
This set of comments when is observed within the international boundary becomes a
major concern for the concerning business firm and that for the nation too. Such that business
officials regret to take business undertaking with that of the concerning as fear of reputation.
Moreover, they do not want their names to be pulled in the media for which they entirely rollout
of any present agreement.
3.1. What social media interaction should a company’s social media policy cover?
A company’s social-media page should only comprise of the product offering, and that of
the information’s regarding the company related data. Moreover, there should be the presence of
the calling details and that of the e-mails that are very vital for making contact point. This serves

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as the business point for the seller and the coasters (Sajid et al., 2016). This page is one of the
primary means for capturing the interest of the general consumers; the pages are to be designed
attractively and should be prepared keeping in mind the different segment of the consumer
market. Besides, these pages should serve as the face of the concerning brand image. The page
should outlay the visionary and the missionary statement of the proposed company.
On the other contrary, this specific page should out bring the sustainability report on a
yearly basis. This social-media pages should comprise of the user feedback this will help in
gaining a positive image of the concerning business firm. Besides, there should be a
recommendation panel to make further improvement within the product offerings. The location
of the user, this helps in obtaining the faith of the clients that this specific user are the genuine
user.
4.1. Using the communication plan template, devise a communication strategy for the
Director of Social Media to communicate the social media policy to staff.
Timing:
Timing should be strict for the accountability
of the information that is being taken place.
The lower level management team will report
to Middle-level management team with the
formulated communication plan within the
first week of the month. Upon verification of
the communication plan, the Middle-level
management team will communicate to the
Top level management team within the next

5IMPACT OF SOCIAL-MEDIA
week.
Audience:
The targeted audience will be mainly the
corporate officials and that of the youngsters
of the market.
Besides, importance to that of the senior
citizen will also be given.
Sender:
The sender of the message will take place
from that of the top level hierarchy; the
message will be encoded upon the presence of
the marketing team supervisions and that of
the IT experts. However, this entire step will
be undertaken upon the presence of the Senior
Officials.
Key message:
The message will comprise in a pleasant
manner, and that will be according to the
vision, and objective of the concerning
business firm.
Desired outcome:
The outcome that is aimed to achieve is the
increase in the number of sales and helps in
formulating the brand awareness of any
concerning the business firm.

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Medium:
The use of the social network and that of the
digital marketing platform will be undertaken.
Besides, the use of organic, as well as the paid
advertisement, will be undertaken to
potentially penetrate the consumer market.
Materials:
The use of SEO, digital marketing tools, and
adverts will be undertaken. The use of the
social network platform such as that of the
LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter will be
undertaken.
Frequency:
The number of ads that will be displayed will
entirely depend upon the reach of the
consumers. The ads are to be viewed in two
different timings, which will be entirely upon
the targeted market.

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References
Fan, W. and Gordon, M.D., 2014. The power of social media analytics. Commun. Acm, 57(6),
pp.74-81.
Fan, W. and Gordon, M.D., 2014. The power of social media analytics. Commun. Acm, 57(6),
pp.74-81.
Grégoire, Y., Salle, A. and Tripp, T.M., 2015. Managing social media crises with your
customers: The good, the bad, and the ugly. Business Horizons, 58(2), pp.173-182.
Hassan, S., Nadzim, S.Z.A. and Shiratuddin, N., 2015. Strategic use of social media for small
business based on the AIDA model. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 172,
pp.262-269.
Horn, I.S., Taros, T., Dirkes, S., Hüer, L., Rose, M., Tietmeyer, R. and Constantinides, E., 2015.
Business reputation and social media: A primer on threats and responses. Journal of
direct, data and digital marketing practice, 16(3), pp.193-208.
Paniagua, J. and Sapena, J., 2014. Business performance and social media: Love or hate?.
Business horizons, 57(6), pp.719-728.
Pfeffer, J., Zorbach, T. and Carley, K.M., 2014. Understanding online firestorms: Negative
word-of-mouth dynamics in social media networks. Journal of Marketing
Communications, 20(1-2), pp.117-128.
Sajid, S.I., 2016. Social media and its role in marketing.
Tiago, M.T.P.M.B. and Veríssimo, J.M.C., 2014. Digital marketing and social media: Why
bother?. Business horizons, 57(6), pp.703-708.

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Trainor, K.J., Andzulis, J.M., Rapp, A. and Agnihotri, R., 2014. Social media technology usage
and customer relationship performance: A capabilities-based examination of social CRM.
Journal of Business Research, 67(6), pp.1201-1208.