While you might not be aware that your legal team should be involved in your social media efforts, it is important for any brand to be implementing their team in this way in order to prevent any potential legal issues from arising.
Since digital marketing channels are governed by the same state, federal and local laws as any other platform, failing to follow regulations can lead to litigation.
Here are a few reasons why your legal team should be involved and active in your brand’s social media presence.
Social media allows for defamatory posts to be publicly posted on all your brand pages. Having the legal team vet these particular bad apple comments and potentially send cease and desist letters, especially for repeat offenders, can help prevent constant spamming of your social media pages.
If you find someone is illegally using your brand’s copyright or trademark on social media, the legal team is the first person you should be contacting to ensure it stops happening and the infringement is immediately removed.
Social media allows anyone to sign up and use your brand’s name, allowing for impersonations that could be unflattering representations of your brand. Your legal team can connect with the right people on the social media platform to ensure the account is removed swiftly.
Employees should be given a rundown of how they are expected to act on their own social media profiles now that their employment means they are also representing the brand. Your legal team is the best source to help create the guide employees are expected to follow.
Trade secrets are central to your brand’s edge above the competition, so it is vital to keep them off social media as much as possible. Employees and business partners should be aware of the legal repercussions of leaking anything associated with the business, even by accident, on social media. Your legal team can create a guide to ensure employees know exactly what needs to be protected.
The content you post on your brand channels should always be cleared for intellectual property and third-party rights. If you are using user-generated content, ask permission to use their work first, ensure it is their original work, and always give credit where it is due. Failure to do so could open the doors to a potential lawsuit.
Remember, legal’s role is important, but at its core the legal team should be there to help avoid potential pitfalls – not slow down the process by vetting every single piece of content that goes out.
