This question should be on the mind of every brand leader since far too many PR disasters have originated on social media. The answer originates in the brand’s core values. If the brand has established core values for how it will interact with its customers, suppliers, prospects, employees, partners, etc., then those brand values should be applied to social media. This means having serious conversations with every employee, management included, and a very clear understanding of the repercussions of acting outside the brand’s core values.

While that may come across as a negative approach, the exact opposite approach is how we should proactively prevent such social media disasters. The brand’s values should be so strong and so clear, and every new hire should be so immersed in the brand’s values, that behavior on social media that does not reflect the brand would be completely out of character. That’s very easy to say and very difficult to build, but the behavior of a company’s employees is rooted in the culture that leadership builds and rewards.