From recent revelations of Facebook’s internal mental health research to whistleblower Frances Haugen’s testimony on the platform’s inability to police COVID-19 misinformation to the six-hour outage of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, recent Facebook-related events drive home just how much social media platforms have winnowed their way into everyday life.

And as more brands shift to conscious spending, investing and community management, these new details might give companies a reason to reevaluate their relationships with social platforms.   

At the same time, social media presents one of the best opportunities for brands to amplify their message, connect with their audience and engage with meaningful content. Across the globe, 3.6 billion people use social media–-with that number expected to grow.

Therefore, it’s more important than ever before for brands to understand how to communicate responsibly across social media platforms, ensuring what they say aligns with positive values and constructive outcomes. 

A few tips to remember:

• Check (and double check) your facts. Make sure your messaging (whether paid or owned) is accurate and credible.
• Use hashtags wisely. Not all acronyms mean the same thing. Make sure you understand the context of the hashtags you use.
• Take community management seriously. Brands have the right to remove/report hateful or obscene comments to keep the rest of their online communities safe.
• Engage employees responsibly. Establish a social media policy to ensure that employee actions across platforms are consistent with brand values.