Company blog on Instagram, Twitter and Co. - yes or no?

Nowadays, hardly any company can do without using social networks , but having your own presence on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook requires constant effort. Regulations must also be observed, particularly those relating to data protection.

Which social media are currently used in B2B

The most popular social media in B2B:
Twitter : rather company news, short info posts and recommended links,
Instagram : rather photo references and images from everyday business,
Facebook : more info posts, current offers and business contacts,
LinkedIn : more business contacts and exchange,
Google Business : more actions and product presentations,
YouTube : rather video application examples and to-do instructions.

XING, Pinterest and Flickr should also be mentioned, but this list is of course not complete.

Benefits of a company blog

First and foremost, you can get additional attention from the target group via a blog in social media. Some customers today are more likely to search on Facebook than on Google, hoping to find more information about a company there than on the company's website. For example, comments, likes, ratings and reviews can help to get a first impression of a company's services.

In addition, social media have also become an important business contact exchange in business life. This is where business partners and customers meet, here you will find new, mostly very helpful contacts.

Another important argument for a company profile on Instagram, Facebook and Co. is a relatively simple and quick way to build a community and get in direct contact with potential customers. Especially when the followers express their opinion about a product or ask their questions under a posted picture, as a company you have the chance to get valuable feedback and build a lasting relationship with your own community.

A well-established community offers a unique opportunity to quickly draw the attention of potential customers to a new product or current promotion . With well-placed hashtags, you can increase the reach of the posts even more without following the company profile (for the time being). But be careful - avoid using Instagram or Facebook too obviously for advertising purposes. It is better to offer your followers insights into the company that they usually do not get to see elsewhere. Post the latest news, images and information with added value about the product, service or company.

From the perspective of SEO (search engine optimization), the presence on social media platforms is definitely worthwhile. Google regards the backlinks to its own website, which are set in the Twitter or Facebook profile, as a living link to a website. This can have a positive impact on the company's position in search results.

Expect disadvantages too

You become a transparent company on social media. Although this transparency often helps to find new customers, it can also have the opposite effect, because critics also express themselves on these platforms.

Bad feedback from a customer sometimes spreads through the community like wildfire. Legitimate criticism can certainly be endured and should also be answered with a comment. But what about a targeted revenge action, for example by a former employee who you had to fire? There is also the danger that a small event will trigger a so-called "shitstorm" in which thousands of users will post negative comments.

So please check the comments in your posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter regularly so that you can respond to them in a timely manner if necessary. Positive comments certainly deserve your appreciation and a thank you. A lively and open company profile on social media can make a valuable contribution to a company's reputation.

Better no performance than a bad one

You should keep this principle in mind. The most important thing is that it is up-to-date , i.e. regular maintenance. Blog is an abbreviation of "weblog" and has its origin in the word logbook. It follows logically from this that a blog in which the last entry was months ago is completely nonsensical and tends to leave a bad impression.

They constantly need new content , preferably with beautiful photos. Also you have to take care of the comments. On average, it will take you at least 2 hours each week to make your social media presence a success.

Our recommendation: a good copywriter can relieve you and write valuable articles for your company blog. At this point we can warmly recommend the copywriter Roswitha Gladel (e-mail: chippy11 (at) web.de), with whom we have had very good experiences in many years of cooperation.

Note the legal pitfalls of a company blog

The compulsion to be up-to-date sometimes leads to the publication of unauthorized images . Photos from the last event can be just as questionable as footage of the staff. The right to one's own image is a personal right that is protected by the Basic Law.

It is particularly protected by § 22, § 23, § 24 and § 33 KunstUrhG : § 22 KunstUrhG stipulates that images of a person may only be distributed with their consent. The protection lasts for 10 years after death. If the person portrayed did not agree to the publication during his lifetime, the permission of the relatives is required after his death.

You can always publish some photos of people

According to § 23 KunstUrhG, you may use pictures in which the people only appear as accessories or from meetings, processions and similar events in which the people depicted took part, even without consent.

Whether a company event entitles you to publish pictures of the participants depends on the individual case. A look at the mass of visitors is to be evaluated differently than one of two visitors who get information at a stand.

Dealing with images of employees

Many companies take it for granted that employees agree if you use their images. They assume that this is part of good conduct towards the company. Some bosses simply announce in a circular that they are publishing pictures.

The legislator has set clear limits in the GDPR . You may only publish photos of your employees if they give their written consent . This must also include media such as websites, prospectuses, social media, for which the person concerned allows publication. Because permission must be voluntary, there is no option through operating instructions or the employment contract to force employees to give this consent.

There is always the option to withdraw consent . You have to reckon with the fact that this usually happens after an employee has left. A little trick can help: Pay the staff for the photos. According to § 22 KunstUrhG, consent is deemed to have been given in case of doubt if the person depicted received payment for allowing himself to be depicted.

Product photos of individual productions

Of course you want to show samples of your work in your blog. This is not a legal problem as long as it is your own design. If you're just making a design from a customer, it's their intellectual property. You therefore need the customer's permission to use images of it.

Photos of individually printed products are also problematic. A protected company logo can usually be seen on these and, under certain circumstances, the address as well. Have the publication approved in writing or make the logo and address unrecognizable on the picture.

Despite everything – the advantages outweigh the disadvantages

Perhaps the explanations give the impression that it would be better not to have a company blog. This is not the case, because without the attention that the presence in social media receives, no company can survive in the long run. Customers and business partners expect this presence .

But make sure to keep the blog up to date and fill it with high-quality blog articles . A small contribution every 14 days is sufficient and is preferable to a long article, which you probably only rarely have time for. Respond to blog posts at least once a week .

If you also observe the rights to your own image , copyright and data protection , you will use social media perfectly and success will not be lacking.