Determine what topics about your company can be discussed and what ones are off limits. Clearly communicate this to your employees. Derogatory comments about particular customers somehow find their way back to the customer — and usually before they make their final payment. Derogatory comments about fellow employees can create a lot of dissension in the office.

YouTube is all the rage (for those of you who are living in a cave — these are online videos). Do you really want amateur pictures of your project under construction for someone to review for possible defect claims?

Monitor your social media marketing sites regularly and have a plan in place for removing or dealing with improper or unwanted material.

Put social media policies, procedures, training and monitoring in place before you start your campaign, not after.

Social media is the way that most of the world is communicating these days. You can’t ignore it. You need to understand this new phenomenon, determine how your company is going to embrace it, and set up guidelines to protect your company.