Social media is one of the best tools to use for a business. When used right, it can open doors to endless opportunities. However, if used wrong, it can completely ruin the reputation of a business. Mistakes a small business should avoid on social media are using photos without permission, violating copyright material, and reposting customers’ posts.
Some small businesses do not have enough content of their own, so they look to the internet to download images for their business. However, you cannot use these images unless you get permission from the owner of the image. Finding the owner of the image might take too long and in the end, cost too much. That is why it’s better to take your own pictures and use them to post. Even if someone is in the photo that you took, you still have to ask that person permission before you can post the photo. If you do not want to use your own photos, then you can find sites online that allow users to download and use their images for free. A great website for free downloads of images is unspalsh.com.
You cannot make a logo that another business has created and claim it as yours. This is violating copyright materials. Avoid using other peoples’ audios, videos, pictures, and writings to represent your brand. You can, however, share their content if you credit the original source. Think about hiring a graphic designer, or copyrighter to help you create beautiful and unique content for your small business.
Just because a customer may have posted a positive photo of your business does not mean you can use their photo to repost. It is considered their intellectual property. Most customers would be happy to see you use their original photo, but first, make sure to ask the customer if they are okay with you reposting. Once they allow the repost, make sure to properly state that the photo or text came from the original user and be sure to tag them in the post.
Use other people’s photos to your advantage, but always make sure you properly taking the right precautions before using others’ photos. It can cost you a lot of money if you are caught using work without permission. If you are still unsure before posting content to your business pages, find answers on the internet or talk with an experienced lawyer.
Have you ever encountered copyright infringement? If so, how did you fix it? Please let me know in the comments below.
Be Aware of Copyright Infringement for a Small Business