SOCIAL media is the buzzword of the business world. Even we lawyers are Tweeting, LinkedIn and Facebooking as part of our daily activities to establish relationships with other businesses in the North-East.

After attending workshops, it appears we are not alone – everyone is at it.

Recent statistics show there are more than 500 million active users of Facebook.

The audience is huge and sitting there just behind the enter button on your keyboard.

It is worth, then, stepping out of the trendy world of micro blogging for a few minutes to consider what impact this new connectivity has on a business in the legal sense. Time-wasting, computer viruses and public humiliation must now be the new night terrors keeping many executives from their sleep.

One bad comment could leave your business reputation in tatters and it’s not scaremongering, it’s already happened.

Look at Virgin Atlantic where employees publicly called all their customers Chavs.

It’s a disaster waiting to happen, you might think. All the more so if you sent your employee on a social media training course in the first place. Several have put forward the idea of using disclaimers stating that the views of the blogger are not necessarily the views of the company.

While disclaimers are often a lawyer’s best friend, in this case they are a company’s silent assassin.

First, in using a disclaimer you are announcing to the world that you don’t know your employees well enough to trust them to speak on behalf of the company.

Secondly, you can’t vacuum away voiced opinions however hard you try. If the people inside the business have that view and they are the ones working for the business, by default, the business image is that view.

Ultimately, you can’t separate the two.

Despite this, I am a massive advocate of social media. When used properly, it can help you become an integral part of the business world and in real terms it gives you a presence that even the most generous marketing budget could never stretch to. The key is to have an understandable and well-thought-through policy that fits your business and clearly sets out what is and is not appropriate usage, together with what the repercussions may be.

The key words here are “fits your business”.

This isn’t a universal document that can be downloaded from a search engine.

It must work for you and it must protect the rights of your employees.

In this emerging world of internet engagement it may just be the most important employment policy you issue.

■ Deb McGargle is a consultant at BHP.

Contact her at deborahmc@bhplaw.co.uk or on 07850-605266, and follow the Innovation Team on Twitter@BHPinnovate.