Forbes released its annual top 50 most powerful people on Social Media today. Don’t expect to see any celebrities in their list. The focus of their criteria is that the person has to be creating their own content and that content needs to be about social media. Hayden Shaughnessy’s article “Who Are the Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers, 2013?” also includes a link for you to rate your own “Pull.”
The second annual global study on how businesses are incorporating social media has been published by Proskauer. The study provides a look at differing standards globally as well as offering some recommendations on best practices. “Social Media in the Workplace Around the World 2.0” is well worth the read, especially if you are still grappling with the issue at your own place of work. “Proskauer Study Recommends Corporate Best Practices for Navigating Challenges of Social Media in the Workplace” provides a summary and link to the study.
Pinterest is one of the hottest new social media sites and has introduced another slew of questions about its legality. Copyright in particular has been a contentious issue with the picture dependent site. Andrew Mirsky provides a thorough look at the legal issues involved, including images of famous people, copyright – fair use – and trademark. In addition his article “Pinterest: Fair Use of Images, Building Communities, Fan Pages, Copyright” also provides some guidelines in going ahead with a Pinterest account.
Given the new laws passed recently in numerous states such as New York, New Jersey, California, South Carolina, Washington, Ohio, Minnesota, Michigan, Missouri, and Massachusetts, it is more important than ever to have a clear social media policy in place in your organization. The policy must, of course, be compliant with the law and serve the best interests of company and employees alike. Elizabeth M Ebanks provides some excellent advice in her article “Have No Fear: 5 Steps to Implementing an Effective Social Media Policy.”
With changes to how the law regulates the interaction of employees and employers over social media use, it is more important now than ever to have clear social media guidelines in place. Those in the hotel industry may face unique challenges in this area. For instance, hosting celebrities can be great for business, but celebrities are inclined to value their privacy. Samantha Worgull’s article “Social Media Policy Key to Mitigate Liability” looks at the issues facing the hotel industry in using social media.
As the school year really starts to heat up in law schools across the country, here’s an article that recommends one more subject: embracing social media. Menachem Wecker’s article, “Law Students Should Embrace Social Media, Study Suggests, ” outlines the reasons that law students should be plugged in. Students should be using social media platforms to control their online professional reputation and be prepared to build client relationships through them. Law schools themselves may be slower to embrace these practices.
Thinking about applying to law school? Social media can help or hurt your chances of getting in. Shawn P. O’Connor provides some useful tips in “Use Social Media to Get Into Law School.”
Ever wonder what makes a social media lawyer different from any other lawyer? “What the Heck Does a Social Media Lawyer Do Anyway?” gives a thorough overview to the major issues that a social media lawyer might be involved in. It’s not surprising that in a fast-paced and ever changing environment like social media, a social media lawyer can expect a great deal of variety to come their way.
Not everyone is obsessed with social media, and in fact, some attorneys may not be interested in it at all. Older attorneys, in particular, may not embrace this new phenomenon, but it is becoming increasingly important in almost every facet of practice from maintaining client relationships to evidence in court. Andrew Lu provides “An Older Attorney’s Guide to Ethical Social Networking” that is useful for attorneys of any age.