When I talk to business owners about social media and blogging, it is always the risks they are worried about.  What are the social media risks and how to do minimize the risks while still capitalizing on the social media opportunities?

Some businesses block access to twitter, facebook, myspace and more as a way to minimize the risk.  In some instances, this could be appropriate.  For example, in the medical area, if you have professionals that need to worry about HIPPA and such, it might be better to take any chance of leaking information that would put the organization at risk off the table.  Saying this will not be popular with social media professionals that think everyone should have access, but it is just the hard reality.  Sometimes the risks outweigh any potential reward.

That said, if you care about marketing, PR, customers and website traffic, the risks for not using social media probably are higher than risks using it.

The key to minimize the social media risks is training and documenting your policies.  What constitutes appropriate computer use at work?  Can you only use social media at work if it is in your job description?  What about people that talk about where they work while at home and off the clock?

Many law firms are now offering social media handbook services to help you craft this strategy.  Just be sure that the law firm understands the risks and rewards of social media.  If you could benefit from it, you do not want a policy in place that completely shuts it down.