Social Media allows near absolute freedom of speech to the user. However, laws still govern what is written on social media and sometimes, innocent mistakes can lead to penal action.

Wayne Rooney, the popular British soccer star, found that out recently, when he used “his Twitter feed to mention his sponsor Nike, by passing off a promotional message as a personal comment without clearly showing it was an advertisement.” In reality, the message was drafted in consultation with the Nike marketing team even though Rooney didn’t disclose it to his followers, as required by the law.

This earned him a reprimand from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which keeps a tab on such violations.

If you are using social media for promoting your brand, ensure that you are aware of the local laws and always stay on the right side of the law. (We can’t be tired of saying this!)

Fans like to talk to connect to celebrities on social media if they are self-managed. Getting an agent or a representative to manage your Page, with third party updates like ‘Mr X has attended this Party yesterday’ will only alienate the fans. If you are a celebrity or Personal brand, make sure you use it as a channel to directly connect to your fans. They will like it better that way!