The cards
Six jobs that come with a business page, in roughly the order they turn up: the comments, the posts, the pictures, the bad days, the fakes and the paperwork.
Card 1
Comments other people leave on your page
A business is responsible for false or misleading comments others post on its page. Which to remove, which to answer, and which to save first.
From the ACCC, business.gov.au and eSafety
Card 2
Prices, promises and pictures in a social post
A business’s posts on its own accounts are covered by the same rules as all advertising. One invented post, marked up against the ACCC’s rules on total prices and green claims.
From the ACCC
Card 3
Photos, logos and music: who owns what you post
IP created by a contractor belongs to the contractor unless the contract says otherwise. A week of posts worked through: a staff photo, a freelancer’s logo and a song.
From IP Australia and the Attorney-General’s Department
Card 4
When abuse lands on your page, or on your staff
eSafety’s advice is to save the evidence before deleting or blocking anything. Five steps in order, and why a bad review sits outside its scheme.
From the eSafety Commissioner
Card 5
Scams that come for a business page
Scammers impersonate real businesses with fake websites and social media profiles. What to lock, what to tell customers, and what to do if it happens.
From Scamwatch and business.gov.au
Card 6
Keeping records of what your page said and spent
The ATO says most business records must be kept for 5 years. What goes in the box file, and how to keep it from changing.
From the ATO, ACCC, eSafety and IP Australia
The daily round
business.gov.au’s own advice for keeping a page alive, in brief:
- Look in once a day, at a minimum, and answer what has come in, both comments and private messages. People expect a fast reply on social media.
- Post regularly, but not too often. It suggests 3 to 5 times a week is ideal for most platforms.
- Plan content ahead, and keep track of it in a content calendar.
- Use 1 or 2 channels well rather than many badly. A neglected social media presence, it says, can be worse than none at all.
Who to go to
When something on the page needs more than this guide, these are the official places, by kind of problem.
| The problem | The place to check |
|---|---|
| Misleading claims, prices or comments | The ACCC’s social media promotions page, which also suggests legal advice for anyone unsure what can be said. |
| Serious abuse the platform hasn’t dealt with | The eSafety Commissioner, after reporting to the platform first. |
| A scam, or a fake copy of your business | Scamwatch, where scams can be reported. |
| Copyright in photos, video or music | The Attorney-General’s Department, which manages copyright in Australia. |
| Your logo or brand name as a trade mark | IP Australia, which administers registered trade marks. |
| Records of what the page cost | The ATO’s record-keeping rules. |