FAQs

The first step in launching your channel is to conduct thorough strategic planning. Next comes the important, standardized process of registering your new social media channel in the MIRA database. Your project or channel needs to be approved locally first, i.e., in your division or country. It is then entered in the central MIRA social media registry. After the global social media expert has reviewed all of the data, your channel can go live.

Digitalization is happening throughout society, and social networks offer a unique opportunity for us at Bayer to communicate even more directly with our stakeholders. Direct dialogue via social media platforms strengthens our relationships with various target groups, which also enhances the company’s reputation. Moreover, social media provide insight into the needs of those target groups and enable us to tailor our content appropriately.

Strategic planning of your communications activities is essential when choosing the appropriate social media platform. By defining your communications objectives, relevant target groups, their media consumption and key topics, you will be able to identify the ideal platform for your needs.

A sound social media strategy is the foundation for your project’s success. It is therefore important to devote the necessary time to devising that strategy, and in this context the checklist we have provided can be helpful. Colleagues with whom you can share ideas and experiences can be found in the global Digital Communications Communities. To become part of such a community, and if you have questions, please contact Rachel McGrew.

Success starts with strategic planning. You should begin by analyzing the opportunities so you can define meaningful and achievable goals. From there, you are better able to define your target group, identify relevant topics, specify appropriate social media channels, plan for the necessary resources, and assess your ongoing performance. These aspects are explained in detail in our checklist.

All Bayer employees are subject to MARGO 2030 guidelines, which govern social media usage by employees and channel administrators. Additionally, all divisions and a number of countries also have their own distinct guidelines. Adhering to the guidelines in your jurisdiction ensures legal compliance, as well as a strategic focus on each division’s target group. For reference, we have compiled a list of all important guidelines.

Corporate social media channels are subject to a variety of legal requirements, and these should be kept in mind during every phase throughout your strategic planning. To facilitate this process, we have compiled a checklist of the most important legal requirements, ranging from naming a channel to outlining rules about sharing company details or making comments.

You have a variety of assistance options available under “Community Management.” For example, you can find tips on monitoring, how to approach your target groups, and how to categorize comments there. If you have further questions on how to manage your channels, you can find the right contact person under “Contacts.” If there are critical comments that could potentially cause major damage to Bayer, please contact your local (digital) communications department right away.

Whenever any reports of adverse side-effects appear on your page, you should take the following steps in your comments section:

1. Hide the post immediately.

2. Make a screenshot of the dialogue.

3. Copy and paste the text it into a Word document (include a date!).

4. Forward the information immediately.

5. Delete the post.

A social media channel is not a short-term project. It is therefore essential to start by defining and assigning the most important areas of responsibility. This will ensure the highest level of efficiency and swift action in the event of a crisis. By regularly monitoring your channels, you will be able to recognize issues and emerging crises quickly and respond appropriately. If you are unsure how to respond, contact your local communications team or the global (digital) team.

In a crisis situation, it is always important to be familiar with the responsible contact person at the company and to assemble a crisis team as quickly as possible. Further information can be found in the Crises & Side Effects section.

The purpose of all social media activities is to provide added value for our stakeholders and promote dialogue with the relevant target groups. Successful dialogue requires strategic as well as realistic resource planning. Communication with users, including responses to significant comments or questions, plays a critical role in a channel’s success. Accordingly, feedback should follow within 24 hours, and ideally within only a few hours.

Now that you have content tailored to the channel’s target group and adequate resources for communication, you will also need a set of KPIs. What does success mean to you? Assess your efforts over time so that you can grow and build a stable fan base.

Regular monitoring is an essential part of running a successful social media channel. Therefore, you should take this task into consideration when planning your resources. This way, you can detect negative comments early on or – in the event of a crisis – use this data to locate the trouble spot, better assess the crisis potential and react quickly and efficiently. For Bayer, as a global Life Science company, daily monitoring for possible contributions on the subject of product side effects is particularly crucial. With this in mind, please check your analyses at least once a day. Bayer offers specific training on the proper conduct for pharmacovigilance.

In our online communications, as elsewhere, Bayer strives to present a uniform image and ensure that the company’s various corporate channels are consistent with one another. To that end, we have introduced certain standards for content as well as for the design of posts, with a focus on our core values visionary, optimistic and passionate. Separate rules apply to brand channels, and these can be found on our digital marketing portals.

Your content must be in-line with the overall focus of your channel. As appropriate, you may choose to launch joint projects in cooperation with other Bayer channels. When planning your content, you should always keep in mind the perspective of your target group, which will allow you to identify relevant topics.

To manage your channel over the medium to long term, you should plan your content at least six to eight weeks in advance. Early planning will make it possible for you to collaborate with colleagues from other departments or other countries. Coordinated planning of topics and assets reduces creation costs and promotes a more uniform image of Bayer and our team-based approach. We offer a variety of tools (e.g., Sprinklr) to facilitate clear content and channel planning.

Tools can help you generate added value in various aspects of your social media activities. Your needs will determine which tools are most appropriate for you. Their strengths may include compiling an editorial calendar and general channel management, but also data analysis and social media listening. You will find a selection of available tools in the services section.

Bayer is already working with a variety of social media tools that you can use for your work. Freeware and paid software are both available. Because Bayer uses these programs globally, discounts are often available. We have drawn up a list with descriptions of the various products.

We offer training on different areas of social media for all Bayer employees. You can find general employee training sessions on the intranet/myServices Training Portal. For Channel Owner Training, please contact the Digital Communications Community on Connections to find out which specific options are available to you. We are currently working on a centralized, extensive overview of all training options.

Bayer recognizes the opportunities that social networks have to offer, so their use is permitted on all internal devices. However, they should never interfere with your work. If you would like to participate professionally in discussions on social media, we support you through our advocacy program.

As a social network user, you are participating in public dialogue and thus part of the public sphere. You are therefore responsible for your posts and are required to follow applicable laws. Avoid using the pronoun “we” so that you will not be perceived as speaking for the company. Of course, Bayer supports freedom of expression and the respectful treatment of others, including on social networks. Important information about posting and commenting can be found in the employee section.

On social networks, as elsewhere, it is impossible to prevent negative responses. Emotional outbursts are best ignored, since it is often impossible to follow up with an objective discussion. Insults and abusive language should be reported to the respective platform. Rather than responding to critical comments about Bayer on your own, please direct the user to Bayer’s official channels so that social media professionals can respond. Unauthorized responses to critical comments can be very damaging.

You do not need to register your private channels in MIRA because they are your personal profiles. Bayer is therefore not legally responsible for them. If you write about Bayer or topics relevant to Bayer on social media, please make sure Bayer is shown as your employer in your account information. Please ensure not to give the impression that you are officially speaking on behalf of Bayer (use “I” instead of “we”). We have compiled a number of additional tips on private social media use. These can be found in the “Private Social Media Use” section of the Digital Guide.

The role of social media advocate provides added value for Bayer and—most of all—for you personally. As an advocate, your expertise allows you to publish your own content to expand your network. In doing so, you are able to connect with your target group and recognize trends in the industry early on, which benefits both you and Bayer.

Be social! We've created an in-depth guide for anyone at Bayer to help you get started or build your social media presence. Click HERE to explore our Leader Voice Toolkit. For further information, please contact social063dce099bdd4a89ad51bbea5347d940.media@cf93f1173cd547d8b56fddbb443ad5f9bayer.com.

Bayer recognizes the opportunities that social networks have to offer, so their use is permitted on all internal devices. However, they should never interfere with your work. If you would like to participate professionally in discussions on social media, we support you through our advocacy program.

This role does not come with any additional financial compensation. It is a volunteer position that enjoys Bayer’s explicit support. You benefit from the opportunity to share your knowledge and insight, underscoring your role as an expert in the industry. And in conversing with others, you also have the opportunity to gain additional expertise regarding certain core topics. Both of these avenues provide opportunities to expand your professional network.

As members of the Digital Communications Team, we will support you to ensure the success of your social media channel. We welcome any questions you might have and you can find the individual areas of responsibility in the Digital Guide under “Contacts.” There you can find general contact options, individual contacts for emergencies, and contacts within the divisions and for IT.