How To Create A Social Media Policy For Your Employees

The use of social media is extremely popular for consumers and businesses alike. Today it’s a well-accepted form of communication and information sharing.  However it’s important for you set guidelines for the proper use of social media in the workplace, and ensure your employees understand them.

If your employees use social media improperly this can result in:

• Confidentiality breaches
• Brand jacking
• Miscommunication
• Spamming
• Reputational damage

Develop a policy with well-defined guidelines regarding acceptable and unacceptable social media behavior. The following are some examples to include:

Acceptable Social Media Behavior

• Sharing positive stories about employees, projects, and customers.
• Generating anticipation with hints regarding upcoming events or news.
• Praising employees to demonstrate pride in your business.
• Sharing pictures and short videos to express your company’s personality.
• Planning a social media strategy that ties into your other marketing efforts.
• Responding in a positive way to questions or complaints about the company.

Unacceptable Social Media Behavior

• Sharing confidential information with the public/competitors.
• Sharing private details regarding financial or contact information.
• Making derogatory or offending comments about customers.
• Making derogatory comments about employers or workplace situations.
• Making unfriendly or insulting comments about your competition.
• Deleting or responding negatively to comments or complaints about the company.

Social media can be an effective marketing and communication tool if your employees are trained in, and follow acceptable social media behavior.

To learn more about developing an effective Social Media Policy, call Fuelled Networks at (613) 828--1280 or send us an email at info@fuellednetworks.com.  

Published On: 13th April 2014 by Ernie Sherman.