How To Create A Social Media Policy For Your Employees

Acceptable vs. Unacceptable Social Media Behavior

Social media is extremely popular for consumers and businesses alike. A well-structured social media plan can be powerful when successfully launched, but it can also become a disaster if employees aren’t knowledgeable about acceptable and unacceptable social media behavior.

Many business owners struggle when developing policies to make sure employees use social media without risking their company’s security or reputation. But, if your employees use social media without a proper policy in place, potential issues can occur, including:

• Breaches of employee and/or customer confidentiality
• Brand jacking
• Miscommunication
• Spamming
• Reputational damage

It’s critical to create a well-defined social media policy regarding what your employees should and shouldn’t publish on a social media platform. Consider including the following in your social media policy:

Acceptable Social Media Behavior

• Share positive stories about employees, projects, and customers.
• Generate anticipation with hints regarding upcoming events or news.
• Praise employees to show pride in your business.
• Share pictures and short videos to express your company’s personality.
• Plan a social media strategy that ties into your other marketing efforts.
• Respond in a positive manner to questions or complaints about the company.

Unacceptable Social Media Behavior

• Sharing confidential information with the public/competitors.
• Sharing private details about financial or contact information.
• Making derogatory or “gossipy” 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.

It’s important to discuss acceptable and unacceptable social media behavior with your employees. Social media can be extremely beneficial for your organization, however, your employees must know what to share and what to keep quiet.

Download an example of a social media policy here.

To learn more about acceptable and unacceptable social media behavior, give us a call at {phone} or send us an email at {email}. {company} can help you use social media without damaging your company’s reputation.