What is the Right Social Media Policy for Your Company?

Social media can have huge positive impacts on a company, especially when it comes to marketing and branding. However, without a solid and well-thought out social media policy, some social media in the workplace can result in negative consequences. Unfortunately, even minor mistakes or inappropriate posts through social media can quickly spread and damage the image of a company.

Some companies today fear this bad press so much that they create a strict social media policy. For example, these types of strict policies have firm guidelines on what can (and cannot) be posted through social media, and who is allowed to post.

Other companies recognize the value of employees sharing their own opinions and content via social media, and have set up more relaxed and casual guidelines about social media in the workplace.

When choosing or changing the social media policy of your company, a good place to start is by taking a look at these two types of options.

Here are the two extremes.

#1. The strict social media policy

What are some of the rules that a strict social media policy may include?

• Employees must provide a disclaimer on their social media pages stating that their posts do not represent the views of the company.
• Only employees that have been chosen as “official” social media representatives are allowed to contribute to the brand’s social media.
• Employees cannot share logos of the company along with their posts on social media.
• Social media is not allowed in the workplace at all.
• Employees using social media should only engage in conversations about the company itself, for example as a customer service tool.

Here is an excerpt of the strict and formal social media policy that applies at Oracle.

#2. The relaxed social media policy

Some rules that a casual and relaxed social media policy may include:

• Use common sense when deciding what to post online.
• Don’t publish any confidential company information.
• Be respectful and courteous.
• Be honest about who you are.
• Respect the privacy of others and do not post private conversations or personal information of others without asking permission.

Here is an example of a more relaxed and casual social media policy at Ford.

The balancing act

The trick for modern companies is to find the right balance when it comes to social media usage in the workplace. For many companies, an ideal social media policy would be loose enough to allow for interesting and creative posts that are interacting with consumers, yet strict enough to avoid problematic posts that bring bad press.

The solution, it seems, is to find a policy that combines the best of both worlds. A successful social media policy will allow your employees to spread content and opinions through social media and assist in the overall marketing efforts of your company while understanding what is not acceptable to post based off the company’s policy.

Guidelines to follow when creating your social media policy

Since every company is different, every social media policy will be different as well. However, here are some basic steps to follow when deciding the right social media policy for your company:

1. Know your goals

The first thing you need to do before establishing your company’s social media policy is to have a clear definition of your business’ objectives and corporate culture. A policy will work best and make more sense to employees if it is properly aligned with the goals and values of the company. As a marketing tool, your company’s social media efforts should support the overall mission or objectives the company is trying to achieve.

2. Weigh out your options

Each option has its own positive and negative attributes. A lenient social media policy allows employees to express themselves and share their expertise online, which helps the company connect directly with consumers on a more personal level.

While those efforts can go a long way in helping build the overall brand of a company, unfortunately not everyone uses common sense when posting online and an overly lenient policy can lead to a bad company image. Distasteful or inappropriate posts can damage the company’s brand much quicker than a good post would improve the brand.

On the other hand, fear of these issues lead many companies toward an overly strict policy that completely stifles the creativity, expertise, passions, and voice of employees. Companies who completely rule against social media or control it too much are losing out on all the benefits it has to offer.

3. Find the balance

After understanding the options and possible outcomes, find the right balance that works best for your company based on its industry, size, culture, objectives, and brand.

4. Set the guidelines

Determine the procedures, educate employees about the new policy, and enforce it!

In today’s world, social media plays a large role in marketing and brand image whether companies want it to or not. That’s why establishing the right social media policy for your company is crucial, and is the best way to ensure that social media will benefit your company rather than work against it.

Guest Author: John Boudreau is the CEO and Founder of Envisionable, a software and consulting company focused on helping SMBs bring clarity to their vision, track their goals and KPIs and generate results faster.

 

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