Today, a brand’s image is highly dependent on its social media presence. How users perceive you and your interactions online, builds up your brand’s image in their minds. That’s why your company should engage with users online by interacting with them through posts, stories, comments, etc. And if you have an online presence, it is better to have a Social Media Policy. Now the question arises, why do you need a Social Media Policy?
This post will let you know that and will tell you a couple of more things about how to create an effective Social Media Policy for employees of your company.
Table of Contents
What is a Social Media Policy?
A Social Media Policy (or Social Media Guidelines) is an official document that states the code of conduct on online platforms for the employees of a company. It states what the employees can and what the employees cannot do on the social media, whether it’s on their personal or professional accounts.
Why do you need a Social Media Policy?
Your company’s social media accounts reflect the vision that you try to achieve through your products or services. To protect your brand image, you should create a Social Media Policy for your company. This is because there might be times, when your social media reputation gets threatened due to some external negative response or some activity by your own employees. In such cases, your employees should know what to do at times of such crisis i.e. how to respond to such emergencies. We have seen many examples wherein even a slight ignorance while posting something created havoc for a certain company.
Sometimes, people take statements subjectively. This means that the same statement might be perceived differently by different set of people. That’s why companies need to be very careful while posting anything online. The permanency of anything sent online is a threat in itself. A slight mistake can be remembered forever.
A clear Social Media Policy helps a company to know what to do and what to totally avoid, to save them from disturbing their brand image, even if it is for a shorter period of time.
Also Read: 5 Strong Reasons Why Social Media Marketing Is Truly Worth For Your Business
What to include in a Social Media Policy?
While the points inside a social media policy depends on the company, but still there are a lot of common points that every social media policy must usually cover. These are the general ethical conventions for companies, which are just expected naturally in a particular era. For example, in this era, we would always expect a company to take an unbiased stand when it comes to racial fights or we would want them to support gender diversity or diversity in general.
Here’s a list of the common points that are usually covered in any Social Media Policy:
1. Personal/Professional boundary
This means, that on personal social media accounts, it is always preferable to only share your personal opinions. It is even better if you clearly mention somewhere that those are your personal opinions and are in no way related to your company’s opinions.
2. Don’t be a spokesperson
This means that, unless you’re officially authorized, do not say anything on behalf of your company, especially on controversial topics.
3. Talk about work
A general clause should be present in any social media policy which clearly tells the employees whether they are allowed to share about their work on their personal accounts or not. If they are allowed, clearly state upto what extent they can share things. Sometimes, it is good to let employees talk about their work that portrays your company in a good light. You can also add points about whether employees can share work place images or their images in uniforms.
4. Stand on controversial topics
It is very important for companies to tell their employees who handle the company’s social media accounts, how to and whether to take or not take a stand on controversial topics. Controversial topics can create a lot of heat if triggered. So, devise out this clause, with caution.
5. No discrimination
It is a no-brainer. As a company, you can never be discriminating. A discriminating image tarnishes the reputation of any company.
6. Inclusion and Diversity
Modern 21st century world expects companies to respect the diversity of the world and try to be as inclusive of this diversity as possible. So, write policies to avoid employees from posting anything that discourages inclusion and diversity.
7. What if someone violates policies
Make sure that you include the consequences if someone from the company violates the social media policies. Employees should not be in a shock when you take an action. That’s why it’s necessary that they are aware about the intensity of a breach and what it can cause.
8. Who will react
It is a general tendency for humans to react aggressively during negative encounters. That’s why it is important to clearly define who will respond to any external hate or negative comment. Professionals involved in PR know how to handle such difficult situations. It’s best to leave it to them.
Social Media Policy Ideas
Here are a few examples of some companies with great Social Media Policies if you’re still stuck on how to formulate your own. Check them out!
1. Adidas
Adidas has a very clear social media policy. The language used is easily understandable even for a person with no knowledge of legal matters. This makes it more effective because employees clearly know their boundaries.
2. Dell
Dell does something different here. It has suggested its employees to take part in its classes aimed for exploring the Social Media and Communities. Thus, it provides actual training on how to respond online and what activities to engage in.
Read Dell’s policy here, which we got from their official website.
3. Best Buy
Best Buy goes a step ahead. It has a lot of retail employees who speak to customers directly on a daily basis. So Best Buy, apart from telling its employees what to do online, have also directed on what all things they can say to their customers when interacting with them one-on-one.
We hope that you might have got some idea about why it’s important for you to get a Social Media Policy for your company. You might have also got to know what are the common points that you should include in the policy.
For more information about how you can manage your business effectively, keep reading our blogs. We are Sampark Infoways, dealing with all round IT solutions for businesses for more than 10 years now. With an experience with clients of varied fields like hospitality, tourism, logistics and many more, we make sure to find the right solutions for your unique needs. Reach out to us to amp up your business with technology. We’re always eager for some exciting projects.
