How to Navigate Social Media: For Employers

May 13, 2013

Social media is everywhere… and whatever you share online is there forever. As the quote goes:

“The Internet’s not written in pencil, it’s written in ink.”

For companies who are new to jump on board the social media train, it can be a little overwhelming. More than ever, it’s important for employers to be in tune in to what’s being said

Managing your online reputation isn’t as cut-and-dry as it used to be. Your customers are online… and they’re talking about you, your products and your services. The good news is, just like the “fly on the wall,” you have the ability to listen to what’s being said—by everyone.

Through social media conversations, companies have an unprecedented ability to truly get involved in conversations and deepen relationships with customers. But where do you begin?

If companies are struggling to understand social media, it’s likely the direction they’ve given employees on social media use is also a little wishy-washy.

Although companies can’t control what’s being said about them on social media, they are entitled to regulate what employees say about their products—and who can speak on the company’s behalf on social media.

The first thing we advise companies to do, before they even begin to think about communicating through social media, is to create a social media policy for employees.
Whether these employees hold the keys to the corporate social media accounts, or use social media for their personal use—your employees need to be aware that they are representatives of your brand—and perception is everything.

At the very start of the process, be clear about what you expect from your employees when it comes to social media use. Set clear boundaries, especially if you want them to be part of your brand building process. Empower and encourage your employees to communicate, but give examples of things they should, and should not, communicate online.

By creating a solid social media policy, you can establish the standard of behavior you deem acceptable. Your social media policy should address:

The extent of personal use that is permitted during work hours and on work devices.

Boundaries for what kind of company information can (and cannot) be shared online.

Whether or not employees are permitted to comment on issues related to the business, its employees or clients. Consider adding that personal posts made by employees must contain a disclaimer that the opinions expressed are solely their own.

The extent of association to the employer in personal posts. Example: a policy may prohibit the use of work email addresses when employees set up profiles on social media sites.

If the employee comments on any aspect of the company’s business, they must clearly identify themselves as an employee and include a disclaimer, such as “the opinions expressed are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of “company name.”

Copyright laws. With the abundance of free online media—like Google images, for example—it’s important to inform employees about the rules of use. Many people are unaware that the images displayed on Google may be protected by copyright. You don’t want to find yourself being served with legal documents!

The use of company logos. Postings should not include company logos or trademarks unless permission granted.

Engaging in debates or arguments online. When your employees engage in heated conversations online, it’s a reflection of your company—and shed it in a negative light. Include a statement such as “Do not engage in debates or share inflammatory comments in response to a negative communication about X company, its employees, or products.”

How employees deal with customers. Identify specific ways employees engage and interact with customers online.

Social media etiquette. Especially if an employee is posting as a representative of the company, it’s important that they know the social P’s and Q’s. Some obvious ones include language use (no profanity!)–but other social media etiquette dos and don’ts might include things like the number of times you reach out to clients to connect or the “tone of voice” to use. All communications are a direct reflection of your brand positioning, and it’s important that your employees understand that.

That the company reserves the right to request the certain subjects are avoided, withdraw certain posts, and remove inappropriate comments.

Consequences for breaching the social media policy standards.

When creating a social media policy you don’t have to reinvent the wheel, the Social Media Governance website has an online database of over 100 social media policies.

The best rule of thumb is to keep your social media policy as simple, but specific as possible so that it’s easily understood and interpreted by your employees.

Do you have a social media policy for your business? What tips do you have to share with employers?

photo credit: ransomtech via photopin cc