Social Media for Your Small BusinessPart 4: Social Media Policy & Your Staff

MisconceptionEmployee Social Media Policies do not just apply to how employees use company profiles, pages, handles, etc.

An Employee Social Media Policies also regulates how employees can talk about your company, competitors, customers, vendors and other employees.

What is a Social Media Policy?

: a corporate code of conduct that provides guidelines for employees who post content on the internet either as part of their job or as a

private person

What does it need? Your social media policy doesn’t need to

look like a legal document Should outline specifically how your

business and employees will represent themselves online

Why have a social media policy?

Employers need to be upfront with employees about online privacy, expectations and consequences

Employees need to be aware of company policies in relation to harassment, ethics and disclosure in all forms of communication

Why have a social media policy?

Bottom Line:Protection

Social Media Policy Balance

Do not UNFAIRLY limit employees’ rights to express themselves online

Train employee about acceptable and unacceptable behaviors

Companies (should) have existing communications and online privacy policies.

What are your organization’s expectations for phone or email?

Existing Policies

Social Media Policy Coverage

What should the policy cover? How your business uses social media to

engage and interact with your audiences

How do you collect, use and store customer (or potential customer) information

What information is acceptable to share or discuss online

Consequences of violating the policy How social media activity MAY be

monitored

1What to include

The purpose of your social media policy

Your policy needs to address what the reader should take away after reading the policy

Social Media Policies tend to be written in a positive way

i.e. focusing on what employees can do instead of what they can’t do

The Policy Purpose

Be Careful…

Often, people tend to interpret the “right”: to express themselves as implying lack of consequences

You need to clearly communicate what you find acceptable and unacceptable. Employees also need to be informed of the consequences should they break the “rules”

2What to include

1. The purpose of your social media policy

Responsibility

Clearly define who is responsible for the content created by your organization and posted on your sites or on behalf of your company.

Who are the gatekeepers in charge of making sure only appropriate material is shared?

What is your system of checks and balances?

Responsibility

3What to include

1. The purpose of your social media policy2. Responsibility

Authenticity

When appropriate include your name, company info and title.

Stay true to the attitude, outlook and voice of your company.

Consumers buy from companies/people that they know and trust. Let people know who you are.

Authenticity

4What to include

1. The purpose of your social media policy

2. Responsibility 3. Authenticity

Consider Your Audience

Be aware- anything you post could be seen by Current Clients Potential Clients Current, Past and Future Employees Networking Groups VendorsBefore you post make sure you aren’t alienating any of these groups

Consider Your Audience

5

What to include1. The purpose of your social media

policy2. Responsibility 3. Authenticity 4. Consider Your Audience

Good Judgment

Exercise Good Judgment

There are a limitless number of opinions and perspectives on the Internet. You SHOULD share yours, but never do so in a way that is offensive.

Explain to your staff that you will be monitoring social media activity even if they are using it for personal reasons.

Employees should always consider what the company president or owner would think of a post before hitting share/send.

Exercise Good Judgment

6What to include

Understanding of an online community

A community exists so that you can support others and they can support you.

Learn how to balance personal and professional information

Don’t encourage competition in your community

Online Community

7What to include

6. Purpose of Your Online Community

Copyrights and Fair Use

Your Social Media Policy should clearly outline what can and can’t be shared.

This is especially important for employees who are posting on behalf of the company.

Employees who don’t understand these issues could get your company into a lot of trouble for intellectual property abuse.

Copyrights & Fair Use

8What to include

6. Purpose of Your Online Community7. Copyrights and Fair Use

Protect Confidential & Proprietary Info

Transparency doesn’t allow or require employees to share anything they want.

You should protect your trade secrets.

Employees should have an understanding of what your company consider confidential or proprietary info before posting online.

Protect Confidential & Proprietary info

9What to include

6. Purpose of Your Online Community7. Copyrights and Fair Use8. Protect Confidential & Proprietary Info

Adding Value

You will reap more and better results if you add value to your social media sites.

Consider your audiences and what they might need or what might help them (even if they’re not aware of it).

Frame conversations around specific issues and topics for your audiences.

Adding Value

10

What to include6. Purpose of Your Online Community7. Copyrights and Fair Use8. Protect Confidential & Proprietary Info9. Adding Value

Productivity

Social Media professional understand the difference between “goofing off” online and being productive.

Automating processes whenever possible can help ensure your social media efforts are productive.

If your organization is adding social media to employees existing work, your policy should help them find a balance between the two.

Productivity

NOW

When to implement

Whether or not your company is using social media for business, your employees are probably using it personally, professionally or for both.

Employees need guidelines for acceptable online behavior

Employers need to be protected

NOW

When to implement

Encourage Adherence Incorporate it into Employee Training Make it Accessible Repackage and Remind Revise as Needed Regularly Review Employee Accounts for

Compliance

A Social Media Policy is NOT a “set it and forget it” deal.

Companies tend to set employee policies and then only revisit them if there’s a problem or concern. Social Media is constantly evolving so your policy should evolve to accommodate changes

Additional Considerations

Additional Considerations Can employees access personal social media

sites while at work?

Cellphone and tablet access can make this very difficult to regulate.

Developing a clear policy about which instances warrant access to social media sites during work hours can help.

However, if you intend to ban social media use at work beware….

Additional Considerations What constitutes access to social media

during work? Can employees access social media sites during breaks?

What about before or after “official” work hours?

If employees are attending a work related function?

Your Social Media Policy needs to address these and other contingencies.

Additional Considerations Can your employees connect with

customers or clients on social media? Is it ok for your employees to connect with customers/clients on social media in a personal capacity?

If so, how will you regulate their interactions?

What happens if the customer/client doesn’t like something your employee posts?

Crafting Social Media Policies

Avoiding Overly Broad Policies

Unadvisable Do not post

confidential information

Advisable Do not disclose

(examples) trade secrets, product introduction dates or private health details

Examples

Approved Wal-Mart:

inappropriate postings that may include discriminatory remarks, harassment and threats of violence or similar inappropriate or unlawful conduct

Unapproved General Motors:

offensive, demeaning, abusive or inappropriate remarks are as out of place online as they are offline

The FTC requires social media users and bloggers to disclose freebies, comps, paid endorsements and affiliations

Federal Regulations & Social Media Policies

Federal Regulators are limiting what employers can restrict

Many blanket restrictions on what employees can say have been declared illegal

However, employers can “act against” a lone worker ranting on the Internet

Federal Regulations & Social Media Policies

According to the NLRA…

Employers cannot interfere with or restrict the rights of employees to discuss wages and/or

working conditions

National Labor Relations Board

Workers have the right

to discuss work

conditions freely and

without fear of

retribution no matter

where the conversation

takes place

What can companies do?

Company Network Give employees a safe place to discuss

concerns Provides an alternative to posting

information that is potentially harmful on sites anyone can access

Company Network This is still a developing area. It is not clear if the courts will find this a

suitable alternative to public social media sites.

If this is acceptable,can companies restrictconversations on public sites?

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