Four Must Haves for your Social Media Policy

There was a very lively discussion at our session on Social Media Strategies for Employee Engagement at the ESOP Association Las Vegas Conference.  The hotspot wasn’t about channels, or hashtags or content.  It was about developing a social media policy.  Some participants viewed it as limiting free speech. Others suggested it was illegal.

It’s true that the National Labor Relations Board has ruled on social media policies that they deemed “overly broad” (click here), but it is incorrect that they’ve determined that social policies are illegal.

Our view is that without a clearly defined social media policy, a business is open to risks and potential damage to reputation and the brand. Developing a policy with guidelines ensures that employees understand what your company considers appropriate. This is a good conversation to have with your company’s legal representatives.

While employees are ultimately responsible for what they post online, they should be aware that their posts may have consequences to the brand and their employment. Here are four “must have” topics your social media policy should cover:

Keeping key data private—State clearly that employees must not disclose trade secrets, insider tips, customer lists, proprietary or confidential information. Include language from the business code of conduct or ethics policy.

When private and professional content overlaps—Social media is a rewarding experience for many who choose to share opinions and experiences. It’s important that social media users do not represent themselves as spokespersons for the business.

Don’t defend the brand to naysayers—Set up a process within the business to address negative social media feedback from customers or competitors.  Be sure it’s clear in your social media policy that employees must not take up this role—it only makes things worse.

Be respectful—Language that could be viewed as obscene, discriminatory, threatening, abusive or meant intentionally to cyberbully, harass or create a hostile work environment should be prohibited. Online conduct that adversely affects the performance of fellow employees or defames customers, suppliers, competitors or those who work on behalf of the business should be subject to the guidelines in the company code of conduct.

Looking for support with your company’s social media plan? Get in touch with us.