Why A Social Media Policy Is A Must For Your Small Business

Hands up who has a smartphone! Of course you do – it’s the twenty-first century! We live in a world where a whopping “77% of consumers say they are more likely to buy from a brand they follow on social media over one they do not”. A world where it’s perfectly normal and widespread for employees to post a selfie on Instagram or a video on Facebook. But it’s also a world where complete strangers can comment about your business on social media within seconds.

This means that a social media policy has become an essential part of protecting yourself, your business and your employees. Even the Royal Family has a social media policy, but do you?

Would you know what is legal to post and what is illegal? Do your employees understand what they should and should not say on Facebook? Granted, most of the time, social media shines a positive light, but what about those rare occasions when it could adversely affect your business? Let’s take a closer look. 

What Is A Company Social Media Policy?

A social media policy does exactly what it says on the tin. Think of it as your business code of conduct, letting people in your organisation know how to act on social media.

Three Reasons You Definitely Should Have A Social Media Policy

Protect Your Company’s Reputation

Like all policies, a Social Media Policy is a clear guide of what is acceptable and what is not. It does not have to be just some basic do’s and dont’s. For this reason, your social media policy should not just be dusted off just for new starters; it should feature in your employee handbooks.

Remove Confusion Surrounding Legal Issues

It’s a fact of life that law is complicated. A social media policy will help your business as a whole from making costly legal errors. With the correct guidance and guidelines, you will understand what responsibilities you have as an employer – for example, whether or not it is legal for you as an employer to monitor your employees.

The last thing you want is your team sharing company secrets on social media. To avoid this possible calamity, ensure your social media policy makes it clear who is allowed to post on social media officially. Also, tell you staff what is considered confidential or private information. Employees appreciate clear guidelines. So tell them what the organisation considers public information about its business and employees.

Raise Brand Awareness – For Free!

Who better to promote your brand than your own employees? A clear set of guidelines enabling your team to promote your brand positively can prove invaluable. Small businesses without a considerable budget may find having a social media policy helps them achieve their goals.

Kate’s Pro Tip – Bosses would be to praise your employees when they use social media well. A pat on the back will let them know what you expect from them, ensure more of the same good interactions and will keep them interested.

Get With the Program!

Social media is a great way to advertise. By successfully deploying Google Ads and Facebook Pixel alongside your usual Facebook, Twitter and Instagram posts, you could reach hundreds, thousands or maybe even millions of potential new customers. But social media can also be a minefield. New platforms, apps, and techniques are popping up all the time, so remember, any social media policy you do introduce must be relevant and kept up to date as a “living document.”

Need Help With Your Social Media Policy?

ACAS has a lot of social media information on their site. Better still, if you would like to see if you have all the right policies in place why not book a FREE HR Healthcheck? This way, we can see how I can help you and your team implement a robust social media policy to keep everyone out of trouble!