Guidelines for employees on social media outline how employees and organizations should behave online. Your employees are likely to be active on social media, and their online actions can affect your brand.
Although many companies aren’t even considering introducing social media guidelines for their business, they can help to protect their online reputation.
Your social media guidelines can be used to encourage employees to interact on company pages and to share your posts.
What are the benefits of social media guidelines?
Social media guidelines are not meant to be used as a way for you to monitor what your employees post online. These guidelines are intended to guide online behavior. These guidelines should clearly define what is legal, such as stalking, harassment, and threats of violence, and provide legal protections to your company.
Guidelines can help employees understand your social media strategy and connect them to your brand more. You can encourage employees to use your social media accounts. This will help you build your brand’s online reputation.
Employees can be taught to understand social media better and protect themselves from cyber security threats.
Are Social Media Guidelines the Same as a Social Media Policy?
They are not interchangeable, even though they are commonly used interchangeably. The social media policy outlines how employees and the company should behave online. It also outlines the consequences of violating this policy. This policy should cover confidentiality and the use of social media at work. It also should outline how the company will monitor for any breaches. You can read more about creating a policy on social media.
These guidelines for social media are more informal and offer advice on best practices. For example, how can employees use social media to their advantage?
Guidelines are different from a style guide for social media, which describes how people who manage social media accounts for companies will keep their brand consistent with visuals and voice.
What should social media guidelines include?
Your employees should feel more connected with your brand’s online presence. They should also be able to contribute to the growth of your online brand. Consider the following areas when creating your guidelines:
Official Social Media Accounts
Your guidelines should include links to your official accounts. Encourage your employees to follow these links. This will help them understand the brand’s social media presence. You should inform your employees if you use hashtags in your branding.
Transparency Guidelines
Transparency is essential. Employees must disclose their status as employees when they post about company matters on social media. You can also ask employees to identify themselves as employees in their bios so that it is clear that their views do not reflect those of your company.
Guidelines for In-Work
It may be preferable that employees not use social media during work hours. This should be stated in your social media guidelines.
Guidelines for Intellectual Property
Your social media managers should be familiar with intellectual property and copyrights. Unlicensed stock images and sharing logos without permission can be examples of this. Your employees should be aware that you may not own the right to use an asset or have permission to do so.
Privacy Guidelines
Employees must be aware that confidential information about your company or customers cannot be published. You should ban employees from posting photos taken at work if your business has confidential information.
Guidelines For Social Media Influencers
It is smart to inform influencers of your guidelines if your business uses them to promote your products or services online. While a style guide can keep influencers loyal to your brand, your social media guidelines will allow them to understand your brand’s values.
Online Harassment Guidelines
Your guidelines should encourage staff to be kind online. You should include advice and procedures for dealing with bullies and trolls online. Give information on harassment victims and how they can seek support.
You could also suggest some rules, such as:
- Don’t engage in harmful competition.
- Don’t respond negatively to negative coverage.
- Report any harassment you’ve experienced.
Social Media Guidelines: Best Practices
Although this guide will cover the most critical areas for your social media guidelines not all of them are relevant to every company,
Your social media guidelines should be concise and relevant to your business. Your employees are less likely to remember details if your policies are shorter. Avoid legalese, and keep your guidelines as simple as possible.
After creating your guidelines, ensure that all employees have read and signed to confirm they have. Regularly review your guidelines and update them as necessary. Make sure your employees know when your policies have been updated.
