As social media has become a standard in our lives, so too has it become an increasingly prominent factor in the workplace. Many businesses and organisations now use it to recruit new staff and actively encourage their existing employees and clients to engage with social media. And whilst social media can and does present huge opportunities, it doesn’t come without its challenges, particularly for less established brands.

Misuse of the internet and social media costs Britain’s economy billions of pounds each year, and many employers struggle with key issues such as productivity, reputational damage and cyber bullying. The key question here is, what can you do to safeguard your brand or business against such risks?

Take your social media policy seriously

Most businesses have some sort of social media policy these days. Yet not every organisation regularly reviews and implements it. An easy-to-read, well drafted policy is an essential starting point. Too much jargon or legal speak and nobody will read it, let alone understand what is being asked of them. You want every employee to understand and be able to clearly explain to someone else what is and what isn’t acceptable when it comes to using social media. This way you can proactively prevent issues by setting clear parameters and expectations.

Your policy can (and should!) support your business objectives and brand values, whilst mitigating against the risk and legal exposure associated with misuse. Whilst every policy needs to be tailored to your particular business, a good policy should include the following:

• An explanation of what you mean by social media. This may include examples of specific platforms, but be clear that the policy covers ALL forms of social media
• A reminder that posting anything online, whether in a personal or professional capacity, is the equivalent of putting it on a billboard outside your home or place of work. If you wouldn’t be comfortable with such a message in a public space like that, don’t post it online
• A section on authorised use of social media for work purposes, including clear guidance on who is permitted to use company channels, and how every employee should represent the business when engaging with them online. Ideally this would include features such as sharing / retweeting and liking as well as posting content
• A section on unauthorised use, including any key examples of behaviour that would constitute gross misconduct
• An overview of what you would consider to be forms of cyber bullying and the consequences of such actions
• A summary of the potential consequences of breaching the policy, including details of any warnings or actions that would be taken

It is also vital that you regularly review and monitor staff use to ensure the policy is implemented properly. It’s important that staff take it seriously and that it isn’t just a file that gathers dust in a drawer.

Encourage ambassadorship

Policies and rules can be intimidating and off-putting, with staff sometimes feeling that no action is better than some actions that may be construed. It’s important that as well as your policy you also have systems and cultures in place that encourage staff to be ambassadors for your brand. You can try rewarding good social media behaviour and fostering an open culture that encourages people to feel proud of where and how they work.

Manage your reputation

Key to all of this is ongoing reputation management. This means keeping abreast of what people are saying about you online, staff and customers alike. Monitoring software, keyword alerts and brand listening tools are all vital tools in this area. They enable you to jump in on key conversations, prevent complaints from getting out of hand and understand fully how the wider public perceive you. They also enable you to actually implement your social media policy, have the measure of your market and – ultimately – stay ahead of the competition.

Not sure where to start with your social media policy or ongoing reputation management? We can help.