Given the bad publicity suffered by some companies following employee social media posts, it is easy to focus on social media policies solely as a protection against harm. But your company’s social media presence also includes employees posting the positives about your brand, and your policy should guide them toward doing so successfully.
Using a free social media template from Legal Templates is an easy way for you to set forth expectations for your employees while also saving critical time and money.
What Is a Social Media Policy?
A social media policy dictates the types of content that employees can post online. The policy should clearly set out the expectations for employees and eliminate any potential confusion. It should include rules regarding posting about the company on personal accounts and which employees are even allowed to access social media at work.
A comprehensive social media policy sets forth who is allowed to post as representatives of the company, and whether their writings are restricted to social media posts only or also to the use of messaging apps that are built into social media platforms.
Social media policies should evolve over time as a company grows, objectives change, or as advances in technology dictate. If you don’t have a social media policy in place yet, you should develop one immediately rather than doing it in response to an incident that can’t be undone.
When Should You Use a Social Media Policy?
You should have a social media policy in place when you task employees with advancing your brand. It should explain how to write about your company and its products or services, and define clearly who is responsible for posting.
You should also have an employee social media policy in place if your company needs legal protection or is in a position to suffer from bad online reviews or postings. Having one in place is about not just advancing your business, but protecting it from harm.
How Does Having a Social Media Policy Benefit a Business?
- Protects the reputations of the business and employees
- Ensures the company name and line of business are used in a positive way
- Spells out who is allowed to post on behalf of the company
- Removes any confusion about potential legal issues
- Educates and trains employees on proper social media usage
How To Write an Employee Social Media Policy
When crafting your social media policy use a numbered system that makes the policy easy to follow and easy to refer to during employee training or when they need to refer to its various sections
An effective social media policy contains several different sections explaining goals and expectations, and it can be several pages long. Legal Templates is here to help. Our social media policy template covers everything you need, with sections including:
Step 1 – Purpose
The purpose section of our social media policy template lays out when employees must follow the policy. This includes when they are managing company accounts and their personal use that affects employees or the company.
Assemble a team so that you get perspectives from HR, legal, senior staff, IT, and other stakeholders in your company.
Step 2 – Guidelines for Using Social Media on Behalf of the Company
These guidelines identify who is responsible for running your company’s social media account. It includes several specific rules about activities such as using proper branding, keeping personal and company social media accounts separate, and only posting information that is verifiable.
Step 3 – Guidelines for Personal Social Media
The purpose of this section is to protect your company from harm if people post about it on social media. It covers items such as proprietary information, negative sentiments about the company, and the rights of the company to take disciplinary action.
Step 4 – Ownership of Social Media Contacts
This step makes it clear that your company owns all contacts and their information acquired from social media accounts created on behalf of the company.
Encourage your employees to be engaged in your policy, and encourage them to speak out if they don’t understand it or have suggestions.
Step 5 – Respect and Privacy Rights
Employees are directed to follow the employee handbook in Step 5. It also specifies that employees must follow the rules of the social media platforms and be respectful when posting about the company or anyone related to it, such as clients or other employees.
This section also puts employees on notice that they must follow state and federal laws about subjects such as pornography, discrimination, and creating a hostile work environment.
Step 6 – Transparency and Disclosures
Employees are notified in Step 6 about passing on others’ work as their own, honesty, and providing proper credit in the event of being paid or receiving free products or services for posting on social media.
Step 7 – Comment Moderation
This step notifies employees that they are responsible for keeping track of comments on their posts, including deleting those that are forbidden, such as sexual or political comments.
Step 8 – Record Keeping
The record-keeping step of your social media policy directs employees to maintain web records regarding the use of social media platforms in print or electronic format.
Step 9 – Additional Policy
The Additional Policy section of the template is open-ended, allowing you to add any information that is specific to your company or the services it provides.
Company Social Media Policy Sample
Download a social media policy template in PDF or Word below:
Social Media Policy FAQs
What Should You Include In a Social Media Policy?
In a social media policy you should include:
- Information regarding which employees are allowed to use social media and which sites they are allowed to access
- A clear description of which staff members are authorized to speak on behalf of the company
- A thorough review of acceptable conduct, who will oversee employee social media use, and how company rules are enforced
- Security measures that include rules regarding the use of functions such as instant messaging or password strength
- Disclaimers that lay out the difference between employee opinions and company stances
- Guidelines for engagement with others when using an official company account
Is it legal to have a social media policy?
It is legal to have a social media policy for your company, but it is important that you ensure it is not in violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The NLRA includes provisions regarding communication among employees, and its provisions are applicable to your social media policy.
Maintaining good relationships with your employees and staying in compliance with federal regulations are two more important reasons why you should use a social media policy template.
What is the purpose of a social media policy?
The purpose of a social media policy is to set forth expectations for employees when they use social media, whether they are writing as themselves or as a representative of your company. It sets forth rules and enforcement, and it makes clear who is responsible for the oversight of employees.
A comprehensive social media policy for employees helps protect your company and the reputations of your employees. It also lays the framework for advancing the goals of your company through positive social media interaction.
