What’s your social media policy?

Does your company have a social media policy?

Does the policy explain how and when to use social media? Are employees allowed to utilize social media during working hours? A recent survey found more than 20% of companies surveyed did not have a social media policy, and almost 30% said they didn’t know if their company had a policy. Social media is everywhere and touches everyone. Our thoughts and ideas may be spread around the world on blogs and social networks. We collaborate on Wikis and participate on social bookmarking and multi-media sites. We offer our views on products and services and we express our opinions by uploading links, photos, videos, and music. Social media is an important part of our personal lives, providing an environment where we interact with family, friends and communities. Social media is also an important part of our business lives with how a company communicates with the public, consumers, and with advertisers. Social Media is expected to continue to expand in the business world especially given the recent ruling of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which approved companies use of social media to make official announcements and to allow companies to make disclosures through social media.

The opportunity to stay in touch, reconnect, or cultivate relationships is bigger than ever before with the use of social media. In fact, as social media transforms every aspect of society, both individuals and companies have an enormous opportunity to open up the dialogue and to better understand and meet expectations. The danger with so many kinds of social media interactions, however, is that personal and professional lines may be crossed – easily and often innocently. When you think you’re being clever or funny or even loyal, you could be doing damage to yourself…and to your company. Therefor, it’s a good idea to provide policy training which demonstrates personal and profession use for all employees.

“The danger with so many kinds of social media interactions, is that personal and professional lines may be crossed.”

Consider this…

Maybe you’re a Sales Person about to close a big deal and you want to let your friends in on it; or you’ve gotten wind of an upcoming press release and you’d like to share the “good news;” or you’ve just started work at a new operating unit and have an anxious family that wants to hear all the details…Sharing confidential business information in these situations may violate the Company’s policies, and may even be illegal, regardless of your good intentions. Assume all of your activities on social media are public, and exercise discretion in sharing personal information and political, cultural or religious views. Since social media weaves in and out of both our personal and professional lives, it is important to be mindful of intersecting personal and professional web activity. Look — In a world driven by social media, take a deep breath before you send an instant message and pause before you post. Stop and think before you upload a photo or you add a comment to any social media site. Before you update your status to “waiting for Friday” or before you blog about the intricate details of your day at work, recognize how a customer may interpret your remarks. As your online presence expands, use your social media connections to improve your personal and professional lives.

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