In a world where we are all connected through social media, it’s easy to see how this can become a challenge in the workplace. Your employees are a representation of your company, whether they’re in person or on the web. How they portray themselves online could potentially impact your business. If you want to protect your brand and keep your team engaged, here are some social media best practices that keep all of this in mind.
Communication
The most important thing you can do for your team is to communicate your social media guidelines. This is different from your social media policy, which generally covers how or when your employees can access social media online. The guidelines include how you expect your team to conduct themselves online as a representative of your organization.
Official Social Media
Your company should have official social media accounts to promote and represent your business. This may include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, or even platforms like TikTok. Encourage your team to follow these accounts. By following, your employees can see how you choose to represent the business online, so they have an example.
Disclosure and Transparency
Did you know that it’s required by law for individuals to state that they work for a specific company in online discussions? The Federal Trade Commission requires employees to identify themselves within a conversation, not just include the details in their bios. If an employee of your company wants to chime in on a conversation about your business, they need to identify themselves. However, if they also use their online platforms for personal posts, you can ask them to provide a disclaimer that the views expressed are their own.
Privacy Policies
Your team also needs to understand what is and isn’t appropriate to share online. Confidential data about the organization, coworkers, management, or customers can never be shared on social media platforms. Anything considered sensitive information, including upcoming products or projects, is off-limits.
Internet Harassment
It’s unfortunate, but harassment is a common occurrence on social media platforms as well. Always encourage your team to practice kindness when online. Don’t tolerate online bullying behavior from your employees. But also provide resources if your team is targeted by online harassment. Always define your policies of how to handle trolls online, which could include ignoring, blocking, reporting, or banning.
Inclusivity
Inclusive behavior online and off is more important than ever. Be sure your social media and the instructions for your team are inclusive. You may include guidelines for inclusive pronouns, thoughtfulness about representation, and making social media more accessible by using title case and describing images.
Are you looking for great employees who will act as brand ambassadors for your company online?
Work with the staffing professionals at The Vision Companies today. Visit our website and talk to us to see how we can enhance your hiring process!
