Consequences of Not Having a Social Media Policy

It seems to be getting clearer that avoiding/locking out employees from all social media usage is an ineffective approach. The fact is with over 500 million Facebook members - your employees are talking on social media and they may be talking about your company. Even if they chat on their own time, what they have to say about their job and your company could come back and bite you hard.

Having a written Policy for Social Media that spells out the guidelines and invites participation not only defines the sandbox so employees aren't left in the dark and wondering what they can and can't say, but also allows you to have a more vibrant connection with your customers.

Kristen talks about some of the consequences of not having a social media policy in her recent blog post entitled Setting Your Company's Social Media Policy Can Prevent Disaster Online.

She says:

Operating without a social media policy is like driving without a seatbelt; eventually it will cost you, and the consequences could be dire.

Bear in mind that an effective social media policy should not shut down social media activity in your company, but rather encourage it. This policy should also protect your business and employees from getting in trouble online with the law if confidential information is leaked, a subpoena is issued, or an eDiscovery request comes about.

Since social media for corporate marketing is fairly new, most companies fail to think about a social media policy until it is too late. If someone is planning on targeting your company and you do not have a policy in place, you will find yourself very unprepared and taken off guard.

Do you have a policy in writing? Consider the Policy for Social Media manual which spells out 16 policies and detailed procedures for participating in social media both on and off the job.

Here's what one HR professional had to say about Policy for Social Media:

After creating, researching and revising multiple client's Social Media policies, I found a comprehensive guide by All Write Ink. All of the elements from Introduction to Consequences are covered in their Policies for Social Media. The value of the last two pages of related resources make the cost a complete bargain. Thank you to Deborah Chaddock Brown for a 'complete package' on Social Media and the related policies and procedures.

Sonya L. Weiland, PHR
President, WeilandWorks Consulting