Social media has rapidly become an ever-present part of our lives with roughly 68% of the population using some kind of social media platform. This number will only continue to grow and, with it, will come an increasing need for companies to write and enforce staff social media policies. As a marketing agency, we regularly recommend that our clients encourage their staff to use social media, from updating their LinkedIn profiles to sharing company updates on their Facebook walls. We even go so far as explaining that all staff members are a part of a business’ sales force.  

But what happens when one of your team does an Ollie Robinson. For those who aren’t cricket fans, Ollie Robinson is a 27-year-old cricketer who plays for England. Recently, some eagle eyed journalists discovered that 10 years ago Robinson had some particularly racist and misogynistic tweets. The news broke ironically at the same time that Robinson was on the pitch at Lords wearing a t-shirt saying, ‘We Stand Together Against… Racism, Religious Intolerance, Sexism, Transphobia, Homophobia, Ableism, Ageism’. Embarrassing to say the least. He isn’t the first, Toby Young was forced to resign from the board of the Office for Students over sexist tweets.  

These two high profile examples, and trust me there are many more, are proof that all businesses should have social media policies in place. More importantly the policies should set clear boundaries of what is and isn’t appropriate to post on social media and should be connected to broader conduct and workplace strategies. With any kind of policy, it is important to remember that the guidelines on social media usage are there to protect the employee as much as the employer. Under UK employment law misconduct on social media is taken as seriously as verbal misconduct in the workplace.  

So, what should be included in a social media policy?   

Specific no-go areas 

With anyone who works for a brand they are, in effect the face of the company. They may not realise they are, but they are. This is particularly notable on LinkedIn where personal branding is linked to professional branding. With that in mind, staff should ensure that they respect their audience and that they shouldn’t share racist, sexist, homophobic, ableist (actually, all the things on the back of Ollie Robinson’s t-shirt) slurs. Essentially, if you wouldn’t say it in the workplace, don’t say it on social media.  

What’s said on social media, stays on social media 

Even if a post is private, only for the eyes of your friends, it can still be screen grabbed and shared. We’ve already mentioned the chance that a misplaced post could get you fired, but it can also cost businesses money in lucrative lost business. Even if a post is deleted, it can still float around the internet for years after.  

What’s official and what isn’t? 

Any policy should also set out clear guidelines on when staff can and cannot speak on behalf of the company. This will include avoiding online spats, being honest and respectful, and maintaining workplace confidentiality. Although a lot of it sounds like simple common sense, it should still be outlined and mentioned. So, don’t slag off the boss or business you work for as an example. I’ll leave Crisp v Apple Retail here for you to peruse at your pleasure.  

Social media, when it’s done well can be amazing, and having a team who show pride in the company they work by sharing their social media posts is one of the best forms of advertising. If you’d like any help or advice in how to manage your online marketing, drop us an email.