Are your employees aware of your Social Media Policy?

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Are your employees aware of your Social Media Policy?

by frankbradley on April 6th, 2010
56 Comments

There has been so much written about Social Media Policies in recent times, specifically around whether they are needed and what they should contain. These points however are not going to be the focus of this blog post, as I don’t want to stray too far.

Rather I would like to use this post to open a discussion about how you ensure your employees are aware of your Social Media Policy.

Let me first set my stall out. I think a Social Media policy is essential for any organisation, regardless of size. If we look at what I see as the two polar opposites we can see why having a policy is so key.

First we have the organisations that bury their heads in the sand, and suddenly an employee’s action, on a Social Media tool, causes a critical issue. I recently heard an excellent example of this on the highly recommended For Immediate Release podcast. The Israeli army recently had to cancel a military operation due to one of their soldiers posting details on Facebook. Ok, this is an extreme example, but it serves the point of showing exactly what can happen if you don’t have a policy.

Second we have the organisations that impose complete bans on Social Media, some even stretch this to the entire Internet. I won’t waste much of my word count on this as I see this approach as completley short sighted and treating your staff like children. If you want to read more I’d suggest http://www.stopblocking.org/ as a great resource.

So let’s say we are in agreement, and the above scenarios show the importance of having a policy. Let’s now go back to the title of this post – how do you ensure employees are aware of the policy?

One thing I’ve noticed in my experience, is that even if you have a social media policy in place, you will continually come across people who are not aware of its existence. I would hazard a guess that this is not a problem unique to a few organisations.

The story of the Israeli soldier got me thinking about this issue and how it can be overcome.

In some companies there are certain policies that have been converted into an online course e.g. “Preventing Workplace Discrimination”, and “Workplace Health & Safety”. These courses are tied into an online learning tool, and it is possible to track which employees have or have not taken them.

Perhaps it is time that Social Media Policy is given such treatment, and turned into a mandatory course that all employees must take. For large organisations, where the infrastructure exists, this could be an online course. For organisations without this infrastructure it might be appropriate to hold a series of half day inhouse seminars that employees must make time for.

One criticism of this approach is the danger of overkill, and we end up with every policy being turned into a mandatory course. I suppose that individual employers need to decide if this action is necessary, based on their view of how harmful inappropriate use of Social Media could be.

One thing is for sure, it is not enough to simply create a policy; you must take steps to ensure your employees are aware of it.

So what are your thoughts on this subject? Is a policy necessary at all? Is it enough to simply create the policy and hope employees will read it? What steps can be taken to ensure all employees are made aware of the policy?

Please continue the discussion in the comments.

The views expressed on this post are my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Oracle.

Category: Internal communications, social media

Tags: social media, social media policy

The Author: frankbradley

I live in Kilkenny, Ireland, and I'm married with one daughter. I was born in Derry, and came to Kilkenny via Manchester, England, and Dublin. My passion is all things Social Media, and for the last 2 years I have been working as a Social Media Evangelist for Oracle, where I have worked for the last 8 years. This role entails, promoting the use of Social Media internally for improved communication and collaboration. My other interests include sports, especially football (soccer), reading, video games, movies/tv, music and walking. http://frankbradley.tumblr.com/

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http://www.channelship.ie/ Fred

Good post Christina. Welcome to Bloggertone!
We are a web agency and pretty much everything we do, we do it online. I guess that’s a big contribution already. However we do but hardware every month, not sure if that helps :s
http://www.btbtraining.com/blog Niall Devitt

Hi Christina, Welcome to Bloggertone. I am using skype/video conferencing where I previously hopped in the car. Plus like Fred, we try to do as much online as is possible. Good reminder!
http://blog.myprojecttracker.com Barney Austen

Hello Christina. Welcome to bloggertone. Like the other guys, we do everything on line and encourage our suppliers etc to submit electronic invoices etc. Small things like taking the battery out of the laptop so it doesn’t keep recharging. Making sure everything is unplugged at the end of the day. Small things – but like to think it makes a difference.
http://www.channelship.ie/blog facundo

Hi Christina,
Welcome aboard! Like all the guys above I’ll say that we do everything online, but it is not true. I do print unnecessary stuff sometimes, and, while I recycle, I feel I don’t do enough
That’s me confessing a bit
Catherine

Hello,
I am currently writing a report based around this topic.
Please could I ask for your opinion on the following extract of my report:

SMM has low capital costs, only covering the wage of the person monitoring the fan page. Therefore business owners spend little time deliberating the use of this strategy. If it is unsuccessful the marketer is at no great financial loss; thus SMM has come to be considered a gamble (Weinburg, 2009). Although many businesses see SMM as the future, it is important to consider whether service encounter is being compromised. Peter et al. (1999) state that consumers have different levels of product knowledge which they use throughout the decision making process. From this it can be argued that, when using the intangible medium of the Internet, an understanding of the product is lost from the outset. This leads one to question the effectiveness of online marketing. Moreover, when sat behind a computer screen, the extent to which the recipient of a message has emotions can be easily disregarded. Therefore, in order to successfully market via online media, the communication with the customer must be as genuine as if it were face-to-face.
http://www.cgonlinemarketing.com/ Christina Giliberti

You have no idea how happy I am to hear that you are all doing your bit.
Not to become an environmental activist or anything as extreme ….. but we can all do more. If we can embrace social media and emerging marketing forms, we can also embrace green marketing and all it stands for. Unlike other marketing mediums, it isn’t a fad, It will grow over time.
Luckily for us ‘digital workers’, the internet does mean we are all working ‘greener’ and that is great news. Keep up the good work lads, and remember – whatever the situation, think green!
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

I feel the integration of cloud computing will cut down on hardware costs and energy.
Online banking and accountancy for small businesses is a brilliant way of cutting energy and waste costs.

Everything we do personally at home, we should also be doing at work, so we can all help in our own way and contribute to the overall green-ness of the organisations we work in.
Thanks for your insights, and welcome to Bloggertone
Catherine

Can I just ask what you mean by ‘cloud computing’, it is a term I have no yet come across, and one which I feel I could usefully incorporate into my report …
http://www.cgonlinemarketing.com/ Christina Giliberti

I believe so too. A definate plus and benefit of working in this industry. What also might catch on is remote working – just imagine how clear the roads would be! Less travel = less Co2 emissions.

Its easier to do these things at home because we have control over recycling, heating etc, plus we pay the bills. At work however, its the businesses problem. lol
http://www.cgonlinemarketing.com/ Christina Giliberti

Hi there Catherine,

Cloud computing is an internet-based (virtual) form of sharing devices. Its termed cloud computing because the networking symbol for the internet is a cloud shape.
This resource might help you understand it better: – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloud_computing
You can always DM me if you have any questions. I like to help ; 0 )
http://www.channelship.ie/ Fred

Brilliant post Frank. Thanks for sharing.
Social media guidelines are essential, as you mentioned for small and big companies because it’s the only way to have the entire organisation on the same page when it comes to sharing information or talking to customers online.
Many companies are “buying time” (because it’s not sustainable) blocking their employees from SM sites but at the end of the day… for example, they also have mobiles and use them to share info from the work place too.
Social media guidelines are also crucial when it comes to making the first steps in using social media for internal or external communications. It gives all stakeholders a peace of mind (or at least a bit more control) about how will employees engage with their customers and prospects.
Many people think that these guidelines or policies are huge documents… Not at all, many of them are very short, simple and were written in plain English. Here are 123 Social media policies for anyone that wants to get started with a reference http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

I think if by now Social Networking was introduced into the secondary level curriculum, similar to computers being introduced back in the 80′s, it would serve to educate youngsters on social networking, the benefits and the dangers, and lay the ground work for their interaction at work with Social Media. It would also pave the way for greater understanding of Web 2.0 and future technologies without having to study it at third level, or indeed learn the hard way, as most business owners are having to do now
Then the policy becomes of interest to them, they will be more inclined to read it and abide by the specific rules laid down by the organisation.
Education and understanding is key, then organisations don’t have to treat their employees like children, as there is an element of self responsibility amongst the workforce.
Like Fred suggests – short and simple policies are quick to absorb, and the staff will be more open to taking on the guidelines proposed to them.
Great post thanks Frank
http://www.codegaconsulting.com/ Una Coleman

Thanks Frank. I’m guest presenting at one of our 3rd level institutes in the next couple of weeks to first year media marketing students about the role of Social Media Marketing and how to use the tools. I will be covering Social Media Policies. It’s good to see that at least some of our Third Level institutes are taking this seriously.
Anonymous

Thanks for the comment Fred. You make a good point about companies buying time. I have a relative who works for a small company, and all employees have recently had to sign a contract saying that they would only use the internet for “work purposes”. However they didn’t clearly define what “work purposes” meant. As a result there is total confusion over what is allowed and what is not. Some of the more tech savy are now using their mobiles to go on the internet.

I agree that a short and to the point document is better. However I’m still concerned about how this is communicated. I guess once any organisation goes over a certain size that they face the age old problems of communication. Maybe what are doing in Oracle, by making people aware of the policy via word of mouth, and via our Social Tools, is the way to go about this.
Anonymous

Thanks for the comment Elaine. Yes education is key, and it would be great to think that our secondary education system would introduce Social Media into the curriculum. Maybe we have some teachers with the foresight to do this.

You’ve actually given me an idea though. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Junior Achievement program – http://www.juniorachievement.ie/. I have delivered JA courses in the past, at primary level. I recall my JA co-ordinator saying that there was a higher level of flexibility in the programme when you go into Secondary level, to move away from the suggested course content. I think I will reach out to JA and see if I would be able to deliver a Social Media course to secondary level students here in Kilkenny.
Anonymous

Businesses need to let social media in, as long as they don’t let it in too much.
Anonymous

Green is the new fashion college black to the London wonders what the future will. Green is the new black movement is a week of events and activities will be held in May 2007 to help solve the most complex problems of today’s fashion. nn
http://twitter.com/emcg53 Eamon McGlade

Excellent article that is so applicable to today’s business environment. Having been on the receiving end of a few negotiations that could have been used to script this article, I think the pertinent point is that you must be prepared to walk away. As difficult as this is to even countenance when every sale counts, being prepared to walk away helps both buyer and seller focuse on the cost of failure to each party if they cannot reach agreement. It can also minimise bullying from the buyers side if they are just playing hard-ball but ultimately intend to purchase. That said there are some Alpha male buyer types out there looking for some payback for the last few years and their ship has well and truly come in.
http://websitesgiveback.com/blog/ Elena Patrice

Very interesting thoughts here John. I’m in B2B sales and the way business is being done is definitely different. What I do is not a “high” ticket item and yet we still have to find ways to work with them and earn their business, especially since they’re bombarded constantly in my industry. For us, transparency, patience and empathy are key; all which work extremely well for us. This article intrigues me because I was wondering how the “big” boys and higher ticket market was fairing and dealing with things. Thank you for the information here, Iu2019m very appreciative!nu00a0nMuch kindness,nu00a0nElena
Johnogorman

Hi Eamon, thanks for your thoughts. As you say knowing when to walk and when the deal isn’t good for both sides is key.
http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Niall Devitt

There is an awful amount of B.S. spoken and written about selling, I’m not including your post here Elaine nIn fact there is so much rubbish out there I often wonder how anyone could work it out.u00a0nnIn itsu00a0simplest form selling is about working out how why people buy, and different people buy for different reasons, depending on what they are buying and who they are buying for.u00a0nnTraditionalu00a0marketing is about appealing to the masses, selling on the other hand is about appealing to the individual so byu00a0definition a one size fits all sales approach was and is never going to work.u00a0nnInterestingly perhaps, I think that social media is bringing the gap between marketing and selling. Great social media and great selling have something very much in common – they both heavily depend on listening really well to customers. u00a0 u00a0 u00a0u00a0
Denise Fay

Elaine, great post. nnSo What? is a question I ask my clients all the time when it comes to them communicating with their customers. It really helps business owners to continually think about their message and what they’re selling. And why someone would buy from them. nnThose two little words are so powerful – they smack a mighty punch. nnDenisennu00a0
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

Thank you Facundo – and of course some clients don’t quite know what the problem is, so sometimes we have to help them see the wood from the trees
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

Derbhile – that’s a great story – same thing happened to me recently – that is the beauty of networking, especially the non-formal type – amazing what relationships and collaborations can happen when people don’t feel “threatened” or “sold to”.nnWhen we tie in with the emotions of our clients, it doesn’t really feel like selling on either side – more a collaboration (where money transfers of course)nnThanks for sharing a great story
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

I agree Niall and I believe “selling” does not deserve to be out on such a limb – when every interaction we have with others is a form of selling anyway.nnWe need a new term – no better man (you are hired by the way!)
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

They surely do Denise – and I really felt that message recently during your #31ways webinar with regard to copyright and sharing a message.nnEverything we do is a form of communication, so perhaps we should concentrate more on having the conversation in order to listen. I do believe it is the preferred approach for most buyers.nnHaving said that, some buyers just want to be “WOWED” so perhaps there is still a place for FAB selling after all
Johnogorman

nnHi Elaine, nnnu00a0nnnInteresting and thought provoking article. nnnu00a0nnnI am coming at this from a B2B complexnsales perspective.nnnu00a0nnnFAB selling for many sales teams can bentough to move away from and it can result in having the wrong conversations atnthe wrong levels with inevitable consequences on conversion rates and stalledndeals. nnnu00a0nnnMost benefits are not worthy of discussionnat the buyers board table because they rarely impact on the bottom line atnleast not tangibly. Business impact is king. Buyers need metrics to justify whynthey are investing!! nnnu00a0nnnNow we all know it is more difficult to sellnbusiness impact because it requires getting access to information on thenresults achieved by others, some view of the results the buyer wants (their businessncase), selling to more number focused buyers and selling to buyers who are quitenoften sceptical of lots of questions from sellers. nnnu00a0nnnSelling with stories, sells the impact andnhelps counters the weaknesses of FAB. nnnu00a0nnnOf course having a view of the buyersnprocess also helps (ties into Niall point above) nnnu00a0nnnHope this adds to the conversation. nu00a0nn
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

Hi John,nthanks for sharing your insights – you make some great points. I would imagine stories ties in with demonstrating integrity, experience, expertise, ability to do the job/complete the project and of course the emotional connection also.nnI take your point about some buyers being skeptical about lots of questions. I truly believe the way business is being done is changing and Iu00a0 see less sellers and buyers with their arms so close to their chest.nnTraditional ways will always be there, esp with B2B, but I think the traditional buyer will not be my client (however, I am open to correction on this). nnWe at Mallow Open Coffee ( http://opencoffeemallow.wordpress.com/ ) are trying out a new initiative – meeting with a Nursing Home to chat and share with the entrepreneurs of yesterday. It will be very interesting to hear what they think of how business is being conducted todaynnAnd as I mentioned to Niall, a new term for selling would be cool
http://www.encouragingexcellence.ie/ Mairu00e9ad Kelly

At a network meeting today the guy giving the talk suggested we ask the person beside us how we can help them without trying to pitch any of our services to them…I’ve done this before, somehow when I did it today it made a difference, one person I spoke to said to me afterwards “I’ll be back to you, you are just the type of person I need to help me”.u00a0 nnAt @IrishSmiley’s event just over a week ago she said that the word “sell” comes from the Swedish word “to serve” and when you think of it like that it completely changes how you approach it.nnI’ve both done and had done to me the “so what” and it really does make you think about what you are offering your clients.u00a0 Lots of thought provoking today…keep it coming.
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

Mairead – what a great story nnI am thinking we need a new term for “Sell” so open to suggestions – something that is more obviously serving. I think the word alone can scare people off!nnThanks for contributing to the conversation, glad you enjoyed the post as it was aimed to provoke thought
Anonymous

Elaine,nnYour post reminded me of a trend I have been observing both directly and from conversations with small business peers. When all is said and done, the person you are selling to is trying to imagine how he/she can benefit from what you offer and what budget line will pay for it. Asking questions and highlighting their answers (not yours) helps them see more clearly how you are the right person for what they need.
http://www.seefincoaching.com/blog Elaine Rogers

Very true Elli – thanks for sharing your observations. I feel now like I need to become a second skin for my clients to really feel and understand their needs lol.nnBut I wonder what happens when a client recognises that you have just reflected back their worst fears and insecurities. It would turn into a coaching session :-/
Kraig

This is soo true! No matter who you are! you are selling something! nnI will be reading your other articles! Thank you!!!!nnkraignwww.salesdialers.com
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Overu00a0time, many businesses found that they had to allow casual dress in order to competeu00a0…”Some employers and workers say theyu00a0don’tu00a0like the wayu00a0dress-downu00a0day hasu00a0…u00a0character and credibility,” said a writer foru00a0Salesu00a0and Marketing Management.
Dave Thomas

Roisin,nI would also advise guys to remove any piercings that a client would see. I think when someone is on the clock they need to remember they’re representing the company and not themselves. Thanks for reading….
http://www.tweakyourbiz.com Bloggertone.com

@04506e7b75e92d0cd51f3aa114e647ae:disqus @828482dfa045227e1a61ad34b8070ed3:disqus Hi Roisin, we have added “and men” in that sentece. This escaped the usual screening we make to posts nbefore they go live.
http://www.alexiskenne.com Alexis Kenne

I agree with you Dave, dressing up for a meeting with a client is very important, you have to be confident in yourself and reach out for the client need. Most of the time we fail to get the client for our companies because we are not focus, especially for single ladies, they have seconday aims apart from busines.
http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

Hi Niall, I “like” the Facebook Page of http://gilchristandco.comu00a0u00a0too I’ve been delighted to work with some accountancy practices who seek to add value to their clients and become more relevant & approachable. Thereu2019s a great accountant out there for everyone! ~ Helen
http://www.sianphillips.ie Sian Phillips

Great post Helen. People tend to associate accountants with bad news and hard work so we are avoided like a plague until absolutely needed. Sometimes by then we can only give bad news and need the client to do more work to get the info needed. Although if clients only communicated more through the year and spread the work throughout the year it wouldn’t be such a chore for them plus the accountant can be more proactive for their business rather than reactive and just picking up the pieces. If us accountants could be handled properly and not put off until last minute then clients would get far more benefit from us. Rant over
http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

Precisely! Thanks Sian
Paddy Walsh

Hi Helen, very good blog and very true. I had a client once who likened the “annual visit” to going to his dentist. It took a little explaining that he should clean his teeth and his accountant was more than a tax consultant.
http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

The dentist, yes that about sums up the feeling of many! I think that when an accountant is aware of that feeling and can improve the relationship, with “a little explaining”, as you have done, that the problem just goes away. It’s a communication problem for many. Well done Paddy!
Gianni Ponzi

It would be interesting to see HOW accounts are kept by business and it this is part of the “tailbacks” issue you outlined above.nnA poll on who uses actual accounting software vs the “receipts in a shoebox” model would be interesting.nnIt might even suggest one avenue accountants and business could focus on e.g better training, easier software etc
http://twitter.com/AdDynamoIreland Ad Dynamo Ireland

It would be interesting to see HOW accounts are kept by business and is nthis part of the “tailbacks” issue you outlined above.nnA poll on who uses actual accounting software vs the “receipts in a shoebox” model would be interesting.nnIt might even suggest one avenue accountants and business could focus on e.g better training, easier software etcu00a0
http://www.garrendennylane.ie/blog Lorna

We are on our third accountant in 9 years, mind you, the first one didn’t last long as he was ‘inherited’.u00a0 I’ve recently changed to one who vows to help her clients understand their accounts. It’s early days but I’m not sure that it is going to happen. I’m also conscious that I am very much a less than ideal client in that I leave getting stuff to them to the last minute sometimes too although I do put everything on an excel spreadsheet that they provided me with.nu00a0
http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

I am happy to report that Accountants nowadays are far nicer that 20 years ago. With the onset of Social Networking, it means they can really communicate with their clients and potential clients.nnMy biggest regret was not putting my accounts online, as potentially anyone could then work on my book keeping, providing me with greater choices. I agree that you have to be able to communicate well with your chosen accountant, and they should be proactive about future savings, rather than being happy to recreate the past, as you say.nnA good effort from both sides should improve the relationship, like any relationship
Info

I wouldn’t agree entirely Helen. I provided my accountant with everything in the April, he still filed my accounts late and I incurred the fee. Obviously I wasn’t too happy and surprised in his professionalisum he didn’t offer to pay considering it was his mistake. Personally I don’t see why Accountants leave it to the last minute.
http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

nnI’m delighted to hear that your experience of accountantsnis, in general, good. This month’s “Accountancy Ireland” has annarticle entitled “The Emotionally Intelligent Accountant” (!) andnit’s a sign that the profession is now recognising that accountants need tondevelop skills other than finance to properly service the needs of theirnclients.nnnIn relation to putting your accounts online, itu2019s neverntoo late! You should discuss moving package with your accountant firstu00a0though.nIdeally, you should set up reports and analyses in such a way that itu2019snmeaningful information for you and in a format thatu2019s usable for preparing the final accountsnas well. I always discuss client needs, logistics (how the business operates onna daily basis), and personal preferences with a client before setting up annaccounting system. Then itu2019s u201ctheiru201d system, they understand it and it doesnwhat they want, in addition to churning out VAT returns and producingninformation for accountants and auditors. u00a0nnnThanks Elaine & good luck with your accountant nnn
http://twitter.com/xcelbusiness Helen Cousins

nnIu2019m sorry to hear that you had a bad experience. If younbrought in everything in April, it would seem that there should have been timento finalise your affairs. nnnNot all accountants are the same. There are good and badnaccountants in the same way as there are good and bad plumbers. I havenencountered a few accountants, (and other professionals), where the quality ofnwork and client service was poor. I wrote a post about it last year, u201cHiring anProfessional: 10 Tips for Spotting a Professional Turkeyu201d. http://xbs.ie/insights/56-insights/172-hiring-a-professional-10-tips-for-spotting-a-professional-turkeynnThanks for the comment, a valid point. ~ Helennnn
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http://www.dominantapproach.com Taylor

Thanks for the tips. This would really work well with my problems in my accounting.
http://www.quantumbuyers.com/peachtree-quantum-2012-software.aspx Darcy Grubaugh

Great advice! Finding a great accountant is as essential as starting a business itself. The accountant is crucial since they keep tabs on all financial assets of the company. Whether using simple column pads or sophisticated accounting software, the skill of the accountant is measured in the smallest of details. n
http://www.smartsolutions.ie/blog/ Elaine Rogers

Hi there.
Thanks for adding to the conversation. it is always about the other person / people, and if we are mindful of that, we are winning
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