How can marketers embrace social media and yet ensure that the online interactions of their team remain within the guidelines of the company? Can employees be recruited as brand ambassadors through their online social network, without a significant level of risk to the company?

Social media marketing is one of the most direct and interactive ways that an organisation can communicate with consumers and for many companies it now forms a key strand of their communications strategy. As well as running their own Facebook or Twitter accounts, the more progressive companies are encouraging staff to use personal social media pages to communicate company news, recruitment opportunities and product updates to their network of contacts.

However, while social media marketing is becoming more prevalent, there is a surprisingly large number of organisations that don’t have a social media policy in place for their staff.

When management think about social media policy they tend to prioritise issues such as restrictions on certain websites or limits on internet usage. But the real aim of a social media policy or guide should be to educate staff about what they can and can’t do with social media, as well as protecting the organisation from the risks.

Social media activity as a marketing function in some organisations is sanctioned by senior executives who may not fully understand it. In some cases it can be offloaded to more junior staff, with the perception that those who are immersed in social media activities in their personal lives will have the skills and knowledge to represent the company effectively online. This is a mistake. Without the correct rules and structures in place, the company is leaving itself open to potential risks, and the employees are being put in a precarious position.

Management has a responsibility to staff to ensure that they provide them with the social media guidelines which protect both the individual and the organisation and reduce the risk of something going wrong online. Social media channels don’t allow for second chances and the click of a mouse can bring opinions and data to a worldwide audience.

In the same way that HR policies are an integral element of an organisation’s staff handbook, a social media guide should also be central to it.  A good social media policy or guide should outline the context and objectives of the policy - why social media is important to the organisation and why the social media guide is important. It should be specific, providing practical examples – what’s okay, what’s not okay, information that should never be posted, acceptable use / content guidelines, guidance and tips on using social media in different scenarios. Employees need to be educated about the need to maintain security, confidentiality and the correct public image while communicating online – professionally or personally. Companies need to discuss the policy with staff, new and existing. Designate which employees, if any, will be contributing to social-media sites on behalf of the company and what activities these individuals should be engaged in. Employees should be made aware of the consequences for exposing the company to legal liability or compromising network security and public image.    

Some organisations won’t risk encouraging staff to be ambassadors for the company through their personal social media networks. However others are increasingly switching on to the fact that in these times of reduced marketing budgets, employees can be a very effective means of communicating to a broad online audience as ambassadors for the organisation. What is important is that the ambassadors are equipped with social media guidelines before they start.

Mark Leech, Account Director, Gibney Communications