CREATING A

SOCIAL MEDIA
POLICY

HOW-TO GUIDE
 Creating a Social Media Policy
HOW-TO GUIDE

A social media policy, also known as a social networking policy, is a corporate guideline or code of
conduct designed for your employees to govern their online behavior. Social media is represented
by online networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest. A policy can relate
to employees who manage your corporate online presence, as well as to employees personal use
of social media.

The purpose of setting forth online social policies is to set expectations and boundaries for your
employees so they are aware of what appropriate behavior is and what actions will not be toler-
ated. These policies are important to ensure your business does not encounter legal problems or
public embarrassment as a result of an employee’s online presence.

Some social media policies can be very specific and lay out detailed rules for online networking,
while others can be quite broad and give more flexibility. The choice is ultimately yours, as the
employer, to determine the best fit for your corporation’s needs.

This How-To Guide will outline why you should have a social media policy, the different types of
policies and key components of a policy, followed by a detailed action plan on how to create a
clear, decisive and successful social media policy for your company.

Download the Demand Metric Social Media Policy and Guidelines.

Why Should You Have A Policy?

As with anything in life, it is important to know what your boundaries are. So it goes without saying
that your employees should be informed when and where the use of social media and networking
is deemed to be appropriate and acceptable. You also need to communicate when the use of
social media will not be tolerated.

2 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

Identify Use Cases
If you welcome the use of social networking sites during company time, it is important to be
clear with your employees by identifying appropriate use cases. For example, if you allow
access to a networking site such as Facebook, but use of the site is not required in an employ-
ee’s job description, you may consider it acceptable for your employee to browse the social
site during coffee breaks and lunch hour.

It is the responsibility of the employer to be clear about how and when social media and
networking will be permitted on company property. You don’t want your employees spending
hours a day chatting in the break room; similarly, you don’t want them wasting hours in their
office pining away on Pinterest.

Control Messaging
Another reason for creating a social media policy is to control messaging. As an employer, you
want to ensure that any online discussions taking place between employees and the public
are not negatively reflecting the public image of the company. Of course, you cannot monitor
everything your employees say and do outside of the office, but you can monitor their online
behavior.

The issue here is transparency. You do not want your employees to view you as Big Brother, but
nor do you want your employees expressing private corporate issues or airing the company’s
“dirty laundry” online. Ensuring that your employees are aware of their role in the corporate
confidentiality agreement is a good place to start when developing your social media policy.

Types of Policies
There are two basic types of social media policies: those that govern accessibility to content and
employee use, and those that govern employee behavior while online. It is ultimately up to the
employer to determine which type of policy - one, the other, or both - to put in place.

For example, your company may permit access, but you want to govern when employees may
access social networking. Perhaps you want employees to access sites like Facebook during their
down time, such as only during regularly scheduled breaks or over lunch.

3 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

On the flip side of this, you may also have employees that require access to social media as part
of their job descriptions, and at this point, you would also like to govern their behavior online. It
is important to establish guidelines about the use of the company’s social media. If you want to
limit your employees' use of social networking to strictly maintaining the company profile, or allow
personal access as well, it is up to you as the employer to set the boundaries.

Ultimately, the goal is to make sure your employees are aware that their online behavior is being
monitored. Negative comments about the company, fellow colleagues, or customers should not
be tolerated, but it is important to have this laid out in your social media policy.

It will make everyone’s life easier when you can point out the signed policy to any employee who
breaks the rules. And as in any relationship, when boundaries are set, people tend to stay and
work within them. Your employees will be happier and more productive when they know they are
being trusted and they are clear on what is expected of them.

Creating a Successful Social Media Policy

When it comes time to put together your social media policy, you should involve all key parties in
your company. This can range from your IT team and the communications department, to human
resources. You should also include all of your senior managers, for not everyone may share the
same views on what is acceptable online behavior. It will be a balancing act to ensure everyone’s
concerns are addressed, but if you are open minded and work with your employees, you will be
able to reach a policy that is clear, decisive, and fair. Remember these important factors:

Bottom Line
A clear and decisive social media policy helps build employer and employee confidence. When
your employees know what is expected of them, they will be happier and more productive. The flip
side of this is true as well: as an employer, you can rest assured that your team is aware of the limit-
ations and guidelines set forth by your company regarding the use of social media.

No one has ever benefited from lack of clarity, so when you are honest and upfront with your
employees about your expectations and their responsibilities, everybody wins.

4 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 1 - Be Broad

Protect Your Business with

1 Be Broad
Your Company Policy

Make sure your policy is wide

enough not only to govern the
2 Know the Risks actions of employees on your
corporate pages, but also to
hold them responsible for their
personal use as well.

Reference your confidentiality

Include
3 Disclaimers
agreement when reminding
the employee they are not to
divulge private company matters
as well as not to remark nega-
tively about the company in an
Define online public forum.
4 Acceptable Use Ensure that your policy is broad
enough so that it not only covers
current social networking sites
(Facebook, Twitter, etc.) but
includes any future developed
Define Business
5 and Personal Use websites that would fall under
the social network umbrella.

5 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 2 - Know the Risks

Employees Should Understand

1 Be Broad
Social Media Risk

Make sure your employees know

the associated risks that come

2 Know the
Risks with the use of social media.

Remind employees not to

disclose personal or corporate
information.

Include Inform your employees that

3 Disclaimers senior management is also there
for support - if an employee feels
that an online situation needs
intervention, make them feel
comfortable in approaching a
Define
4 Acceptable Use
manager for assistance.  

Define Business
5 and Personal Use

Social Media Risk Assessment

VIEW RESOURCE

6 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 3 - Include Disclaimers

Great Privilege Comes

1 Be Broad
With Great Responsibility

Along with knowing the risks,

your employees should also
2 Know the Risks know that privilege comes with
responsibility. Your employees
are ultimately responsible for
the content they post online.

Remind your staff to use proper

3 Include
Disclaimers
judgment before posting in an
open forum, and encourage
staff to use disclaimers if and
when they are posting using the
company name.
Define
4 Acceptable Use

Define Business
5 and Personal Use Social Media Policy and Guidelines

VIEW RESOURCE

7 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 4 - Define Acceptable Use

Employees to Understand
1 Be Broad
Acceptable Use

Define when and how social

media is to be accessed.
2 Know the Risks
State that the online activity
should not interfere with daily
responsibilities, and if social
networking is found to be
causing an interruption, an
Include
3 Disclaimers
employee’s access may be
limited or removed entirely.

Remind your employees that

acceptable use of social media
means that all activity should

4 Define
Acceptable Use
remain legal, and time is not to
be spent downloading pirated
software or videos, or harassing
other people online.

Define Business
5 and Personal Use

Social Media Policy and Guidelines

VIEW RESOURCE

8 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

 Action Plan
STEP 5 - Define Business and Personal Use

Setting Boundaries and

1 Be Broad
Personal Use Policies

Your policy should be clear,

concise, and easily accessible
2 Know the Risks
to all employees. The best
way to achieve this is to have
your employees sign a copy
of the policy when they are
signing their contract and
Include
3 Disclaimers
confidentiality agreement.

Giving a copy of the policy to

all staff members will ensure
that everyone is clearly
informed. It is also important to
Define
4 Acceptable Use
advise your employees of the
consequences for breaching
any of the rules set forth in
your social media policy.

If there are no repercussions,

Define Business
5 and Personal
Use
then there is no incentive to
follow the guidelines in the
first place.

9 CREATING A SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY HOW-TO GUIDE

 About ANA

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Further enriching the ecosystem is the work of the nonprofit ANA

Educational Foundation (AEF), which has the mission of enhancing the
understanding of advertising and marketing within the academic and
marketing communities.
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