Social media policy

SHOO is the place to go for social media marketing consultancy.

We work with ambitious marketing managers and business owners to deliver the best data led digital marketing campaigns. 

We’re here to support you

We support businesses looking to educate and empower employees so they can effectively develop their brand.


Our company cannot use social media monitoring to control what your employees and customers say. However, we can be proactive with our support to your business should an issue arise. It is increasingly important to empower your teams with social media so that they are able to communicate with different generations and the next managers, entrepreneurs or company directors.


However, it is imperative your company guidelines protects the employee and employer, therefore you need to protect your company reputation and lower your risk of legal issues by looking at the potential risks.



Speak to a social media expert

HR vs Marketing - webinar

With 3.6 billion users on Social Media and 60% of Businesses using social media, there is no doubt that Social Media is becoming a powerful and important tool in all aspects of our lives, whether it's for business or leisure.

 

It's now more important than ever for employers to understand what role social media plays in their work environment and how it can affect the bottom line.

 

The use of social media is often a grey area for employers, with both positive and negative implications. However, there are some guidelines that they should follow in order to minimise any potential risks or disruptions.

 

Join Chris Morris, CEO of Shoo Social Media and Euan Lawrence, Partner of Blacks Solicitors. For a 1 hour webinar, you will understand the difference between social media guidelines and social media policy through examples and best practices from other brands.


You will learn:


· The difference between a social media policy and social media guidelines

· Why you need social media guidelines for your business

· What to include in your social media guidelines

A LinkedIn focus

With particular focus on LinkedIn, the professional business platform, you should really consider your profile. Is it well written? Do I have a head-shot that represents me and therefore a potential employer? The headline is an opportunity to be seen by headhunters – make it easy for them to find you by stating clearly the job you are seeking.


In short:


  • Update your privacy settings on all platforms


  • Have a professional head-shot


  • Get someone else to write your summary statement on LinkedIn as it’s often easier for someone else to write great, inspiring words about you



  • Review and refresh each of your social media and consider which photos to keep. Does it portray your best you?
Speak to a social media expert

Raising standards

Having a social media policy in place sets high standards for employees to follow and therefore help your company empower your employees to use social media to communicate effectively.


Having a policy in place helps maintain brand consistency and ensures the social media platforms reflect your brand and its values.

Keeping it going

Social media policies can only be successful if someone is taking ownership of implementing it.


We can certainly help and work alongside you by delivering training and educational workshops to understand the importance of legal issues, safety and security guidelines to ensure social media is not abused.

Common questions

Have a question about social media policy? Find some of our most frequently asked questions below.

  • What is a social media policy, and why is it important for my organisation?

    A social media policy is a set of guidelines and rules that govern how employees and stakeholders should use social media on behalf of the organisation. 


    It is important for organisations to have a social media policy to protect their reputation, ensure compliance with regulations, and minimise legal risks.

  • What should a social media policy include?

    A social media policy should include guidelines on the appropriate use of social media, rules on how to interact with customers and stakeholders, instructions on how to handle negative feedback or comments, and guidelines on confidentiality, privacy, and legal compliance.

  • How can I ensure that my social media policy complies with legal requirements?

    To ensure that your social media policy complies with legal requirements, you should consult with legal experts to review your policy and ensure that it complies with applicable laws and regulations, such as data privacy, intellectual property, and employment laws.

  • How can I enforce my social media policy?

    To enforce your social media policy, you should communicate it clearly to all employees and stakeholders, provide training on how to use social media responsibly and establish consequences for violating the policy. 


    You should also monitor social media activity to identify potential violations and take appropriate action.

  • How can I ensure that employees are using social media responsibly?

    To ensure that employees are using social media responsibly, you should provide training on best practices for social media use, monitor social media activity, and establish consequences for violating the social media policy.

  • How can I handle conflicts of interest on social media?

    To handle conflicts of interest on social media, you should provide clear guidelines on how employees should disclose any relationships or interests that may influence their social media activity.


    You should also monitor social media activity to identify potential conflicts of interest and take appropriate action.

  • How can I ensure that my social media policy is up-to-date?

    To ensure that your social media policy is up-to-date, you should review it regularly and update it as needed to reflect changes in social media platforms, legal requirements, and organisational goals.

  • How can I communicate my social media policy effectively to employees and stakeholders?

    To communicate your social media policy effectively to employees and stakeholders, you should provide clear and concise guidelines that are easy to understand, offer training and support on how to use social media responsibly and provide examples of best practices and potential consequences for violating the policy.

Keeping it legal

At Shoo, we work with a professional employment lawyer that will develop a legally drawn up social media policy bespoke to your organisation. This provides clarity of rules and regulations and how employees should use their own personal social media with your company brand, by setting clear expectations about how they should behave on each social media.


If you are a large organisation with various brand guidelines, a social media policy is a must, ensuring that the behaviour and engagement reflect each various social media platforms in a way that is brand positive and consistent.

Social media policy top tips

Check your social media

When looking to take on new members of staff, we often check Instagram, Facebook and Linkedin to understand what kind of person they are likely to be and does their online personal brand match with their professional, personal brand at interview.


As a job seeker you should really consider your social media settings on each platform and look at your profile from a public perspective and therefore an employers perspective. I know of a head teacher, who was enjoying her holiday and was tagged in an unflattering photo, dancing on a pole; resulting in parents, children and governors seeing it online. Through no fault of her own (other than not having privacy settings set appropriately) she ended up losing her job.

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