
1. Make it practical and easy to understand
As with many staff policies it can be easy to overcomplicate. Make sure it covers all the key areas of the business and all stakeholder communication.2. Apply the policy to both the corporate accounts and employees personal accounts
Every member of staff should be aware of what their responsibilities are to the company when using social media, whether this is via corporate accounts as well as use of their personal accounts. Many people have been caught out through inappropriate use of their personal account that has reflected badly on the organisation. An example of such was the NHS Chief Executive who tweeted on his personal account about a new boat, when NHS staff were facing job losses and salary cuts. A clear policy would have ensured he was fully aware that his personal account was subject to the same standards as the corporate one.3. Include exclusion policy
4. Escalation policy
Quite often employees from all levels of the organisation will be involved in social media, so a detailed escalation policy should be in place so that all employees know who to escalate specific questions to within the organisation.5. Rules on setting up accounts in the name of the organisation
6. Incorporate the policy into employee contracts
Finally, and probably the most important, make sure that you incorporate your social media policy into all employment contracts. By doing this if there are any issues as a result of misuse of social media then the usual sanctions can be applied. James Leavesley is CEO of CrowdControlHQ. Image sourceShare this story