Make your Free Social Media Policy

You own a business and know that social media is a serious part of marketing. A Social Media Policy can help you control how your employees behave on social media. You may be legally responsible for what your employees post online, so it's best to communicate your expectations and reduce your potential liability with a Social Media Policy.

Use the Social Media Policy document if:

• You want to establish guidelines for how members of the company should engage in social media
  
• You want to manage or monitor the way your employees talk about your company online
  
• You want to prevent employee misuse of social networks as it relates to your company and its business interests
  
• You want to retain your social media (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, etc.) contacts when employees or service providers manage your social media accounts.

Whether or not your business has an online presence, a Social Media Policy is a smart move. You need to control what's posted on your company's profiles and sites. But that may not be your biggest concern. What if an employee is posting less than stellar stuff about the business on their own profile? Employees often don't realize that even their personal sites aren't always 100% personal when it comes to business. Or maybe you've hired someone to manage your Facebook, Twitter, or other social media account. You'd better make sure you get the passwords and any information about online contacts when the employee moves on. A Social Media Policy can help you define the terms, rules, and appropriate uses of this tool with your employees.

Interested in learning more about essential employment forms? Check out our HR Guide for additional information.