September 2010

In an age when anyone can be a "journalist" and anything a sound bite or testimonial, inappropriate online communications is fast becoming a liability for companies and brands. Those most vulnerable to this threat are organizations that have failed to establish clear guidelines for employees' use of social media. And, in fact, a sizable majority of businesses still do not have a social communications policy.

A survey conducted by Digital Brands Expression (DBE), a consulting firm that specializes in search marketing, revealed that 78 percent of respondents said that their business actively uses social media. Yet only 41 percent of those businesses reported that social communications are addressed by some form of corporate policy.

And of the 41 percent that have a plan in place, few have formal guidelines specifically addressing employee conduct online, specifically in social media. Referring to the DBE survey, this Media Post article noted, "Only 29 percent reported distributing policies and/or communications protocols to employees via social channels." Instead, most of the organizations "appear to be shooting from the hip, with no cohesive game plan or measurement systems in place."

Employee Contributions: Assets or Liabilities?

Social communications should be a corporate asset, not a tactic that detracts from engaging with constituents because organizations fear what employees may say or do. Companies are most likely to profit from employees' social communications if they first build a concrete foundation, one that consists of a written policy unambiguously setting forth what is, and what is not, appropriate social communications behavior. Companies have the greatest chance of success if they adhere to the following best practices when formulating their policy:

1. Before starting, see what others are doing. There's no need to reinvent the wheel. Plenty of companies have already created guidelines that you might incorporate into your own rules, adapting them to align with your company's objectives. One online resource, Social Media Governance, offers a database of 154 (and counting) social communications policies from a variety of industries.

2. Clearly define objectives and parameters of use. Vague guidelines or wishy-washy rules of engagement serve no one. The more detailed and specific your policy, the less room for erroneous interpretation. A clearly stated plan will better enable employees to understand the role social media plays in the company's communications strategy. Well-informed employees are more likely to behave in a way that reflects positively on the firm's hard-earned reputation and will offer management a supporting guide for any behavior that may not.

3. Make implementation a priority. The sooner your policy is put into place, the sooner you can quash inappropriate social media activities and coach employees on effective social media conduct.

4. Your social media policy needs to be a living document. Update it regularly or as new, relevant information emerges. Your social communications plan should take in account changes occurring in the technology available to employees, as well as the ongoing evolution of your company's communication objectives.

5. Support participation. Responding to comments on your corporate blog should be a standard practice of any one employee actively blogging or participating in social media on behalf of your company. You also want to make sure those sources are encouraged to participate in other industry forums.

6. Transparency: disclosures and boundaries. All companies need to address confidentiality and what should or shouldn't be discussed (both face-to-face and in social media). Just because an employee is privy to certain information, doesn't mean that information should be made public. At the same time, employees should be encouraged to be authentic and forthright in their online activities — especially those in connection with the company (e.g., Don't leave fake reviews or comments, like when the CEO of Whole Foods used a pseudonym to post negative comments about a competitor or when employees of Reverb Communications left positive reviews for their clients on iTunes).

7. Empower, but don't abdicate.  You want employees to gain optimal benefit from the use of social media. In achieving that goal you cannot allow individuals to make their own rules. When developing a command of the social communications process, employees can easily let their personal feelings dominate the conversation — sometimes to the detriment of a company's carefully created brand strategy. Therefore, it's essential to give ultimate authority for managing social media initiatives to a single point of contact, be it a designated individual or a corporate department such as marketing, public relations or human resources.

8. Capitalize on employee social media engagement. Banning the use of social media has proven to neither encourage productivity nor prevent a public relations catastrophe. Short term, such drastic action can lessen the odds of mishaps or minimize the distractions. Over time, however, employees can, and will, find a way to vent online — both on your time and their own. Instead of pulling the plug, it's wiser to harness employees' natural inclination to interact socially online to the company's advantage by allowing them to stay connected and promote activities that benefit the company.

9. Push privacy settings.  Whether your employees are participating on behalf of the company or on their own account, their online comments always reflect on the reputation of the company or, in the example of a PR agency, its clients. By instructing employees on how to use privacy controls and encouraging them to limit who can see their profiles and activities, you can minimize the chances of negative fallout while staying firmly fixed in the public eye. But remember, settings that are too restrictive may not bode well if the employee uses his/her account professionally — so encourage balance.

10. Remember, traditional is social. When you think about it, all communication is social. As social channels evolve (both online and off), be sure that you continue to include media relations in your communications policy. Provide guidance to employees on how they should interact with editors, reporters, bloggers and other contacts at The Media. Include guidelines on commenting on articles and posts when representing your organization.