Social Media – Policies and Procedures

Social Media is here to stay and as Small Medium Enterprises it has become an essential business tool to communicate with our clients.

Gone are the days of either sending a letter or picking up the telephone. Instead we all rely on the internet by sending a quick e-mail.( I know for some of  you out there that even sending emails is a new learning curve.)

But what is social media?

Social media allows you,your employees and your business to communicate on a global scale with people you have probably never come into contact with before. As individuals we can hold conversations,take part in discussions and share or impart knowledge, to other individuals and groups of people, who we are probably never going to meet face to face.

What we all have in common is the need to find, share and discuss information and to gain knowledge. Social media has enabled us to explore our world from our offices and homes by using the internet as a communication platform.

How does social media impact on my business?

Social media is good for business as it is forms discussions and advertising to groups of clients who may need your products or services. Done correctly social media through general discussion can help businesses to grow and develop even in times of recession.

What social media sites are my employees using?

Social media sites are great and some of the most commonly used by employees are:

Face Book – share information,upload pictures and have discussions.(Information can be personal and about work.)

Twitter – shares information by sending tweets. Most employees tweet each other about what they had for lunch or when they are going to the bathroom! Twitter users hold quick conversations by using short sentences containing symbols,words and tags.

You tube – Employees may watch short videos about how to operate a new piece of equipment. Instead of reading about a problem and trying to solve it themselves, they watch other people on video by visually seeing what to do,thus solving a problem fast.

Linked In – Linked in is mainly used by professional business people to network with other like minded business professionals.

What social media sites can my business use?

Small Medium Enterprises should embrace social media and communicate with clients and potential clients by using the above sites. It is imperative for businesses to use social media sites designed for business purposes only.

Why do I need written policies and procedures in place for the use of social media?

It is good HR practice to have written policies and procedures in place for the use of social media within the work place. Many employees are sensible when using social media sites whilst at work. However for those that are not, your business needs to protect itself by communicating what is Acceptable and NOT Acceptable usage of your I.T equipment.

In the long term well written policies and procedures outlining the use of social media in the work place will protect your employees and your employer brand.