Social media can have huge positive impacts on a company, especially when it  comes to marketing and branding. However, without a solid and well-thought out  social media policy, some social media in the workplace can result in negative  consequences. Unfortunately, even minor mistakes or inappropriate posts through  social media can quickly spread and damage the image of a company.

Some companies today fear this bad press so much that they create a strict  social media policy. For example, these types of strict  policies have firm guidelines on what can (and cannot) be posted  through social media, and who is allowed to post.

Other companies recognize the value of employees sharing their own opinions  and content via social media, and have set up more relaxed and casual  guidelines about social media in the workplace.

When choosing or changing the social media policy of your company, a good  place to start is by taking a look at these two types of options.

Here are the two extremes.

#1. The strict social media policy

What are some of the rules that a strict social media policy may include?

• Employees must provide a disclaimer on their social media pages stating that  their posts do not represent the views of the company.
• Only employees that have been chosen as “official” social media  representatives are allowed to contribute to the brand’s social media.
• Employees cannot share logos of the company along with their posts on social  media.
• Social media is not allowed in the workplace at all.
• Employees using social media should only engage in conversations about the  company itself, for example as a customer service tool.

Here is an excerpt of the strict and formal social media policy that applies  at Oracle.

#2. The relaxed social media policy

Some rules that a casual and relaxed social media policy may include:

• Use common sense when deciding what to post online.
• Don’t publish any confidential company information.
• Be respectful and courteous.
• Be honest about who you are.
• Respect the privacy of others and do not post private conversations or  personal information of others without asking permission.

Here is an example of a more relaxed and casual social media policy at Ford.

Read more at http://www.jeffbullas.com/2013/10/22/what-is-the-right-social-media-policy-for-your-company/#XM17FMZyBhf5BEQp.99