If you’re writing Social Media Policy Documents for LinkedIn, then you need to include guidelines that show staff how to interact with others so that they do not, by accident, cause any damage to the company.
Social Media and LinkedIn
LinkedIn is different than Facebook. It’s a professional network. People come here to do business and look for suppliers, contractors and others in their field. They also look for recommendations. And this is where you need to watch out.
1. Clarify who is authorized to give recommendations on LinkedIn – if one of your employees is asked to give a recommendation to someone they now on LinkedIn, they may go ahead and do so. The problem is this looks like your company is endorsing another company, which is not what you may intend. Your employee may not see it like this and act in good faith. Write Social Media Policy Documents that outline what is expected and give examples of how to do this.
2. Giving Referrals – the same thing applies when giving referrals to clients, customers, and partners. Unless the employee is told to do so, this should only be done through the correct channels. Your reputation with clients, customers and partners are all valuable assets and must be protected at all costs.
3. Confidential information – the third issue is employees discussing private matters, either related to the business, contracts or salaries. You need to define in your Social Media Policy document how employees can deflect these questions and how to answer without giving information that could be misinterpreted.
While other documents, such as your code of conduct, will cover the dissemination of confidential information, make sure your Social Media policy reiterate those policies and provide specific examples.
What other issues can arise on LinkedIn?
About the Author: Anna Guinness helps companies develop Social Media Policy documents for Facebook, Twitter and Blogs. You can download her Social Media Policy Templates here.