What is a workplace social media policy?

A social media policy for employees outlines clear, concise guidelines about how they behave online, and it can cover both their personal and professional activities. Social media connects individuals and businesses through content sharing. Users can engage with each other, read customer opinions about company performance and expand their professional networks.

Benefits of having a social media policy in place

With social media, you can attract new customers and let potential employees know about the benefits of working for your organization. You can even improve employee retention by helping everyone get along and work together efficiently. Social media policies can provide many other benefits to businesses, including:

• Improved reputation and brand identity: A detailed social media policy elaborates on the company’s brand identity, what language employees use when discussing the business, how they respond to comments or blog posts and whether they refer inquiries to the public relations or marketing department. It can help companies maintain a good reputation and create coherent, organized marketing and advertising campaigns.
• More awareness of company rules and regulations about public and private information: Social media changes constantly, and so do the regulations that companies establish around it. When rules are easy to access on a business’s internal website or social media page, employees can avoid violating them and keep sensitive information away from competitors.
• Better communication: An effective social media policy may encourage communication between company leaders and employees. For example, a video showing the entire production process, letting people understand where their supplies come from and what happens at other locations. Even if workers are hundreds of miles away from each other, they can get to know each other and feel like part of a team.
• Suggestions and answers: Social media is a vast source of information, and you can ask fellow users about answers to questions. Even if you need specialized information, someone else in your industry can help you. Customer suggestions often contain ideas for new products or ways to help your business run more smoothly.
• Breaks for employees: Workplace social media lets people take small breaks throughout the workday without leaving their desks. It prevents fatigue and keeps people focused on what co-workers are accomplishing. The right social media policy can increase productivity, as well.
• Lower turnover: Employees are usually happier in workplaces where they can easily communicate with co-workers and executives to share ideas. They tend to stay at their jobs longer.
• Easy recruitment and online training: A social media site that makes the roles at your company look fun and challenging may help you attract better candidates. In many industries, people can do some or all of their training online, saving space and reducing the expenses associated with making new hires.

Aspects to consider for a social media policy

Social media policies for employees include guidance for people using the company’s social media and sometimes their personal profiles as well. These policies typically include:

• Definition of social media: Social media can mean different things to different people. Let readers know which social media sites your company uses and which ones your company’s social media policy covers. You can include blogs, social networking platforms, forums, video sharing and other types in your definition.
• Description of the brand and its voice: Consider what tone to use for your business’s social media. For example, you may want to share posts that are serious, whimsical, interesting, useful, urgent or something else. Have staff members know whether your company’s posts will focus on videos, photos, employees’ personal lives or other types of information as well.
• Departmental roles and expectations: Let readers know which department or employee will maintain the company’s social media account. Provide an e-mail address where people can send posts for approval, and mention whether individual departments or locations should create regular posts.
• Security directives: A social media policy for employees may contain instructions about handling sensitive or proprietary information. Information like plans for new products, photos of prototypes, or records of brainstorming sessions or development meetings is kept confidential, for example.
• Response plans: Social media policies have response plans for unfavourable posts from individuals or news outlets. A response plan outlines how people may handle individual complaints or questions from the media.
• Rules about personal social media use: Explain the rules for behaviour on personal social media accounts and let people know that they may delete accounts that don’t comply or change the settings to private so that customers can’t see them.

Social media policy template

With this template, you can create a social media policy for your company quickly and easily:

[Date and Version]

Introduction
[Discuss why the company implemented the new social media policy and the goals it hopes to achieve.]

Company values
[State the business’s mission and values.]

Social media policy
[Include the content in the previous section in a list of guidelines for employees’ social media use.]

More information
[Include several resources, along with a place to submit complaints and ask questions about the company’s policies.]

Social media policy example

Here’s an example of a social media policy to help you when you write one for your organization:

September 10, 2025

Version 4.3

Introduction
Panacea Neighbourhood Pharmacy uses marketing and promotion to interact with customers through a variety of social media channels. This social media policy covers proper use by our employees.

Company values
Panacea Neighbourhood Pharmacy is dedicated to helping people feel better by providing the community with essential medications and medical supplies.

Social media policy
Employees of Panacea Neighbourhood Pharmacy must keep these guidelines in mind:

• Transparency: Be honest on social media, but don’t post any claims about the company or its products until you receive authorization from our marketing department.
• Safety: Keep passwords safe, and don’t visit social media sites while using company hardware or the company’s network.
• Own your views: When you post your own opinions, add a statement clarifying that your thoughts are your own and don’t reflect the views of your employer.
• Confidentiality: Never disclose medical histories or other personal information about Panacea Neighbourhood Pharmacy’s customers. They rely on us to keep their data confidential.
• Policy enforcement: Any violation of social media policy will be met with disciplinary action, including termination in severe cases.

More information

Please report improper social media use anonymously via phone or email at (888) 888-1111 or violations@panacea.com. For more information, contact Shelly Smith in the HR department at (716) 222-2222 or HRpolicies@panacea.com.

New social media sites debut often, and your company needs to keep up with changing trends to stay relevant to consumers. Reassess your business’s social media policy often and make alterations when needed.

Workplace social media policy templates for PDF & Word

Use these social media policy templates to outline clear, concise guidelines for your employees’ online behaviour.