The Basics of Great B2B Social Media Policy

According to the latest Sprout Social Index, customer queries via social media have increased by 18 percent in the last 12 months. And yet, only 11 percent of them are addressed. Even worse, companies take an average of 10 hours to follow up and send 20 times more promotional messages than actual responses!

These stats may not discriminate between B2B and B2C customers, but they are proof that many businesses are still struggling to catch up with the times. It is now imperative to monitor online conversations to uncover all customer feedback, and ensure prompt and professional communication with social media users.

Hence, the importance of having a social media policy. This written document addresses the use of social platforms within a company, highlights expected employee behaviors, and details the course of action to follow in case of issues.
Most important elements of a social media policy

A good social media policy is always simple, accessible and unambiguous. However, the more thorough it is, the better.

To ensure that all your bases are covered, here is a series of questions to ponder:

• Goals – What do you want to achieve with social media and your policy?

• Audience – What platforms do your customer base use? How do you want your company to engage with them?

• Social media knowledge – Do your employees understand the differences between those platforms? If not, can you provide training or recommend educational resources?

• Official online representatives – Who is authorized to speak on behalf of your company? What are their specific responsibilities? Who will monitor their work and online conversations about your company?

Example: VIA Rail Canada

“Only Social Media Champions are allowed to make new social media accounts that represent the Corporation, including any of its products or services. Prior to creating a new social media account, Social Media Champions will obtain the approval of the dedicated community manager, who will ensure the account respects VIA’s Social Media Policy and is created and maintained according to best practices.”

(Source: http://richardmarginson.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/via-rail-social-media-policy-final-en.pdf )

Note: Members of your social media team must be fully cognizant of their responsibilities. Otherwise, you may end up in hot water like the U.S. Justice Department for an unbecoming Tweet posted earlier this month. Accurate training is vital to ensure that 1) complaints and general enquiries are addressed the right way; and that 2) your online messages and content remain consistent with your core values.

• Expectations – Do staff understand that they are an extension of your firm? How are they required to behave online during and after work? What are the sanctions for violating your social media policy?

 

Example: Dell

“If you aren’t an authority on a subject, send someone to the expert rather than responding yourself. Don’t speak on behalf of Dell if you aren’t giving an official Dell response, and be sure your audience knows the difference. If you see something being shared related to Dell on a Social Media platform that shouldn’t be happening, immediately inform the Social Media and Communities team, your manager, Ethics and Compliance or some other appropriate contact. And always remember that anything posted in social media can go viral, no matter what your privacy settings may be, so be sure you’re only posting content you would feel comfortable showing up in your boss’ inbox, your coworker’s Twitter feed or the front page of a major news site.”

(Source: http://www.dell.com/learn/us/en/uscorp1/corp-comm/social-media-policy?c=us&l=en&s=corp )

• Content – What sensitive corporate information (e.g. projects, photos…) shouldn’t be shared? For example, can all employees disclose their association with your firm?

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