I am not asking you to get a HR professional involved, unless you have one on staff, but having a social media policy can protect your company's reputation or it can save you in a crisis.

Here's a link of the best social media policies! Check them out, here.

A few of my thoughts:

Get employees on the same page on what is appropriate to share on their personal platforms about your company. Is there any sensitive information that needs to be protected?
Let employees know that they are representing your brand even when they are off the clock. Let's stay away from controversial statements or inappropriate content going up on any social media channel.
Have a crisis communication plan in place! If something goes wrong on your social media platforms, have a procedure that your staff follow. Often in times of complaints, we tend to react and not respond.
Give a guideline about your tone, personality and voice. We all have a unique voice, so when we promote for a company on social media - that voice can vary. Establish a personality that everyone can reenact when reporting for your company.

Here's a social media policy that works and was deemed lawful! Check it out.

Some year-end questions to ask yourself about your organization's social media:

Did I focus on a few key platforms and commit to posting them on a consistent basis? If the answer is yes, then great. If you answered no, then maybe it's time to simplify even further. Take your time and focus in on ONE or TWO platforms instead of three or four.
Was there any signs of growth on my key platforms? Growth can be interpreted many ways with social media. You can numerically grow your followers, but you can also grow with engagement. If your platforms didn't show any real signs of growth, the first place to look at is your content. Is it valuable? Would you follow and interact with you?
Did you try something different, daring and fun this year with your social media? The answer should be OF COURSE! Your target market is using social media for fun, so your motives, content and strategy should reflect that.
What do I need to put in place to make my social media presence more effective? Do you need more time, what about content... or how about a dedicated staff member? If you have a desire to grow on social media, but are continually lacking the effort to follow through, get help. Don't remain helpless and put it off, you deserve to have support around your social strategies.

Next month, I will be introducing the dreaded, but very useful, social media policy that every business should have. Happy evaluating and see you next year!