Your company needs a social media policy. Your employees (some more than others) are running rampant on their social media accounts, chatting about what they did over the weekend, posting photos of what they ate for dinner, and oh yeah … how they can't stand their manager.

Why Your Company Needs a Social Media Policy

The biggest reason your company needs a social media policy is for brand management purposes. Your pubic relations and marketing folks can attest to this — having a company social media policy in place helps to protect your company's reputation. One of the last things you want is for your employees to air your company's dirty laundry to the world. Your social media policy should have clear guidelines stating what your employees can and cannot post across social media.

“Can't” Post Ideas

• Trashy photos. Photos of them acting out in a foolish manner at company events and while in the office (even though one can only hope they wouldn't post photos of them acting out anywhere else either). You may even want to add that they can't post trashy photos, period.

• Company secrets. Maybe your company is Twitter and your employees were told your company would be going public on October 23 but it was to remain confidential until further notice. Your employees shouldn't be yapping about on social prior.

• Negative remarks about other employees. Fight with the boss? Hate the way Sally from the Customer Service Department dresses? Such remarks remain off social.

The purpose of a social media policy when it comes to brand management is to control how your company is represented. Your employees who are your biggest advocates may want to talk in a positive manner about your company but may not be sure how to or what to say. Your social media policy should also highlight the good they can do.

“Can” Post Ideas

• Posting about a promotion they got.
• Posting about how much they love their new office space.
• Photos of them signing attendees in at a company sponsored charity golf outing.

Having a social media policy clears up any confusions employees may about what's acceptable and what's not acceptable to share in the social realm. It should highlight what the consequences are of not following what you deem is appropriate content to publish.

With all that being said, do you see your company having a social media policy in place within the next year? Send me a Tweet on Twitter sharing your plans. I'm curious to learn where you stand.