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how to create a great social media policy

Last updated: 20th June 2025.

Looking to revamp your social media policy? You’re not alone.

Today, companies are moving away from restrictive “don’t post on social” rules and embracing employee voices on platforms like LinkedIn.

Encouraging employees to share content isn’t just accepted—it’s expected. From boosting employer brand to driving sales and engagement, the benefits of employee advocacy are too big to ignore.

But whether you’re starting an advocacy program or simply want to empower employees online, there’s one non-negotiable: a clear, concise, and modern social media policy.

Not a legal minefield. Not a 45-page snoozefest. A usable guide that encourages smart, confident social media participation without the fear factor.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to create a social media policy that supports advocacy, protects your brand, and helps employees build their personal brands while driving business results.

Let’s start with why this matters more than ever.

just 45% of employees have a clear understanding of what they should and shouldn't say on social media.

Social Media Policies 101

What is a social media policy?

A social media policy is a document created for employees that outlines a behavioural code of conduct they’re expected to follow when sharing anything online, whether it’s part of their job or not.

The BEST social media policies should also educate your employees on the benefits of using social media at work.

Historically, they’re put in place to protect brand reputation. Now, they also serve as an opportunity to educate and reassure employees that they can post on social media as long as they adhere to your guidelines and stay safe.

Why do you need a social media policy?

Today, branding is social-first, and your employees are your most visible brand ambassadors.

Whether it’s a company LinkedIn post or an employee sharing a team photo, every interaction shapes how your brand is perceived.

That’s why a clear social media policy isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s essential.

The digital shift accelerated by COVID-19 saw sales, marketing, and even tech teams embrace social as part of their daily workflow.

Meanwhile, millennials and Gen Z—digital natives who grew up with social media—now make up a large percentage of the workforce. They will be active online.

To support them and protect your brand, it’s time to write (or rewrite) your social media policy. One that doesn’t just restrict, but enables.

Here are some numbers to make you think:

1

Just 45% of employees have a clear understanding of what they should and shouldn’t say on social media when it comes to company-related matters.
2

39% of employees admit to having posted about their employer on social media without any encouragement.
3

57% of people consider “social business” to be an important factor when it comes to choosing an employer.
4

50-70% of a buying decision happens before a salesperson is involved.
5

52% of people say that their social media policy isn’t part of their employee onboarding, and 5% said they don’t have one at all.

Your employees are already using social media at work.

They’re already talking about your company online.

And yet less than half admit to knowing the laws of the land 🤔

Your social media policy isn’t there to police your employees.

You don’t want to create a big list of “don’t do this” things that people are too scared to post anything at all 🙅‍♂️

With a clear policy that clearly states what’s off-limits while allowing for authentic content creation, you alleviate that worry (and avoid a potential PR nightmare!).

76% of people say they're more likely to trust content shared by normal people than a brand

The Benefits of Having a “Socially Active” Workforce

The benefits of employees using social media for work far outweigh the risks.

And this is exactly what your new policy should be centered around.

ESPECIALLY if you’re going to leverage employee advocacy.

Employee advocacy programs have skyrocketed in popularity over the past few years.

To such an extent that Gartner predicted that by the end of 2023, 90% of B2B organizations would have integrated employee programs into their marketing strategy.

For the unacquainted:

Employee advocacy is the promotion of a company or its products/services by the people who work for the company.

It’s essentially word-of-mouth marketing on social media via employees.

Get The Ultimate Guide to Employee Advocacy

It’s simple, people want to hear from people, not brands.

Employee advocacy allows you to communicate with your key audiences in the most authentic and transparent way possible.

Whether you’re aiming to take your content the extra mile or to showcase your employer brand, here are some key employee advocacy statistics that’ll make you think:

1

Brand messages reach up to 561% further when shared by employees.
2

The average workforce has 10x as many connections as the company has followers.
3

Companies with successful employee advocacy programs are 58% more likely to attract and 20% more likely to retain top talent.
4

76% of people say they’re more likely to trust content shared by “normal people” over a brand.
5

Content shared by employees received 8x more engagement than the same content shared through brand channels.
6

Leads generated through employee advocacy convert 7x more frequently than any other leads.
companies with successful employee advocacy programs are 58% more likely to attract talent and 20% more likely to retain them

18 Must-Haves for a Modern Social Media Policy

1. Get your tone of voice right.

Your employees are people, not robots.

Speak to them like they’re people and use a more casual tone of voice.

You should be writing to be understood, not to get the OK from legal… 🤦‍♂️

Plus, you want this to sound fun! This should be an encouraging document, and you want to get your employees excited about the idea of using social media for work.

2. Hold on, I recognise that…

Ensure that your employees understand basic copyright laws.

This should include links to the most up-to-date image rights and GDPR legislation.

Plagiarism isn’t a good look for either party involved 😬

It’s not only damaging to the employee’s personal brand, but it can also leave their network with a sense that they’re not being authentic in any of their posts.

If that message is a post is a direct copy of someone else’s… Did someone tell them to post it?

Worse still, in more extreme examples, the use of someone else’s image or a breach of copyright laws could land both the company and the employee in legal trouble.

3. That’s private!

Make sure your employees are aware of customer and client confidentiality.

You don’t want them sharing sensitive details that could harm both customer and audience relationships.

4. Just be nice.

Remind employees to consider and be respectful of their audiences 👍

Social media has become the #1 destination for social issues surrounding things like race and religion.

As the lines between social media for professional and personal use become increasingly blurred, they should be reminded that if dishonorable behavior isn’t accepted in the workplace, it won’t be tolerated in the digital world.

5. Keep it real.

Encourage your employees to be themselves.

There’s nothing more authentic than being yourself, and generally speaking, using social media is much easier when you adopt this mentality! 🤩

Remind them to avoid any “pseudo identities” and encourage transparency. It shouldn’t be a secret who they work for, and you’ll want them to talk loud and proud about this as it can be great for your employer brand.

Employees should be told to write and talk in the first person too.

You’re not encouraging them to be robots, after all!

6. Keep a lid on it...

Emotions run high online, especially nowadays when we’re exposed to so much injustice and misrepresentation.

Passion is great, and you should absolutely speak when you feel it’s right and just, but draw the line at anger.

We’ve all been there… you’ve had a difficult day, your emotions are already running high, somebody says something, or you see something online, and you furiously type out a response.

Take a minute and think about it before you press send 👌

7. Once it’s there, it’s there forever.

Nothing ever really disappears once it lands on the internet.

You might hit delete on that tweet or remove that LinkedIn comment, but often it’s too little too late.

People can screenshot, retweet, re-share, you name it. Once it’s online, it will always exist somewhere.

8. Uh oh, I made a boo-boo.

It happens! 🤷‍♂️

Tell them that they should be told to be the first ones to respond to mistakes.

Don’t just leave it there.

Trust me, on social media, a mistake will only grow in significance!

Whether it’s deleting a comment or correcting something they’ve said, encourage them to sort it sooner rather than later.

If they’re not sure how to handle the situation, make sure to remind them that the social team are at hand for situations like this!

9. We’ve got your back!

Provide a point of contact for your employees to reach out to 👋

Things come up all the time.

It could be a bad response to one of their posts or a difficult question from a client/customer.

They’re not always expected to know what to say, and that’s okay!

Having a point of contact assures them that someone is at hand if they need assistance.

10. Be helpful.

Social media and personal branding are all about building your community.

Whether it’s weighing in on a topic that fits in with what they do or responding to a comment on one of their posts about the company, you should encourage employees to engage with their audiences when the opportunity presents itself.

Plus, it’s not all about the company!

Sometimes being authentic just means sharing helpful content with their audiences. It all helps to build trust and rapport with their networks 🙏

11. Give us a follow!

Tell your employees to check out and follow your branded channels.

It’s a great place for them to start, especially if they’re not so confident with using social media.

Following your branded social channels will allow your employees to locate content that’s “oven-ready” that they can share themselves.

It also serves as a bit of inspiration if they’re stuck for something to say 🤷‍♂️

They’ll likely find it easier to engage with the company/other employees at first.

12. Remember our etiquette.

As an employer, you will likely have run through a code of conduct on how to behave in the workplace when onboarding new employees.

Remind your employees that the same behaviour is expected from them online as well as in the office or on internal channels.

13. Don't fall down the rabbit hole...

It’s easy to get lost in social media.

We’ve all been there.

You open LinkedIn to message someone or post something, and half an hour later, you’re reading a rags-to-riches story from some entrepreneur 🤦‍♂️

Remind employees that while social media usage is encouraged, it should not distract from or disrupt the day job.

14. Use this LinkedIn profile checklist.

When it comes to social media for work, LinkedIn should be the first-choice platform.

And getting started on LinkedIn begins with setting up your profile.

It sounds simple enough, right?

Your name, a bio, your photo…

But there’s doing it, and then there’s really doing it 💪

If you want your employees to reap the benefits of being more active on social media, you’re going to want to include a checklist and some best practices on how to optimize LinkedIn profiles.

We’ve included one in our downloadable template to save you some time!

15. Follow LinkedIn best practices.

Okay.

So you can’t just say:

“You should post to social media”

And expect them to become social media experts.

How often should they post?

Do they know what community management is?

What kinds of posts does LinkedIn prioritize right now?

Algorithms can be mean, after all 😩

Include some best practices and include as many resources as possible so that your employees can implement a plan and start adding structure to their posts.

Don’t sweat it, though. We’ve included some tips and resources in our template.

16. Follow our brand guidelines.

Include a few pointers on how to keep imagery and messaging on-brand.

You’ll want to outline things like:

  • How to use the company logo.
  • How to write the company name (it’s DSMN8, not dsmn8!) 🧐
  • Which hashtags to use.

Include a link to your digital press kit if you have one.

17. Employee FAQs

Naturally, your employees will have some questions.

Whether from past experience or common sense, try to answer a few questions that you expect to arise.

Example employee questions might include:

  • Can I be fired for something I’ve said online?
  • Is my social media activity being monitored?
  • Who owns my social media account if it’s being used for work?

Answering these should reassure employees and also save your point of contact some time replying to hundreds of queries.

18. Have fun!

Stress that above all else, employees should enjoy the time they’re being encouraged to spend on social media.

By encouraging employees to use social media to build their personal brands, you’re opening a world of possibilities for them, no matter their role 👍

Being active on social enables employees to start conversations and generate leads with social selling, build their personal brand and progress within their role/career by networking and demonstrating thought leadership.

How to Distribute Your Social Media Policy

90% of companies fall at this hurdle.

(Not an official stat—but it happens A LOT 😪)

They spend weeks perfecting a social media policy… then forget to actually share it.

Or worse, they bury it in an intranet folder no one opens.

Your policy exists to encourage employee advocacy, so make sure people see it.

Even though employees are already on social media, many are still hesitant to post about work. Years of “don’t post or else” messaging don’t vanish overnight.

📢 Here’s how to change that:

  • Share your policy via high-engagement internal comms channels.

  • Host quick team calls or webinars to walk through it.

  • Get buy-in from HR, C-Suite, and department leads to spread the message.

  • Add it to your onboarding pack for every new starter.

Make it easy. Make it visible. Make it stick.

🎧 Want more tips on brand consistency? Listen to our podcast with Maike Jansen, Employee Advocacy Lead at Dentsu Benelux:

Great Social Media Policy Examples

Naturally, every company’s policy will be different, both in terms of its contents and its appearance.

Some companies might need a much longer document…

(Emphasis on ‘might’ as we remain skeptical) 🙄

Either way, try to take a step back and remove that corporate brain for a second.

Consider what will resonate with your workforce and what they’ll be inclined to actually read and ultimately understand.

Here are some great (and very different) examples:

GAP

GAP has absolutely nailed it with their policy 👏

Sure, it doesn’t tick all the boxes in terms of things we’ve suggested you include, but the tone of voice and humorous nature of it make it a document that employees will actually take the time to read.

It also includes some nice visuals and is very much to the point.

“If you #!%#@# up? Correct it immediately and be clear about what you’ve done to fix it. Contact the social media team if it’s a real doozy.”

Coca-Cola Social Media Policy

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola’s guidelines are comprehensive and clear, but it’s lacking in the visual department.

Excluding the brand’s logo, it’s predominantly a standard black-and-white document, and the text is bunched up.

Thankfully, it’s only three pages, but at first glance, it won’t thrill any employee to be told that they have to read this 🤔

In the age of short attention spans, it’s essential to keep things visually stimulating.

intel social media policy

Intel

Intel’s social media policy is an excellent example.

Though the full policy is very text-heavy, they’ve also broken it up into 3 easy to understand rules of engagement 👇

  • Be Upfront
  • Focus on the Good
  • Use Your Best Judgment

Their introduction copy is positive and encouraging, emphasizing that they trust employees:

“What do our policies mean? They mean that we trust you. We bring smart people into the Intel family and we expect you to make smart decisions. This means that you are both the person in the best position to tell the world why Intel is such an amazing place to be and the person best suited to protect Intel from harm.”

Your Social Media Policy Template

Ready to create a social media policy of your own?

We’ve rolled all of these tips together into a free social media policy template.

It’s fully editable, customizable, and can be white labelled as your own. Easy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a social media policy?

A social media policy is a set of guidelines that outline how employees should behave on social media, whether they’re posting on behalf of the company or on their personal profiles. It helps protect the brand and empowers employees to represent the company positively.

Why do companies need a social media policy in 2025?

In 2025, the digital landscape is evolving fast with new platforms, AI-generated content, and stricter privacy regulations. A social media policy ensures your brand remains compliant, consistent, and protected while encouraging responsible advocacy.

What should be included in an employee social media policy?

Key components include:

  • Brand voice and tone guidelines

  • Disclosure and transparency rules

  • Confidentiality reminders

  • Crisis communication protocols

  • Platform-specific best practices

How can a social media policy support employee advocacy?

By providing clear dos and don’ts, a good policy builds confidence among employees to share company content. It creates a framework that encourages participation while minimizing risk.

Should employees be allowed to post about work on social media?

Yes—if supported by a well-structured policy. Encouraging authentic, respectful, and value-aligned content helps humanize your brand and increase visibility through trusted voices. Get the free DSMN8 advocacy-ready social media policy template to make this easy.

Ready to get started with employee advocacy?

But not sure if you’re ready for a platform?

Schedule a call with one of the team.

Prefer to cut to the chase and explore DSMN8?

Roger that!

Book your demo.

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Lewis Gray

Senior Marketing Manager and Employee Advocacy Program Manager at DSMN8. Lewis specialises in content strategy, growing brand visibility and generating inbound leads. His background in Sales lends itself well to demand generation in the B2B niche.