Recently, Tech Networks of Boston announced an initiative to provide financial and technology-based support to organizations in the Boston area. We shared this information to our blog, company social media accounts, and in our internal newsletter. Then something odd happened, some of our employees reached out and asked if it was alright for them to share this information on their personal accounts. Of course it is! We want as many people as possible to see this information so we can actually reach the organizations we want to help. So...why did our staff feel the need to ask?
Often employees don’t want to engage with their workplaces online. They may follow you on LinkedIn and other social accounts, but they are less willing to share the posts you make or mention you in their own. Why? Likely it’s because they want to keep their social media accounts as a place to share news and thoughts with friends, and they may not know what is ok to post online from your organization’s point of view. There are a few things you can do to encourage your team to engage with you online.
Creating a clear social media policy can help with any confusion or concern about what is and isn't ok to post. Many social media policies state that employees should disclose their relationship to your company, make it clear that their thoughts are their own, and be careful about what personal details they share online. Some also include words and phrases to avoid or guidelines on what to do if something goes wrong online. These guidelines only apply to accounts that are public facing, but they can help protect your employees and your business.
Asking your employees to write content for your website or blog is also a great way to get them to share. They should be proud of the work they post, and it may help them build credibility in your industry. Make sure they are aware when the content goes live and encourage them to share it on whatever channels they are comfortable with. This will likely lead to greater engagement than posts that are only shared by your official accounts.
Finally, directly engage with your employees online. This will help put faces to your company name, will provide a picture of what life is like within your organization, and can highlight the great work your team is doing. This is something you need employee buy-in to do, since they will need to be comfortable being tagged or mentioned in posts online but can be a fun way for your team to get involved in your online strategy.
It can be difficult to get your employees to engage online if it is not already a part of your culture, but it can hugely impact the reach of your posts.