Gijs Janssen, Marte Plees, Aron Vandevelde & Hellen Durinck

2IBM02

Critical questions about important

aspects of the use of social media in
companies

Picture retrieved from:

krantvanhoogeveen.nl

Artevelde University College

2017-2018
Table of content:

Table of content: 2

Introduction 2

What questions we will choose. 3

Why did we choose these questions. 3

Our answers 5

Articles 7
Code of Conduct for Professional Use of Social Media (Gijs) 7
How using Social Media can get you fired (Marte) 8
The Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Workplace (Hellen) 10
Is your (Lack of) Social Media Strategy killing your business? (Aron) 111

Code of Conduct for Personal Use of Social Media 144

Conclusion 15

References Error! Bookmark not defined.5

Introduction
How can companies benefit or suffer from social media usage in their companies? This is
the main question that we will try to answer for you. Social media is everywhere and
expanding very quickly. We use it in our personal lives, but also in our professional lives
nowadays. Because of the range of social media available it can be difficult to know where to
start. We will provide you with an answer to three questions that we thought were the most
important ones regarding this topic. What is a good code of conduct for social media
usage? What are the pros/cons of social media usage during the work hours? Which social
media should companies use and what should they be used for?

What questions we will choose.

1. What is a good code of conduct for social media usage?

2. What are the pros/cons of social media usage during the working hours?

3. Which social media should companies use and what should they be used for?

Minutes of the meeting

1) What is a good code of conduct for social media usage?

Depends on kind of business, think before you post keep it professional no political
opinion.
2) What are the pros/cons of social media usage during the working hours?
Keep it limited, during breaks for example, once you start it might start with a
downwards spiral. Network for example
3) Which social media should companies use and what should they be used for?
Depends on company, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Good for marketing purposes
and to keep up with network.
Why did we choose these questions.
1. We chose the question: What is a good code of conduct for social media usage?
because we believe it is important to have a (good) code of conduct for social media usage
in companies. It often happens that employees damage the reputation of a business by
posting inappropriate content on social media. By having a clear code of conduct for social
media usage in your company we believe you can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.
Behaving carefully on social media is not only important for a business, but also for
someones private life in general. People tend to forget that a lot of things shared online can
be accessed by a bunch of people and could cause damage. Therefore, we believe it is not
a bad idea to have a code of conduct for social media in a variety of organizations.

2. What are the pros and cons of social media usage during the working hours?
When discussing the usage of social media in a professional environment it is important to
know what the positive and negative aspects of social media during working hours are.
So first you need to analyse why people use social media during working hours and what
kind of social media they use. Some platforms are more appropriate in a working
environment than others, regarding that some platforms are specifically made for
professionals, for example LinkedIn. When you know why people use social media at work,
then you can think about the consequences this can have for the company. Results can
differ from company to company, but overall does too much usage mostly have a negative
impact. But banning social media is not always the right solution either.
Knowing the positive and negative aspects of social media in a working environment helps
with making decisions like how often and in which situations social media should be allowed.
This is why knowing these pros and cons is so important regarding this subject.

3. Which social media should companies use and what should they be used for?
We chose this question because it is important to think about what companies could do with
different social media channels. A lot of companies only use some of the social media
channels that we know today, but they could enlarge their profits and gain a lot more
customers if they would start using other social media channels. There are also some social
media channels which should be used and shouldnt be used, but this depends on the type
of company and their uses of social media. By determining what social media will be used in
a company the company can make clear rules and start using it in a very productive way.
Our answers
1. What is a good code of conduct for social media usage?
Having a good code of conduct in an organization depends a lot on the type of organization
you are a part of and what position you have in that organization. There are a lot of factors
that have an influence, the size of the organization, the type (NGO, B2B, B2C, ) if the
organization has political influence, if you have a management or leading position and the
business culture of the organization.

When you work for a company that is active in marketing or social media, using social media
is obvious and could be helpful as well. But when you work for a political organization, you
really have to be careful with what you do on your online-life. A small, offensive comment
could have a huge impact on your life, but also on the reputation of the organization.

So as mentioned before, a good code of conduct is not very straightforward and really
depends on your position and the type and size of the organization. It is never a bad idea to
think two or three times before you comment, share or post something on your social media
and always keep in mind that a small word could have a huge impact. Behave appropriate
and do not do things you would not do while being in public in real-life is always a good
advice and could be a good start of a code of conduct for social-media within an
organization.

2. What are the pros and cons of social media usage during the working hours?
The positive and negative aspects of social media usage in a working environment depend
on the culture of the company and the industry the company or organisation is in.

Social media usage during working hours should definitely be limited, so employees are not
constantly distracted by social media. But it should not be banned from the company. During
breaks for example it should be allowed to check social media since this can be relaxing and
be used to focus on something else rather than their job. Allowing limited social media at
work can result more usage than initially anticipated, so a good code of conduct is needed to
make sure the usage doesnt get out of hand.
Social media can also be good to keep up with your network and even to expand it, but too
much use can result in less efficient work, thanks to the distractions that come with social
media.
 3. Which social media should companies use and what should they be used for?
During our discussion of the subject we determined that the type of social media used by the
company depends on what type of company it is or how they want to do their marketing.
But a lot of social media channels are also very good marketing channels. With these social
media you can reach very large amounts of people on a lot of different levels, because at
this moment in time almost everyone is using some sort of social media. So this is an
important marketing channel and over time it will even become more important since a lot of
companies are also adapting to the new way of doing business.
You can also use social media as a professional tool. Some social media which are very
good professional tools are LinkedIn and Skype. LinkedIn is often used to stay in contact
with your professional network and to get to know people and to learn about job openings in
a lot of different companies. LinkedIn is in a way a bit like a Facebook for businesses.
Also Skype is a very useful tool. You can have meetings with people from all over the world
with just a click of a button. This way you can easily work from home or meet with colleagues
in China from your office in New York.
After our discussion we came to the conclusion that social media will become one of the
most important channels in the business world. It will become very important for marketing,
networking, meeting and improving your company.
Articles

Code of Conduct for Professional Use of Social Media (Gijs)

Professional use of social media refers to the communication practices you engage in
in an official capacity, posting content as an administrator of a page or in a similar
institutional capacity. See best practices.

Be Yourself Make clear that you are an employee of UALR and never
try to pretend otherwise in order to promote UALRs interests. Users
expect transparency, so be upfront about your role. Remember,
however, that you are not an official spokesperson for the university.
That capacity belongs to the professionals in the Office of
Communications and the Department of Digital Strategy.
Show affiliation If youve been authorized to create a social web
presence for your department, office, or organization, be consistent with
the university branding (logos, images), and include links back to the
ualr.edu domain.
Respect others Always take the high road and be thoughtful in your
response to negative feedback. Many times, its better to let the
community come to your defense rather than engaging in an
unproductive back and forth. Resist the urge to delete criticism unless it
is clearly offensive.
Use a friendly voice The institutional voice can sometimes be
interpreted as cold and unfeeling. Be casual and dont take yourself too
seriously. Through social media, you have the opportunity for a human
voice to come through.
Respond quickly If someone posts a question, comment, or sends
you a tweet, provide an answer as soon as possible. There is an
increased expectation of instant gratification on social networks, so
check in often.
Be credible Part of being authentic means youll make mistakes.
When you do, dont remove the post, simply make the correction. Your
followers will appreciate your honesty and your humanity.
Maintain confidentiality Do not disclose confidential information
about UALR, students, or employees. If you describe a situation, use
 good judgment and make sure the individuals cannot be identified. Avoid
sharing identification information (SSN or T numbers), passwords, or
other personal data through social networks.
http://ualr.edu/digital/services/social-media/code-of-conduct-for-professional-use-of-social-
media/

How using Social Media can get you fired (Marte)

Before you "like" your friend's status update, consider whether your boss will like all
the time you are spending on Facebook.

Advancing technology has long been a catalyst for change in the workplace, in good
ways and bad. Now social media is raising the stakes by disrupting the way we
work, or don't work, as the case may be.

"Social media is booming with networking opportunities and the chance to share
your accomplishments," said Rosemary Haefner, chief human resources officer at
CareerBuilder. "But it could also lead to the end of your career if used incorrectly."

In fact, 28 percent of employers report that they've fired people for using the
Internet for non-work-related activity (such as shopping online or checking out
Facebook, for example) during the workday and 18 percent have dismissed
employees because of something they posted on social media, according to
CareerBuilder.

"To expect someone to maintain focus for eight hours straight is unreasonable,"
countered Suzana Flores, author of "Facehooked: How Facebook Affects Our
Emotions, Relationships, and Lives." "People need a break and, in today's world, that
break includes social media access."

Facebook costs trillions in wasted productivity

The question is what constitutes a break: One in 4 workers admitted that, during a
typical workday, they will spend at least an hour on personal calls, emails or texts,
according to a separate CareerBuilder survey. Twenty-one percent estimated that
they spend an hour or more surfing the Web, browsing photos and so on.

According to the U.S.Chamber of Commerce Foundation, people also typically spend

one hour of their workday on social media. Millennials are even more attached,
spending 1.8 hours on such sites.

But other reports have shown that more limited use of social media can actually
boost productivity. The majority of millennials said that an employer's provision of
state-of-the-art technology was an important factor when considering a job.
A whopping 78 percent of millennials even said that access to the technology they
like makes them more effective at work, according to research from
PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Apps to boost productivity and organize your life

Some companies have benefited from offering designated social media breaks
perhaps two or three breaks lasting 15 minutes each during the workday. This
downtime can give your mind a much-needed rest and poise you to be more
productive with the rest of your time, Flores said.

"My advice to corporations is don't restrict or overmoderate [social media usage at

work], but you can limit it," she said. "And also have in place policies and
procedures that will protect the integrity of your company."

Having clear policies about social media is the best practice for employers, Haefner
added. "Because employees have their own mobile devices in the workplace,
blocking access to social sites via your company networks won't stop employees
from engaging in the same behavior that blocks were designed to prevent," she
said. "The best thing to do is set guidelines and expectations."

More important than how much time is spent on social media networks is how it is
spent. It may only take one thoughtless post or tweet to ruin your reputation and
damage your career regardless of when it's published.

The worst thing you can do on a job interview

"Whether using social media in the workplace or not, it's important to keep your
personal brand appropriate and make sure [what you post is] something you'd feel
comfortable with your employer seeing," said Haefner.

Only say or share things online that you'd be comfortable saying or sharing with
your boss and colleagues in person, Flores said. She recommends being cautious
about whether to friend co-workers on Facebook and suggests not befriending your
managers online at all. And be sure to keep your privacy settings tight.

Still, "privacy on social media networks is an illusion," Flores said. "But people are
treating these platforms like their personal diaries, venting about work or other
problems. Or they want people to have their backs, and it's normal for people to
seek validation, but it's the public nature of these sites that gets them in trouble."

Disrespectful behavior whether displayed online or off is still what is most likely
to get you fired. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter aside, you're much more likely to
get sacked for being chronically late for work than for anything you do on online,
according to CareerBuilder.
Other top reasons employees get fired, according to Haefner, are refusing to follow
directions, sexual harassment, engaging in office gossip and of course, performing
poorly on the job.

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/05/how-using-social-media-can-get-you-fired.html

The Pros and Cons of Social Media in the Workplace (Hellen)

by Amy Dagliano on Jan 20, 2016

Nowadays, many technology and telecomm leaders are well-versed in the pros and
cons of social media in the workplace via their intranets or engagement platforms.
But outside the tech industry, companies may be reluctant to allow social media
interaction during business hours.

In our work with corporate brand leaders, E Group has determined that using social
media at work neednt cause fear or negative press. While there are potential cons
of using social networks in the office, social platforms can be proactively managed to
produce positive results, and organizations can even use social media to increase
employee engagement.

Check out this pros and cons list compiled from our work with dozens of brand
leaders:

PROS of Social Media at Work

Empowered employees. Employees often feel as though their voices are not being
heard. Setting up an internal social media platform can decrease corporate hierarchy
and give a voice to these workers. Speaking directly to senior leadership suddenly is
more attainable. Social media encourages and eases communication, initiates a
collaborative exchange of ideas, and helps eliminate business silos, thus resulting in
increased employee engagement. Read more about empowering your employees in
the article Leveraging Social Media to Increase Employee Engagement.

Productivity. Employers may have concern for the potential loss of productivity,
but recent studies have shown that social media interaction during the workday
actually boosts productivity and retention. Employers will find that by embracing
social media usage, and by praising this use of multi-tasking, strong employees will
efficiently balance workloads and deadlines with their social media interactions. The
resources they utilize, the knowledge they share, and the connections they make
socially will support and complement the work they are delivering.

Data analysis. With current analytics technology, employers have the ability to
analyze internal company trends, consolidate employee skill sets, and find potential
leaders who may have been hidden behind the scenes. This additional information
can help shape internal programs and individualize them to align with employee
goals.
Social selling. Using social networks to prospect and develop existing business can
be a powerful and valuable tool. This resource is still relatively new technology, but
for some, they can make far better strides spending an hour searching for a
particular title or keyword on LinkedIn than they would at a random networking
event.

We interviewed David Lingebach, who focuses on growing his clients business with
innovative technology and marketing. He uses social selling to extend his network
and strategically connect with people in a large-siloed organization. Hes also able to
quickly gain valuable insight into his clients business that may have otherwise taken
him weeks or months to discover.

CONS of Social Media at Work

Increased cybersecurity. Hackers can commit fraud, launch spam, or even launch
company wide viruses through a social media platform. Its important to protect
your network with the same level of security that applies to proprietary business
information. When launching an employee engagement program for a government
contractor with a global footprint, E Group worked with their IT team to ensure that
socialware was not part of their platform. Given the top secret nature of their work,
alleviating any signs of risk was the right call.

Usage guidelines. Employers must develop clear policies and monitor social media
to prevent employees from using the platform to vent about clients and the
organization, post confidential information, or even post potentially offensive
material. It is crucial for employers to provide clear guidelines on what is
appropriate use so employees can have clarity and reference as needed.

When considering integrating social media in your workplace, it's important to

understand the potential negative risks noted as cons. Once you understand the
risks, you can take precautionary steps to alleviate them. This will allow your
organization to fully experience the benefits of social media in the workplace.

http://www.egroupengage.com/blog/the-pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-workplace

Is Your (Lack Of) Social Media Strategy Killing Your Business?

(Aron)
Social media seems to be the best thing to happen to small businesses. It is
essentially a free tool that almost everyone is using, a factor that can be a benefit
and a curse.
Businesses of all sizes can now create major marketing campaigns on shoestring
budgets. However, some businesses are killing their brand with poor marketing
materials and no marketing strategy. They fail to develop a strategy behind their
posting, refuse to invest in quality graphics and don't engage with their community.
They may not see a direct decline in business, but the energy spent posting content
is not generating new prospects because people are looking at ill-conceived
marketing and deciding NOT to engage. (Ouch!)
There are a handful of essential elements that need to work together for your social
media strategy to connect with your target market and generate quality leads for
your business. Make sure your social media strategy isn't suffering from these
common mistakes:

Cheap Or Ugly Graphics

We live in a visual society where people like to look at pretty pictures. Even if they
don't read your content, immediate assumptions are made about your business
based on the graphics you use. There are several free and low-cost platforms that
allow you to create and edit photos and videos for social media posting.
You may not have a lot of time or a staffer to dedicate to this task, but at least one
or two hours should be carved out each week to develop content for your marketing.
If you're a solopreneur, you may be thinking you don't have time to do this. My
question is, do you have so much business that you don't need new clients?

No Design Consistency

Is your business traditional, modern or contemporary? Is your target audience

youthful or experienced? Are your products/services designed for corporate
consumers or household consumption? Believe it or not, those elements should
make a difference when designing your social media images and messages. When
someone looks at your images, reads your messages or watches your videos, they
are trying to determine if this product/service is talking to them. It is important for
viewers to see your content and become intrigued enough to click the link, request
more information or call for an appointment. If you are getting a lot of views but few
clicks, there is something in your messaging that is not connecting with your
audience.

No Content Consistency

Posting consistently on social media can be draining, but if you choose to use it as a
part of your marketing strategy, it is something that you need to do so strategically.
Failure to do so makes your brand seem disengaged. Even if you only post once a
day or every few days, that helps to show that you are taking a step to remain
connected to your audience. Not sure what to post? Don't let that ruin your
schedule. You could:
Link to articles that may provide helpful information to your community.
Share inspirational quotes.
Ask a question that can help in the research and development of your next
product/service.
Ask for reviews of a current product/service.
Feature a profile of a member of your team.

No Connection With Your Community

I am amazed at the number of businesses who fail to connect with their community.
I see them posting ads, offers, advice and you name it with people commenting and
asking questions but no response from the business. Inevitably, the consumers
begin talking to each other, which seems to derail the conversation away from the
business.
Even if you don't have the resources to dedicate to a community manager, someone
within your organization should be tasked with monitoring and following up on the
information that you post. If you are a one-man shop and getting a high level of
engagement, congratulations because you're doing something right but the next
step is to convert those leads into sales.
Likes and comments are warm leads because these are people who have expressed
some interest in what you're offering. Now, you must figure out through
engagement what it will take to get them to buy. Not responding or leaving them to
find the answer themselves is a poor lead-conversion strategy. You would not do
that to someone outside your office building trying to get in the door, so why do it to
someone trying to gain virtual access to you?

No Investment To Reach Your Target Audience

Let's face it: Just because you build it or post it, they are not going to come. You
need to go out and find them. Because so many social media platforms are free,
many business owners have failed to allocate financial resources to effectively
reaching their target audience, causing their message to fall on deaf ears. You can
have great images, great content and be on standby to connect with your
community, but if you have not invested in reaching your target demographic, then
you have essentially wasted many of your resources.
Unlike traditional media advertising that can be very hit or miss, many social media
ads are targeted and often allow you to pay per click so you are only spending
money when prospects engage with your content. Start small to see which platforms
and message-types your audience is most likely to engage with, and then build from
there.
In theory, social media is the great equalizer for many industries. It gives
businesses of all sizes the potential to connect with their target customers all over
the globe. However, doing so requires a strategy to engage prospects and a plan to
follow up with those who seem interested in your offer. Not making an investment of
time or finances into your social media can be killing your business, but using social
strategically can be an asset to untold growth.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/10/06/is-your-lack-of-social-media-
strategy-killing-your-business/#3669229a5cf4
Code of Conduct for Personal Use of Social Media
Personal use of social media refers to the communication practices you engage in in
an unofficial capacity with your own circle of friends, family, and colleagues.

Distinguish your own ideas If you identify yourself as a member of

the UALR community, define your views separately. Its acceptable to
disclose on your About page or bio that you are a UALR faculty or staff
member, but be sure to indicate that your opinions do not represent
official positions of UALR. Adding a disclaimer might be the best
approach: The views expressed here are mine alone and do not
necessarily reflect the views of UALR.
Think about consequences When you affiliate yourself with UALR,
understand that readers may interpret your thoughts as a reflection of
the university. Its best to present your ideas in a civil manner, never
resorting to obscene, defamatory, discriminatory, threatening, or
otherwise offensive language. Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are not
the best tools to vent your frustration with work, students, or colleagues.
Protect your privacy Use the social networks privacy settings to
control what information is available to your audience. Be sophisticated
and learn the advanced features, especially if you correspond with
students.
Respect copyright laws Do not use university logos, images, or
other visual identity for personal use on websites, blogs, or social
networks of any kind.
These guidelines assume compliance with branding standards set forth by the Office
of Communications, the Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy established
by Information Technology Services, and any other existing or future UALR policies
regarding the use of technology, computers, internet, and electronic
communications.

http://ualr.edu/digital/services/social-media/code-of-conduct-for-personal-use-of-social-
media/
Conclusion
We showed you that social media usage has its pros and cons in companies, we showed
you a good code of conduct for social media usage and we mentioned which social media
platforms companies should work with. Social media is taking a more representative place in
all companies, it doesnt matter which sort of company you are. Companies use it for
marketing purposes, to network and to maintain contact with people. We learned a lot when
making this report, especially about the codes of conduct for social media usage. Many big
companies have a code of conduct for social media already and they realize the amount of
impact it has on our personal and professional lives. You cant start a business without the
usage of these platforms.

Reflection
I found this a very interesting report to make. I learned what possibilities and dangers the
use of social media brings for companies. Personally I the most interesting part was the
code of conduct for social media in businesses. I have worked in some companies which
had a very good use of conduct, but looking at other companies is what I found the most
interesting.
What also was nice to investigate was how companies could use the different social media
platforms. We found that this all depends on what type of company it is and who their target
audience is.

References
(n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.krantvanhoogeveen.nl/mijnnieuwsco/45525/social-media

Code of Conduct for Personal Use of Social Media. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://ualr.edu/digital/services/social-media/code-of-conduct-for-personal-use-of-social-

media/

Code of Conduct for Professional Use of Social Media. (n.d.). Retrieved from

http://ualr.edu/digital/services/social-media/code-of-conduct-for-professional-use-of-

social-media/

Dagliano, A. (n.d.). ENGAGE. Retrieved from http://www.egroupengage.com/blog/the-pros-

and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-workplace

Womack, L. (2017, October 06). Is Your (Lack Of) Social Media Strategy Killing Your

Business? Retrieved from

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2017/10/06/is-your-lack-of-social-

media-strategy-killing-your-business/#3669229a5cf4