World Social Media Day
HR, Marketing & PR join forces
World Social Media Day, June 30, is an opportunity for Human Resources and Marketing/PR teams to join forces to encourage employees to participate in the organization’s social media activities and raise awareness of the company’s online presence.
Three Reasons to Participate in Social Media Day:
- It magnifies an organization’s social media reach exponentially.
- Encourages employee engagement.
- It raises awareness of the do’s and don’ts of social media to avert a social media mishap.
Take advantage of one of most companies’ underutilized social media assets by enlisting employees in the vital role of bolstering your social media efforts.
Tips for Employee Social Media Participation
Social Media Day is the perfect opportunity to launch your own company-wide social media program. They’re easy to implement and highly impactful across the organization. They help marketing reach a larger audience — more leads. They elicit engagement with customers who are natural influencers and make great references for sales. And it’s a way to engage all employees while reinforcing company culture.
Most organizations are top-down regarding social media posts and content. However, research shows that employees expand an organization’s reach and are often more influential. Social media viewers’ trust in a company’s technical experts averages around 68%, while trust in regular employees is 54%, and surprisingly, trust in a company’s CEO trails at 47%.
Getting employees involved in social media allows you to reach your market through the voices they are most likely to trust. At the same time, it allows employees to showcase their company pride and industry expertise.
1. Announce your program company-wide on World Social Media Day.
2. Schedule a kick-off meeting with plenty of time for employee participation — get employees excited.
3. Provide educational resources and your company’s policies and recommendations for social media participation.
4. Incentivize participation — The benefits of organizational social media. participation typically yields a great ROI
5. Consider the long run — start thinking about supporting employees with content options throughout the year.
6. Have fun with your program! We’ve included some ideas to help you get the most from your program.
Ideas to build participation
Encourage employee posts
Encouraging employees to post positive messages on social media can greatly influence and boost company exposure.
Explain to employees the benefits of social media engagement, such as building their professional networks, showcasing their expertise, and increasing their visibility within the industry.
Remember to encourage employees to personalize the posts based on their own experiences and add relevant hashtags or mentions to amplify their reach. Here are some examples
In 2023, Instagram engagement rates by reach are 4.20% on average, while Facebook and LinkedIn average around 1.90%. That means participation is more important than ever.
Number of employees x Followers x Reach = # of Newly engaged
Host a social media contest
Organize a contest or giveaway exclusive to your social media followers.
Encourage them to participate by sharing their experiences, creating content related to your brand, or using a specific hashtag.
Offer exciting prizes to winners (digitally fulfilled by TruCentive, of course!) and promote the contest across your social media platforms.
Make it fun. It’s just one of dozens of dates you can celebrate to make the workplace more appealing to employees.
Support a social cause
Align your social media activities with a charitable, educational, or community cause.
Show your company’s commitment to social responsibility by promoting a charitable organization and encouraging your followers to contribute to a specific cause. Incentivize employees to participate and share their pictures and experiences on social media.
Reward employees who donate their personal time with shoutouts and incentives based on a theme tied to the charity or event.
Share user-generated stories
Watch for user-generated content that supports your company, products, or services.
You might find customer testimonials, reviews, photos, videos, or any content created by your audience that showcases their positive experiences with your product or service.
Seek permission to share user-generated stories, and get permission from the content creator.
Let them know how and where you plan to use their content, and give them proper credit for the content. Properly crediting the content acknowledges the creator and encourages others to participate and share their stories. Also, a small thank you token of your appreciation encourages future content.
Collaborate with partners or influencers
Cross promote your products and services with partners and influencers or industry notables that you work with.
Some ideas include hosting joint live streams and webinars, cross-promoting each other’s content, and organizing joint giveaways. Collaborating in this manner can help expand your reach and introduce your brand to new audiences.
When approaching partners and influencers, highlight the value and benefits they would gain from collaborating with your company. This can include exposure to your audience, access to exclusive products or services, financial compensation, cross-promotion opportunities, or co-created content that enhances their own brand.
Incentivize Participation
Getting employees on board with social media is both important and challenging. Providing incentives in the form of gift cards or other tokens of appreciation for a quality post that reflects well on the organization is worth the investment.
Recognize:
- Single posts for key initiatives
- Best quarterly contributions
- Social media leadership
- Contributions that go viral – in a good way!
General social media guidelines to share with your employees
It’s obvious that anyone posting as an official source for an organization or that uses social media in the conduct of company business operations must follow the guidelines as directed by the organization.
An official voice represents the entire company. Your policies and guidelines should clearly outline the expected conduct for employees when acting in an official capacity on social media platforms. Your policy should guide all official conduct on social media.
But everyone else should be reminded that they also could potentially represent the company, and care should be taken. It’s crucial to remind all employees that their personal online activities can also reflect on the company. Even when not explicitly representing the organization, employees should be aware that their actions and statements can be associated with their professional identity.
It’s incumbent on businesses to understand current social media trends and evolving user behaviors and to provide guidance when appropriate.
Here are some useful guidelines for the professional social networking conduct of employees.
Personal Responsibility:
Remind employees of their personal responsibility to maintain a positive online presence. Encourage them to consider the potential impact of their personal posts on their professional and company reputations.
Professional Tone:
Encourage employees to maintain a professional tone and avoid engaging in activities or discussions that may have a negative effect on themselves or the organization. Remind them to separate personal and professional opinions when expressing themselves online.
Disclaimers:
Employees should clearly indicate that their views and opinions expressed on their personal social media accounts are their own and not those of the company. Adding a disclaimer, such as “Views are my own,” can help avoid confusion. Avoiding controversy while being identifiable as a company employee is also a good idea.
Privacy Settings:
Encourage employees to review and adjust their privacy settings on personal social media accounts to control who can access their content. Remind them to be cautious when accepting friend or connection requests from individuals they do not know personally.
Confidentiality and Intellectual Property:
Reinforce the importance of maintaining confidentiality and protecting intellectual property. Remind employees not to disclose proprietary or confidential information, including customer details or trade secrets, on personal social media accounts.
Reporting Concerns:
Encourage employees to report any potential issues or concerns related to their personal social media activities that may impact the company’s reputation or violate company policies. Provide clear channels for reporting and address such concerns promptly and confidentially.
Organizations and employees should both be aware of their rights as well as their responsibilities as it relates to speech.
Example social media posts
Here are a few examples of social media posts for employees to share. When providing example social media posts for employees to share, it’s important to align them with your company’s brand and objectives.
Encourage employees to personalize the posts based on their own experiences and add relevant hashtags or mentions to amplify their reach. Providing guidelines on tone, appropriateness, and the use of company branding elements can help ensure consistency while allowing for individual expression.
These can be tailored to fit your brand and your message.
Employee Recognition:
“Kudos to [Colleague’s Name] for delivering exceptional service to our customers. Going above and beyond! Their dedication and passion truly embody our company values. Proud to work alongside such talented people, #Kudos #EmployeeRecognition #Teamwork”
Company Anniversaries:
“Happy [X]-year anniversary to [Company Name]! We’ve reached many great milestones and achievements that have made us into the successful organization we are today. #CompanyAnniversary #BestInClass”
Celebrating Milestones:
“Big shoutout to the entire [Company Name] family! We just reached a major milestone of serving [number] customers. It’s all thanks to our dedicated team and the trust of our valued clients. Here’s to many more achievements together. #CustomerSuccess #Grateful”
Sharing Industry Awards:
“Pleased to announce that [Company Name] has been recognized with the [Award Name] in our industry! It’s a testament to our team’s expertise and dedication. #IndustryRecognition #BestInClass”
Highlighting Company Values:
“Proud to be part of a company that prioritizes integrity, innovation, and collaboration. Our commitment to these values sets us apart. #BestInClass #CompanyValues #Teamwork”
Recognizing Clients:
“Thankful for our amazing clients who trust us to help them succeed. It’s a privilege to work with such forward-thinking organizations. #ClientPartnership #BuildingRelationships”
Participating in a Charity Event:
“Honored to represent [Company Name] at the charity run for a cause close to our hearts. Giving back to the community is something we deeply believe in. #CommunityEngagement #CorporateResponsibility”
Community Involvement:
“Spent the afternoon volunteering with my colleagues at the local food bank. It’s amazing to see how small actions can make a big difference in our community. Proud to work for a company that encourages giving back! #CommunityService #CorporateResponsibility”
Sharing Success Stories:
“I met an inspiring client today who shared how our [product/service] has positively impacted their business. Moments like these make me proud to be part of [Company Name]. #ClientSuccess #MakingADifference”
Sharing Industry Honors:
“Thrilled to announce that [Company Name] has been recognized with the [Award Name] in our industry! It’s a demonstration of our team’s expertise and dedication. #IndustryRecognition #BestInClass”
Professional Development:
“Attended a thought-provoking workshop on leadership skills today. Grateful for the opportunities [Company Name] provides us to grow and excel in our careers. #ProfessionalGrowth #ContinuousLearning”
Industry Insights:
“Attended a fascinating industry conference [#conferencename] today, diving deep into the latest trends and innovations. Proud to work for a company that stays at the forefront of our industry. Exciting times ahead. #IndustryLeadership #Innovation”
Community Involvement:
“Spent the afternoon volunteering with my colleagues at the local food bank. It’s amazing to see how small actions can make a big difference in our community. Proud to work for a company that encourages giving back. #CommunityService #CorporateSocialResponsibility”
Company Culture:
“Work hard, play hard! Just had an epic team-building event with my awesome coworkers at [Company Name]. From thrilling challenges to lots of laughter, it was a great reminder of why I love being part of this incredible team.”
Attracting Talent:
“We’re hiring! Join our great team at [Company Name] for an exciting career. We’re looking for passionate individuals who are ready to make an impact in [industry/field]. Here’s your chance to be part of a collaborative and innovative workplace that values growth and celebrates achievements. Explore our open positions and apply today to live your full potential! #NowHiring #JoinOurTeam #CareerOpportunities”
Highlight Employee Training:
“Just completed an insightful training session on new technologies. [Company Name] invests in our training and professional growth to stay ahead of the curve. #ContinuousLearning #SkillDevelopment”
A brief moment in time - Social Media Day
Social media has become a powerful means of instant connection, facilitating interactions with friends, family, and even strangers. It serves as a significant source of news, shopping, influencer discovery, and general entertainment.
Social Media Day is an occasion to appreciate the positive aspects that these platforms have brought into our lives, encouraging us to engage, share, and celebrate the benefits they offer.
Companies observe the date through community events, social gatherings, and individual corporate activities, recognizing support staff with awards, gifts, and prizes.
Mashable launched World Social Media Day on June 30, 2010, to acknowledge the global impact of social media on communication and to foster a worldwide celebration of the positives of social media.
- Mashable, known for utilizing social media to connect various cultures, movements, and fandoms, initiated this day of celebration. The hashtag #SMDay is used annually, inviting everyone to participate and engage.
- Social media has become an integral part of our daily lives, connecting us with people around the globe in a simple and fast manner.
- The first-ever social media platform, Sixdegrees, was founded by Andrew Weinreich in 1997. It allowed users to list friends and family members, featuring profiles, bulletin boards, and school affiliations. Although it garnered over a million users at its peak, Sixdegrees eventually shut down in 2001.
- Friendster emerged in 2002 as the first modern social media platform, enabling users to safely make new friends and amassing over a hundred million users, primarily in Asia.
- LinkedIn, the first business-focused social media platform, launched in 2003.
- MySpace, launched in 2004 alongside Facebook, initially surpassed Mark Zuckerberg’s creation in popularity.
- By 2006, MySpace became the largest social media platform globally, offering customized profiles and music sharing capabilities.
- YouTube, dedicated to video content, launched in 2005, followed by Twitter with its limited characters platform in 2006. As these platforms gained traction, so did Facebook, ultimately establishing itself as one of the most popular social media platforms for the next five years.
- Instagram, introduced in 2010, experienced rapid growth, attracting over a million users within its initial months.
- Recognizing Instagram’s potential, Facebook acquired the platform for $1 billion in 2012. Additionally, Facebook acquired the encrypted messaging platform WhatsApp for $16 billion in 2014.
- However, Facebook’s attempt to acquire Snapchat, known for its disappearing stories feature, was unsuccessful, as Snapchat rejected a $3 billion offer in 2013.
- The latest addition to the roster of social media giants is TikTok, launched in 2016, renowned for its extensive music and video editing features.
As social media has evolved and gained popularity, scrutiny surrounding these platforms has also intensified. Concerns regarding data usage, hate speech, mental health impact, election influence, and dissemination of fake news have placed increased pressure on platforms to prioritize transparency.
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