In today’s world, social media is practically inescapable. Every time you take a picture, every time something out-of-the-ordinary or momentous occurs in your life, you can almost guarantee that someone will tell you to “Instagram that” or “post it on Facebook.” Such is the reality of our society. We love to share what we enjoy on a whim and love to see and hear about others’ lives – it gives us a sense of connection that we all yearn for. This social media omnipresence presents a slightly undesirable truth – employees are using social media in the workplace. In fact, it’s actually becoming apparent that involving your employees in the social media marketing strategy of your business can actually be a constructive and worthwhile undertaking.

It’s like the old saying goes – “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” Pew Research Center, is a “nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world,” and according to them, 74% of American adults are using social media. If your business is ignoring the marketing opportunities that social media platforms provide, then you are missing out on reaching a majority of potential consumers. Even if your company has an established social media presence, it is most likely that your employees have an even more diverse and wider network that you could take advantage of, just by leveraging your employees in your brand.

So how exactly do you go about effectively engaging your employees in your business’s social media while maintaining realistic expectations? Most companies find that it is important to develop and implement a pragmatic social media policy. The specifics of such a policy are malleable, but would most likely outline what is, and what is not appropriate to post, share, and comment about, as well as how to delineate a target demographic or consumer that your published content would be aiming to reach. It would also make sure that the goals, standards, and priorities of the business are being met and followed within the published content. In other words, you want to make sure your business is represented accurately by your employees.

Additionally, it would be beneficial to make sure that the members of your team have a grasp on the basics of how to navigate and publish content on your social media platforms. Yes, most everyone is on Facebook, but not everyone understands the merits of platforms like Twitter and LinkedIn, and one should not assume that they do. An educative seminar or meeting may be helpful – but try and keep it casual. It is naïve to expect everyone to have expertise in the field of social media and there are some who still aggressively avoid the phenomenon. The last thing any employee wants is another item to take care of on their to-do list, especially when it’s not specifically aligned with their job description.

Next, it is imperative to ensure that your employees still feel like they can be themselves and are posting and sharing content that would come to them naturally. You do not want to be telling any of your team exactly what to say. If you are lacking the engagement you would like to see within your business, encourage your employees to post by providing tools and resources to use in social media. Successfully engaging your employees in social media is a result of making them feel empowered, and that their voices and opinions really matter.

What kind of content should your employees be publishing on your social media platforms? The possibilities are almost endless, within reason. It could be as simple as sharing and commenting on something already published by your company’s accounts, or a motivational quote and image that features your company’s brand and logos on it, for example. Try using an application or information sharing platform such as Google Docs as a community think tank to allow your employees to drop ideas and photos in to, that could be used later. Encourage them to post something on Instagram that may have been posted on the company’s Facebook page. By using social media marketing tactics like this, your brand will gain even more outreach at virtually no monetary cost.

Engaging your employees in your social media marketing will most certainly help add a degree of credibility and humanity to your business. Denying its impact in this day and age is like sticking your head in the sand. It is better to embrace the possibilities than to shun change. Start getting engaged today!