The digital landscape is evolving at a rate most of us can't comprehend.
Back in 2001, futurist Ray Kurzweil wrote, "We won't experience 100 years of progress in the 21st century — it will be more like 20,000 years of progress (at today's rate)." When you look at the evolution of technology that has taken place since his prediction in 2001, it appears we may be evolving at an even faster rate than he hypothesized. Consider the following statistics regarding tech growth:
By 2020, 50 billion smart devices will be collecting, analyzing and sharing data.
This year, cloud solutions are expected to make up 60-70% of all tech spending.
The global market for artificial intelligence software is expected to reach $126 billion by 2025.
Reflect on the mind-boggling nature of technology growth and advancement, and it'll be no wonder that corporate America is a bit behind the eight ball when it comes to making sure that workplace policies are updated yearly to reflect the ever-changing nature of technology use, especially in the area of digital communication. This is why a digital engagement policy should be an essential part of your employee handbook.
What It Is
A digital engagement policy outlines how your business intentionally chooses to position itself online. It should cover your brand attributes along with your vision and mission, plus guidelines for how your employees should communicate digitally, both internally with other employees and externally with customers and clients. It's more than just a social media policy, although it addresses appropriate social media communication practices.
Why It's Important
Every business needs a digital engagement policy to:
protect your brand reputation,
set boundaries and guidelines for your employees,
be the code of conduct that sets the standard for what those who represent your brand can share online,
ensure that customer engagement policies are followed by all employees on all platforms the company uses, and
remind you to make sure that your policies are legal and comply with industry regulations, as well as state and federal laws.
While there are many reasons, besides the ones listed above to make sure a digital engagement policy is part of your corporate handbook, consider the fact that having a solid policy in place will help your business grow. How?
For starters, a clear digital engagement policy can help increase employee engagement. According to Gallup, 53% of the United States' workforce isn't engaged and 13% are "actively disengaged." After training your employees on your digital engagement policy, many will feel a sense of empowerment to share what's going on with your business online. This, in turn, can lead to increased levels of employee engagement, and companies with highly engaged employees are 22% more profitable than companies where employees aren't engaged and empowered.
A clear and explicit digital engagement policy can also lower your business's collective risk by decreasing the likelihood that confidential information or misinformation will be shared or defamation will occur. In addition, employees will understand federal regulations like those of the Federal Trade Commission, which mandates that anyone with a material connection to a business identify that connection when sharing brand information online. When employees know the boundaries when it comes to sharing information, they are much less likely to inadvertently put your business at risk.
Lastly, when you pair a digital engagement policy with employee advocacy practices, you unlock what I call your "hidden salesforce." Consider the following statistics:
• Your employees have an average of 1,090 social connections.
• Employees' personal accounts have five times more reach than corporate accounts.
• 84% of people trust recommendations from friends, family and colleagues over other forms of marketing.
Engaged employees are more likely to share their work and company updates with their online followers, thereby helping you to grow your brand via their connections.
What It Means For Your Business
If you have a digital engagement policy (or a social media policy), it's time to reevaluate it and make sure that it's up to date and covers all the digital communication tools your business uses. If you don't have a policy, it's time to create one either on your own if you're savvy enough to know how to craft it or to hire a professional to help you help your business. If you don't understand social media yourself, don't be afraid to get some executive coaching so that you understand not only the lingo but also how having both business and personal accounts can help you grow your business (outside of just a pay-per-click marketing plan). Once you have a solid digital engagement policy, train your entire staff and make sure that you have some sort of compliance system in place to ensure that digital communication both inside and outside of your business complies with your plan and positions you for growth. An intentional digital engagement policy can protect your brand while also helping you grow your business in this new digital age.
©️ Forbes 2020
