Successful Startup 101: September 2014 Successful Startup 101: September 2014 | Page 40

1. Keep employees updated on all company news and customer interactions. One of the benefits of having an active social-media presence is the ability to engage and interact with a desired audience. This is not only helpful in marketing your company externally, but also when used to align internal teams and entire organizations. Leaders should encourage everyone on their teams to follow, like or connect with the company’s social-media channels. This way, employees can stay updated on company news or customer conversations that may not warrant a mention in a meeting or newsletter. It’s also important to let employees know they can, and should, contribute to these conversations. Doing so reflects positively on the company when potential recruits or customers see that the people behind the company truly support it. 2. Recognize employees doing great things on social media. Recognition is an important factor to employee alignment, and social media can be an effective way to spread the word about great work employees are doing. Taking the time to not only recognize an employee for their efforts, but also share it with the public is significant. Use content that encourages comments and make sure to tag the employee so all of their network sees the post. Before moving forward with any of this, check with the employee and make sure they are comfortable with public recognition. Some employees will prefer a more internal tactic, which should always be respected. 3. Remain transparent and lenient on social-media guidelines. Giving employees the opportunity to become brand advocates for the company can help the company reach an extremely expansive audience. However, this also opens up the company to more vulnerabilities and potential issues. Instead of providing strict rules and guidelines for employees, lead by example. Remain honest and transparent internally about what is being and will be said on social media. Ask that employees respect this and explain why some things are withheld so they understand why they must remain quiet on certain topics. Transparency provides extremely strong alignment between employees and their employers and allows social media to be a much more powerful tool that truly impacts a company’s bottom line. About the Author Andre Lavoie is the CEO of ClearCompany, the first talent-alignment platform that aims to bridge the gap between talent management and business strategy by contextualizing employees’ work around a company’s vision and goals. * This article originally appeared on Entrepreneur.