Manpower reported that US companies are getting way ahead of everyone else when it comes to having a social media policy but it's still not as widespread as perhaps it should be.

29% of US companies have a Social media policy in place wile in Asia PAC that number drops to 25% and only 11% across EMEA, with the Americans pulling the numbers up it takes the global figure to 20%. Despite a huge amount of searching I couldn't find any figures specifically for the UK which is disappointing.

In some of my recent experience I have found that companies who want to use social media as a part of their marketing and sales strategy are keen to get a policy in place. I find that a little surprising with most as they are rushing from having nothing to suddenly wanting to control interaction completely. I have to say in the case of SMEs I generally advise against shutting people down without knowing what they bring to the party.

There is, undoubtedly a cost to social media use which does, like it or not, hit businesses and that should be managed. Morse's survey of nearly 1500 UK office workers concluded that Social Media use was costing businesses £1.38bn. So yes, there is an argument for getting a policy in place to regulate the time spent using social channels for those who do not need them as a part of their job.

63% of companies who have a social policy say it has been a benefit to them, but that's a low number and what form that benefit takes has not really been clarified. With only 4% of businesses actually being harmed by the actions of an employee using Social Media getting being heavy handed with your policy may be a little pointless for a vast number of companies but that will not stop the thriving business in scaremongering and selling social policy.

If your company is willing to embrace social media and make it's use more effective internally and externally then the social policy may be irrelevant to some extent. Building internal social channels for collaboration on projects is a great start, marketing can and should be using social media, if they aren't then where have you been?? Sales can and should understand the benefits social. If everyone is given the opportunity to use a platform they know and understand in a new and effective way for business then they are less likely to misuse it as a resource.