A lot of people are on social media. When you ride the LRT, MRT, bus or UV Express van, people always seem to be on their phones checking Facebook or Instagram.

People used to read newspapers while commuting to work, but now reading the news means browsing news websites on a smartphone.

As we all know everything has both a good and bad side. Social media use needs to be balanced. As a business owner, you need to have policies about using smartphones and social media at work.

While many use social media sites to post memes or “Instagrammable” food photos and endless selfies, entrepreneurs see opportunities in social media that can benefit the company.

Social media is not just a distraction. I believe that instead of trying to set limits on how employees use social media, employers should find ways of using it to benefit his business.

Here’s how social media can be helpful for your employees:

First, it should be clear to all employees that they should maintain a good reputation, whether online or offline. Any bad decision that they do reflects your company.

Therefore, they should be able to make social media as a means of connecting with professional individuals which can possibly lead to opportunities for the company. LinkedIn, for one, is one great site since it is generally geared towards these types of connections and has a wide range of business uses.

Also, they can refer to social media whenever they encounter difficult work problems. Employees may be able to do some research to come up with a great solution.

There are companies now that provide a space for their employees to relax. Aside from just providing them with a lounge where they can hang out with their co-employees, there are billiard tables and even video games available.

Why do you think these companies added these to their office? It is about helping their employees to become more productive. Seems ironic?

An individual who gets time to relax becomes more efficient with his work because he doesn’t feel that stressed. The same thing goes in allowing your employees to have some time for a mental break.

This happens at BPO companies where employees are only allowed to use their mobile phones during breaks and are requested to keep them inside their lockers. This is to protect the company’s private information from leaking out to its competitors.

Most companies these days have their own Facebook Page. Companies post here not just their products and services, but also use it as a way of giving recognition to employees who have shown exemplary performance.

Employees can also congratulate each other, keep up with the company’s current events, and interact with more of their colleagues. This allows workers to be more confident about how they perform in their jobs, as well as maintaining a healthy relationship among themselves, thus reducing company turnover.

Every business wants their employees to be more productive. Social media is an easy-to-implement and inexpensive method that can positively affect your company’s productivity.

A satisfied employee puts out good words about the company that he/she works for. And when they do, they also share their experience on social media which is a good advertisement for your company!

Instead of wasting your time reprimanding your employees from using social media at work, encourage them to use it productively.

You may have noticed how often I post on popular social media sites. It is because I find it very useful in my line of work. But more than encouraging entrepreneurs to get my services, I also aspire people to lead a positive life by sharing with them insights that can strengthen their faith in themselves and to our Creator. We all have fun using Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. And it is time to use it wisely in the workplace.

There are just a few “R’s” that you need to reiterate to your employees when they share something using social media sites:

1. To only share what is Real.

2. To always Respect others.

3. To be Responsible with the things they post.

4. To uphold of the company’s Reputation.

5. To only use social media within a Reasonable amount of time.

For questions and more information, you may contact Armando "Butz" Bartolome

by email: philfranchiseguru@gmail.com

or https://www.facebook.com/philfranguru/

His website is https://www.gmbmsglobal.com