Social media policy writing: what it costs

Key takeaways

Social media policy writing typically costs an indicative £300–£1,000 in the UK (4 to 10 hours at £75–£100 an hour) for a staff policy, brand posting rules and a simple process document. Disciplinary wording should still be checked by HR or an employment adviser. A clear policy prevents most costly mistakes.

• £300–£1,000, indicative, for policy and procedures.
• Covers staff use, brand rules and approvals.
• Disciplinary wording needs an HR check.
• Review it once a year.

What does a social media policy cover?

A social media policy is a written set of rules for how staff use social media at work and in connection with the business. It usually covers personal accounts, confidentiality, who can post for the brand, approvals, account access, responding to complaints and what happens if rules are broken.

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How much does it cost to have a policy written?

A short staff policy adapted to your business takes 4 to 6 hours, an indicative £300–£600. Adding brand posting rules, an approval process and an account access procedure takes up to 10 hours, about £1,000. An HR or legal review of disciplinary wording is a separate cost.

• Staff policy: £300–£600.
• Policy plus procedures: up to £1,000.
• HR or legal review: quoted separately.
• Team briefing session: 1 to 2 hours, £75–£200.

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Why is a policy worth paying for?

Without one, staff guess, and mistakes such as sharing client details, posting from the wrong account or arguing with a customer become hard to address fairly. A written policy, briefed to the team, makes expectations clear and gives a basis for any disciplinary step.

When is a template enough?

For a business of a few people with one person posting, a good template adapted in an hour may be enough. Paying for a tailored policy makes sense once several people post, staff have public profiles linked to the business or you work in a regulated sector.

What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a policy is written, filed and never briefed, so nobody knows what it says. A one-page summary and a short team briefing usually do more for behaviour than a longer document.

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Policy checklist

• Cover personal accounts and confidentiality.
• Name who can post for the business.
• Set approval and complaint-handling rules.
• Have HR check the disciplinary section.
• Brief the team and review yearly.

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Next step

Ask three team members what they think the rules are. If the answers differ, a written policy is overdue.