Boss not getting it about social media

[Sockypuppet]

So we are all getting specific instructions to post our business cards and flyers on Facebook and WhatsApp one a week.

I know all the reasons that's ridiculous, no need to repeat them to me here. What I need is a way to explain that to my boss.

We're all sort of quietly... not doing it. He's taken to sending reminders.

His own social media is business based. Like his name and the company, nothing personal. I didn't even know till recently he was married.

I try to placate by posting stuff on WhatsApp.

He's a nice guy and it's a good comp3, he's just not getting this. One of us needs a way to tell him that forcing us all to spam personal Facebook accounts won't really help marketing (I assume people will hide my posts) and will built resentment among staff (he tagged me in a post and then I had strangers liking old holiday pics).

[Sockypuppet]

Gosh sorry for typos, I meant to write "it's a good company".

[SallyLovesCheese]

Just don't have him on your friends list on FB. Then he'll never know you're not posting.

[Lanaa]

Make a 2nd account for work related stuff.

[TopOftheNaughtyList]

You need to tell him quite clearly that your social media accounts are purely for personal use and not for business or marketing purposes. Update your security settings so that only friends can see your posts, not friends of friends.

[PepsiLola]

I'd just delete my personal fb, or delete and bloke everyone work related.

LinkedIn is for work spam

[PepsiLola]

Block*

[SecretIdentitee]

Or create a group on your fb that is work colleagues and when you post select just that group. Only they will see it, not your regular friends.

[crosspelican]

Is he very much older?

It’s such a massive gap in his understanding that I get how being subtle won’t work...

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

Just ignore him and don't bother posting. It's really easy.

[Sockypuppet]

No he's a bit younger than me I think. I'm almost 50 and I think he's early 40s.

[LittleLongDog]

If there isn’t already then I feel like there should soon be legislation or HR guidance on this.

So many companies are now trying to dictate what their employees do on their own social media. There needs to be a line.

[Olliephaunt4eyes]

Second account for work stuff. It's what I have.

[LittleLongDog]

Make a 2nd account for work related stuff.
although a solution, do you not think it’s a bit short term? A) it still leaves him thinking it’s ok to be ordering this and B) it means everyone^ at OPs work has to do this or be pestered into spamming their own social media.

[Sockypuppet]

Like I said none of us is doing it (well no a few are). But I can see him getting increasingly puzzled. He sent out a message saying sympathetically that it was okay if we needed reminders to post our business cards,.. It takes a while to master marketing.

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

@Sockypuppet ask when your contract/pay are being increased to account for the additional responsibility

[BaronessBomburst]

Ha! My boss told me that I'm not allowed to follow Lego on my LinkedIn as it may make me look unprofessional.
So I added Niantic and #PokémonGo.

[Sockypuppet]

I appreciate the suggestion about the second account and the group etc. But honestly that it was too much effort for me. I'm thinking of just going off Facebook altogether.

[saraclara]

If you can't change his mind, put him in a group on his own (or as a pp suggested, him and colleagues only), and put the card/flyer up, but visible only to him/them.

[crosspelican]

I think you need to explain to him quite directly that the only people who use their personal social media for work are MLM’s, and that it devalues the business by associating it with that kind of behaviour.

[Sockypuppet]

No Im looking for real suggestions, not snappy one-liners that no one would ever say in real life when they like their job.

[saraclara]

Cross pusted. It's not hard at all to do that! Much better than leaning FB altogether!

[Sockypuppet]

Oh I didn't mean your response @crosspelican, that's thoughtful.

[Prawnofthepatriarchy]

My FB settings are friends only. Putting my business cards on it would be like posting them to my Christmas card list. Very weird. Perhaps he'll understand if you put it like that.

[GiveHerHellFromUs]

@Sockypuppet I would say that to my boss and I like my job. But ok.

How about "hi Paul, I've don't really have any friends that our business cards would apply to so I won't be sharing these anymore as I don't want to spam my friends with things that aren't relevant. If I do come across anyone who I think would be interested, I will share details with them directly. I'm also happy to help manage the business account as part of my role too if that would help?"

[saraclara]

I'm questioning myself now whether it's termed a group or a list. But once you have it, when you post anything you click on who it's for, and it's either all friends or 'work'