Social Media Policy Template for Small Businesses (Free)

Free, no signup · Updated 14 October 2026 · Opens in Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers

Download

Policy clauses: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
Approvals: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)
Account access: filled example (CSV) · blank (CSV)

In Google Sheets: File, Import, Upload, then pick the CSV.

What's inside

Eighteen ready-to-edit clauses, from who can post to how the policy is reviewed
An approvals sheet: what needs sign-off, who drafts, who approves and how fast
An account access register: who has admin rights on each account and whether two-step verification is on
Plain-English wording for a fictional café team, plus a blank CSV of each sheet

How to use it

Read every clause and change the names, accounts and examples to match your business.
Delete clauses that don't apply and add any your trade needs, such as rules on patient or client details.
Fill the approvals sheet so everyone knows which posts go straight out and which wait for a yes.
Fill the access register from each platform's admin settings, and fix anything surprising straight away.
Check the paid partnership clause against the current advertising rules where you trade, and ask a lawyer or adviser if you're unsure.
Walk the team through it in ten minutes, and have everyone with account access sign the last row of the clauses sheet.
Review it every six months, after any incident and whenever someone joins or leaves.

Preview: Policy clauses

A filled example for a made-up small business, first 8 of 18 rows.

Section	Clause	Applies to	Example or note
1. Purpose	This policy covers how Copper Kettle Café runs its social media accounts and how staff talk about work online. It is a team agreement, not legal advice.	Everyone	Example business; replace with your own name.
2. Accounts covered	The café's Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Google Business Profile. The owner keeps admin access to every account.	Everyone	List every account, including ones you rarely use.
3. Who can post	Sam (owner) and Priya (supervisor) can publish. Other staff can suggest posts and send photos in the team chat.	Staff	Fewer publishers means fewer surprises.
4. Approvals	Offers, prices, anything about a complaint and anything naming a customer need Sam's approval first. Everyday posts such as today's bakes or opening times don't.	Publishers	See the approvals sheet.
5. Tone	Friendly, plain and a little dry. No swearing, no jokes at a customer's expense, no arguing in comments.	Publishers	Write like you'd talk to a regular at the counter.
6. Customers in photos	Only post a photo where a customer is recognisable if they've said yes. Ask before tagging anyone.	Everyone	Never post children without a parent's permission.
7. Confidentiality	Don't post takings, supplier prices, staff rotas, other people's personal details or anything shared in confidence.	Everyone	Includes things visible in the background of photos.
8. Replies and complaints	Reply to comments and messages within one working day. Give one calm public reply to a complaint, then move it to a private message.	Publishers	Never share a customer's details in a public reply.

Preview: Approvals

A filled example for a made-up small business.

Content type	Who drafts	Who approves	How fast	Notes
Today's bakes, opening times, weather closures	Priya or Sam	No approval needed	Post when ready	Check spelling and prices.
Offers and price changes	Priya	Sam	Same day	Include the end date.
Replies to complaints or bad reviews	Priya	Sam	Within one working day	One public reply, then private message.
Posts naming or showing a customer	Anyone	Sam, after the customer says yes	Before posting	Keep the customer's yes in writing, a message is fine.
Paid or gifted partnerships	Sam	Sam, after checking disclosure	Before agreeing the deal	The ad label goes at the start of the post.
Anything about staff	Anyone	The staff member, then Sam	Before posting	Staff can say no.
Statements during a problem	Sam	Sam (Priya if Sam is unreachable)	Within the time in the crisis plan	Use the holding statements.

Preview: Account access

A filled example for a made-up small business.

Platform	Account	Admins	Others with access	Two-step verification	Last reviewed
Instagram	@copperkettlecafe (example)	Sam	Priya	On	Oct 2026
Facebook	Copper Kettle Café Page (example)	Sam	Priya	On	Oct 2026
TikTok	@copperkettlecafe (example)	Sam	None	On	Oct 2026
Google Business Profile	Copper Kettle Café (example)	Sam	Priya (manager)	On	Oct 2026
Scheduling tool	Team workspace	Sam	Priya	On	Oct 2026
Password manager	Shared café vault	Sam	Priya	On	Oct 2026

Tips

This template is not legal advice. Employment and advertising rules differ by country, so check yours or ask an adviser.
Keep the policy short enough to read in ten minutes. A two-page policy people follow beats a twenty-page one nobody opens.
Never write passwords into the policy or the access register. Record who has access, not the login details.
Copper Kettle Café, its staff and its accounts are made up for this example.
Approvals work best when they are fast. Agree a turnaround time, or people will start posting without asking.
Zolyp starts every account in review-everything mode, so nothing publishes without your yes; you can hand over routine content pillars later.

Common questions

What should a small business social media policy include?

Who can post, what needs approval, the tone to use, what's confidential, how to handle paid partnerships and gifts, what staff can say on personal accounts, how accounts are secured, and who to contact when something goes wrong. Keep each point to a clause or two.

Is this template legal advice?

No. It's a practical starting point for a small team. Employment law, privacy law and advertising rules differ by country and change over time, so have the final version checked if you're unsure.

What do the rules say about labelling paid partnerships?

In the US, the FTC's guidance for influencers says to put the disclosure in the post itself where it's hard to miss, and not to rely only on a platform's built-in tool. In the UK, the ASA says to make clear upfront when ads are ads, and that #ad or similar is usually the clearest label. Both pages were checked on 14 October 2026; the UK guide is being updated, so check the current version.

Can staff mention work on their own accounts?

Usually yes, and it can help. The policy should ask them to say they work for you when they post about the business, keep confidential things private, and leave complaints and official replies to the people who speak for the business.

Social media policy template for a small team