As a business owner, it’s understandable to have concerns about employees using social media at work. Although it’s rare, some people may abuse these website causing a drop in productivity. Then, there is the fear that employees may visit or use NSFW websites. And of course there are also security concerns.

But before you block social media access, consider that it can actually be a good thing for you and your employees. Here are 3 reasons why social media access can benefit your company:

1. Social media can be a tool for employees to learn new skills

Websites like YouTube offer a ton of videos and tutorials that can help employees advance their skills. A quick search can bring up tutorials for mechanical jobs, software programs, Microsoft office skills, and more. We’ve only named a few, but the possibilities are endless – no matter what industry your business belongs to, there are tons of valuable videos that can help your employees advance their skill set.

Social media sites like LinkedIn offer tons of business focused articles. Employees are likely following industry professionals and trendsetters who write and share articles that can provide new insights and ideas. And before you think Facebook doesn’t have anything to offer, think again. Many people belong to private Facebook groups with other users in their profession. Typically, these groups share tips, best practices and help answer each other’s questions.

2. It’s getting harder to define what websites are considered social media

We bet YouTube and LinkedIn didn’t immediately come to mind when we first mentioned social media. Facebook and Instagram are usually top of mind, but there are tons more sites that can be considered social media. In fact, anything that contains user-generated content is a social media site. So this includes not only YouTube and LinkedIn but websites like Medium, Quora and Google+ that employees may use for staying on top of industry trends, and getting answers to their work-related questions.

3. Your employees are your number one advocate

Most employees are probably willing to share information about your products and services on their social media platforms. But when you take this access away at work, employees are less likely to be your advocate on their own time. We all know that someone is more likely to use a company’s products or services if they heard about it through their friend or network – we’re seeing this happen with the rise of influencer marketing.

Leverage employees as influencers by allowing them access to social media at work – they’ll be more receptive to share posts, and their experience working at your company.

Being a brand advocate also applies for jobs too. A lot of employees use LinkedIn to share job posts and to recruit their connections. You could be missing out on a lot of great candidates if your employees don’t have the opportunity to share job postings with their network.

In conclusion, social media has the potential to do more good than harm. But that’s not to say you shouldn’t have policies in place to ensure social media is being used appropriately, and to mitigate any IT security risks – check out this article that outlines 6 social media security strategies you should implement.