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What should a social media policy cover?
What are the key things to include in a social media policy in order to protect your employees and your organization?
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8 Answers
As little as possible, I think. It should be just enough to keep the company out of harm's way, but no more restrictive than, say, your telephone policy.
Our company policy covers some of the basic things (don't talk about proprietary info, don't comment on company financial info, don't cite co-workers without their approval) along with a boilerplate disclaimer (“The views expressed here are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer.”) that is recommended, but not required.
I really like ours, though, in that is strives to educate a bit as well. Here are a few of the points in our policy:
.. Remember Ingersoll Rand’s core values. Integrity, respect and courage especially will serve you well in all social media venues.
.. Be transparent in both identity and intent. Attempting to fake your identity in doing work for the company is unethical and could create damage to your brand and Ingersoll Rand’s overall brand reputation.
.. Content is king. People will return to your blog or Twitter stream because they are consistently finding useful, relevant information. Have a business strategy for the tools you are using that includes the type of content you will be providing. Obviously, the content should meet the business goals, but it should also include personality and avoid “corporate speak.”
.. Participate in the conversations you create. Social media is a two-way dialog between the content owner and the audience, which includes current and future employees, customers, vendors and partners. Posting information and not responding defeats the purpose of using these tools.
There are a few others in the area as well. I like it because it softens any "We own your thoughts" that an employee might take away from it, while providing some useful guidance for anyone new to the space.
Below you will find an actual social media policy our clients use. Feel free to edit to suit. I figured this would be way more helpful than just an opinion of what should be in one. By the way www.hrdownloads.com has over 6000 HR professionals who never start from scratch. Contact me for a look at the service sboyle@hrdownloads.com
Corporate Social Media Policy
Policy Intent
This document is designed to provide all (Company Name) employees with guidelines regarding the appropriate use of company social media accounts with Social Media outlets such as, but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, etc.
Policy and Procedure
1. Do not disclose confidential or proprietary information on (Company Name) Social Media pages. Disclosure of confidential or proprietary information without prior authorization may result in immediate termination.
2. (Company Name) employees will be held responsible for what they write or post on the (Company Name) page. Inflammatory comments, disparaging remarks, or negative / inappropriate language or posts may result in disciplinary action.
3. (Company Name) staff members are directed not to engage in discussions regarding competitors’ products, legal issues in which the company is involved, or government issues related to the company and our industry without prior approval from management.
4. Respect copyrights. Don't post text, images or video created by someone else without proper attribution and/or authorization. If you have questions about copyright law and/or usage of certain media, contact the legal department.
5. Social Media is not a substitute for inter-company communications. Important information should be transmitted within normal company communication channels, not through Social Media outlets.
6. Social Media is not a substitute for customer service. Please refer customers to the customer service department instead of handling inquiries entirely through Social Media.
7. In the event that a (Company Name) staff member discovers any group(s) that users have formed to discuss the company, its products, or services, please bring them to the attention of management.
8. Relay important issues to management as soon as possible.
9. If you have questions about how to respond to a specific post or group, discuss the issue with management prior to posting.
10. Use good judgment when posting photos from company events. Notify any employees who are in posted photos so that they may approve the posting of those photos.
11. Always adopt a positive attitude when responding to comments on the company's pages or applications, or comments about the company in general.
Acknowledgement & Agreement
I, (Employee Name), acknowledge that I have read and understand the Corporate Social Media Policy of (Company Name). Further, I agree to adhere to this Policy and will ensure that employees working under my direction adhere to these guiding principles. I understand that if I violate the rules/procedures outlined in this Policy, I may face corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.
Name:
Signature:
Date:
Witness:
Depends on the values of the company. Ex. If your firm values transparency then you prolly shouldn't block websites and/or smart phone usage.
And ditto to what Dwane wrote. Less = Better.
Social Media Policy should not be taken lightly and consider aligning it along with your core values.
I have a video of a talk I gave on Social Media Policy @ http://www.socialmediamadesimple.info
Any policy that is adopted should be reviewed by a lawyer and you must consider adding to your general liability policy.
And even if your business is not currently taking advantage of Social Media for your marketing - I can assure you that your employees are using it. You need to educate them on what can an cannot be said online and the consequences.
I take a different perspective on the question, which I have articulated in a post entitled "Social Media Policies: Necessary but not Sufficient." The more I've studied the issue over the past couple of years, the more I respect the complexity of managing risk in the Digital Era. Here's a link to the post: http://tiny.cc/SMinOrgsPolicyPost.
A social media policy should clearly tell people what you expect them to do and not do.
Don't obfuscate it with lingo and legalese or they won't read it.
Here's a link to a database of examples you can browse. Find one for a company with similar needs to your own and use them as an example for your own policy. http://socialmediagovernance.com/policies.php
The social media policy should implement the company's vision in the virtual networking sphere. It includes such components as
type of content
main message
main target groups
communication style
planning, creating a social media calendar
You can check out more tips on social media for business here http://www.soldlab.com/news/2011/8/4/5-things-to-consider-before-using-social...
A social media policy needs to cover 4 different aspects of the business:
1. Internal Organizational Policies
2. Internal Employee Policies
3. External Audience Policies
4. Confidentialty, Privacy and Regulations
It also needs to address these 7 things:
1. Accountability
2. Transparency
3. Separation
4. Respect
5. Usage at Work
6. Confidentiality
7. Monitoring
I've posted a presentation that I use along with an article I've written at http://www.super-solutions.com/Social-Media-Use-Policies-Need-These-7-Things.asp
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