These platforms usually have their own policies and rules for how users should behave on their sites. For instance, Twitter’s rules for disciplinary action were changed after Elon Musk bought the platform for $44 billion in 2022. Define key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to measure the success of your social media efforts, such as engagement rate, reach, conversion rate, and return on investment (ROI).

What Is A Social Media Policy?

Depending on your business you might need to cover your bases, especially if your organization handles sensitive information or operates in a regulated industry. Match your policy to each role’s visibility and how much they represent the company. Train managers so they know how to enforce the rules and where the legal lines are.

Looking at how other organizations structure their social media policies can be a helpful starting point. Many well-known companies make their policies public to showcase transparency and build trust. Creating a social media policy from scratch can feel like a lot, but using a template makes the process much simpler.

What Is An Example Of An Employee Violating Social Media Guidelines?

Most employees don’t intentionally praise or bash competitors, though there are scenarios where the best course of action is unclear. First, give employees a list of who your competitors are and then clearly communicate what employees may and may not say regarding competitors. Employees may not intentionally alienate people, but as social standards continue to evolve, they may accidentally make a remark that leaves others feeling uncomfortable. Depending on the gravity of the situation, you can also offer counseling and other support to help employees. For example, an employee may accidentally forget to cite a source, or they might click on a malicious link and disclose company information. Those are all legit questions that any social media marketer worth their salt should ask.

Because social media emphasizes immediacy, access and personal sharing it is particularly important to minimize harm for your audience, your sources, your colleagues and yourself. Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Social media helps journalists find sources, engage audiences and develop story ideas as well as make personal and professional connections. To ensure the highest standards, students in Cronkite News must abide by the following standards for social media use, which reflect the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics core principles.

Social Media Policy: University Of Washington Medicine

Below is a simple template you can use to develop your company’s social media guidelines. This template includes essential sections that cover employee expectations, confidentiality, and the proper use of company resources, but feel free to adjust it based on your organization’s specific needs. While employees have a right to express themselves online, this section clarifies how personal social media activity can still reflect on the employer. For example, if an employee lists the company in their LinkedIn bio, they must uphold certain standards even on personal posts. This helps protect the business from indirect negative exposure while maintaining freedom of speech.

On the other hand, when a brand’s social presence is all over the place, it leads to confusion and looks unprofessional. As a dynamic compass for your brand, your style guide has a lot of benefits to offer. It’s where you establish a community of raving fans, a voice unique to your brand and an identity that’s unmistakably yours. Ask for input from your audienceIf you need your audience’s opinion on a particular topic, sometimes it is appropriate to simply ask.

Establishing a legacy system will avoid confusion over old or lost logins and passwords when individuals inherit the account(s). Social media admins of divisions and programs should keep a list of the passwords for their accounts. All accounts should have a shared cuny.edu email address, username and password so the account(s) is not tied to a personal email address or to a specific individual. These guidelines are for anyone in the Central Office starting an official CUNY account, including but not limited to divisions, programs and members of leadership. UMBC now has a Social Media Advisory Group that can provide feedback, training, and supports for social media administrators across campus.

Encourage your employees to be engaged in your policy, and encourage them to speak out if they don’t understand it or have suggestions. Social media managers are not authorized to speak on behalf of the unit, the commander or the Army without the appropriate level of release authority. Public affairs officers will provie oversight for any posts social media managers draft. You can also assign roles to handle customer inquiries and ensure prompt and accurate responses. Lastly, define how employees should report issues or inappropriate content they encounter online, including the process and whom to notify.