For example, they might need to include a disclaimer like, “Opinions are my own,” and avoid sharing sensitive company information. A good social media policy helps everyone on your team understand the rules—what’s okay to post, what’s not, and what to do if something goes wrong. In a few cases, companies might just block certain people from using the business’s social media accounts. To prevent this, outline in your social media guidelines that employees should alert a manager, a human resources staff member, and/or a member of the social media team of the instance. Social media guidelines ensure employees accurately represent the brand online to avoid negative PR, branding, and legal/financial consequences.
Avoid making disparaging remarks about the organization, its products, or its employees. Negative or controversial posts can undermine the company’s reputation, especially if they are viewed by potential clients, job candidates, or current employees. These guidelines identify who runs your company’s social media account.
How Can I Ensure That My Employees Understand And Comply With The Social Media Policy?
Account-generated postsBe mindful that all content posted on OUSMAs affect the image and reputation of the University. Never post content that contains profanity, hate speech, personal attacks against others or slurs. Posts should not disparage anyone, particularly the University, University System office or trustees, University employees or students, or other institutions.
Your CEO, whose LinkedIn profile lists her as the company’s leader, should be held to a different standard than the private Instagram of a cashier. Dell’s social media policy is digestible, yet still meets the requirements of the company’s needs. Your social media crisis plan should align with your social media policy. For example, the policy can designate which teams are responsible for handling a PR crisis. Consult with your legal counsel and outline a list of do’s and don’ts for the company to follow. These rules of thumb will help ensure the organization and contractors are compliant with laws, reducing the risk of legal action against the company.
For Businesses
There are many privacy and security risks involved with using social media. A good social media policy combined with security protocols will protect your accounts against hacking, phishing and fraud accounts. Legal advisors ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations during policy development. By involving a diverse group of stakeholders, companies can create a well-rounded and effective social media policy that addresses the needs and concerns of all employees. Human Resources (HR) plays a pivotal role in the development and implementation of a social media policy.
Many organizations also add an AI usage policy and industry-specific guidelines (like HIPAA, FINRA, SEC, or FCA requirements). UUW Medicine’s compliance department oversees patient privacy and information security, so, it’s no surprise that they have a robust social media policy. It applies to faculty, staff, students, and anyone else professionally involved with the department. The guidelines should also include instructions about using your brand’s logo, such as the right time and place to use your company’s logo on social media. Your social media policy is an important guideline that protects your company from a variety of legal issues.
From a single dashboard you can publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage the audience, measure results, and more. Like many other post-secondary institutions, the University of Northern Georgia notes that its social media guidelines apply both to employees and to students. On the flip side, it’s important to define your policy for dealing with trolls or bullies. In any case, clarify whether and how employees can respond to negative feedback about your brand on social media. Whether or not you use social media at the corporate level, your employees are certainly using social in their private lives. Measure how many employees are sharing company content or contributing to advocacy campaigns.
Organize the content in a logical and user-friendly manner, with clear headings, subheadings, and visual elements to aid navigation and understanding. Training key stakeholders on crisis management procedures and conducting regular drills can help ensure preparedness and minimize the impact of potential crises. And as with any good social media policy, it keeps the reader engaged.
For example, Twitter is a popular social networking site that had 237.8 million registered, daily active users, according to its earnings report for the second quarter of 2022. It outlines the protocols and rules for social media use during work hours and while representing the company. Perhaps even more important than shaping opinions, though, is the ability for social media to keep people connected. Ford’s “digital participation guidelines” (a touch outdated as a phrase) get the job done. One of the most creative social media policies we’ve seen is Edmunds’. [newline]Coca-Cola has one of the longer and denser social media policies on this list. Best Buy is the first company on this list with an extensive retail employee population.
Social Media Account Ownership
For example, LinkedIn is more professional and polished, while TikTok is more lo-fi and casual. However, regardless of the platform, your social content should still look and feel like you. Your social media brand voice distinguishes your brand from your competitors and builds familiarity. Like any other part of your brand, consistency is important across all mediums. For instance, if you’re funny and humorous on Facebook but all your YouTube videos are serious and straight-laced, it sends a mixed message. Brands with more common names must prepare for scenarios where your company name isn’t available.
Everyone still has a day job, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in social media. Include information on not using social media on company equipment unless it is work-related. When registering online accounts for personal use, employees should not use their company email address unless it is work-related. Here are key points companies should include in social media guidelines.