Why Not to Have a Social Media Policy

What is a Social Media Policy?

Having a social media policy for your business organization is essential in making sure your employees know what they should and should not exercise on social channels. Plus, it can assist your company curb any legal or security issues.

A social media policy but outlines how an organization and its employees should conduct themselves via the spider web. Information technology helps protect your company's online reputation and encourages employees to too go involved in sharing nearly the visitor in their online networks.

The claiming is many companies do not know how to best organize a good social policy and desire to ensure employees are actually reading it.

To practise and so, this ways keep it elementary, articulate, accessible, and connected to be updated. The goal is to not frustrate your workforce or discourage employees from participating in social media. Just, it does need to emphasize some basic conduct so there are no major issues in the time to come.

Social Media Policy in the Workplace

A few years ago, Apple tree unveiled a new gear up of emojis. The much-anticipated update included the option to alter the pare color of human emojis to better represent human diversity. Unfortunately, Clorox overlooked this important fact when the update was released.

The Twitter account of Clorox sent out a tweet with a Clorox bleach canteen, the bottle was a mosaic comprised of emojis. They accompanied the paradigm with the explanation, "New emojis are alright simply where'south the bleach."

What Clorox'south team idea was a seemingly innocuous tweet actually ready off a firestorm on Twitter. The tweet came off every bit racist every bit people inferred that Clorox was maxim that they'd prefer the emojis be all white and the way to exercise that was to bleach all the dark-skinned emojis.

This isn't the first time a major brand encountered a social media mishap. Kenneth Cole , DiGiorno Pizza , and Home Depot have all experienced their own social media miscues.

These incidents are perfect examples as to why your visitor needs a social media policy. A social media policy is important for companies to take because it can accomplish three things:

Conspicuously Sets Expectations (Reduce Confusion)
Protect Make Reputation
Increases Employee Advancement

A social media policy shouldn't just focus on making sure your team doesn't mess up. It can actually encourage your squad to be more than involved with social media. When in that location are clear guidelines that eliminate confusion every bit to what an employee can or cannot do on social, they will experience freer to participate.

Let'south accept a look at a few well-known brands and their social media policies. We'll analyze what's proficient nearly the policies and what could meliorate. Together, nosotros can learn from these big brands and utilise that knowledge to meliorate your social media policies.

Coca-Cola Social Media Policy

I believe that Coca-Cola has a really cracking social media policy. The policy lays out articulate guidelines for three distinct groups of people. The values of the Coca-Cola company within the online community, company and agency associates, and company online spokespeople.

Each sub-grouping has bullet points of what the company expects from its employees. I peculiarly like that they give an verbal contact (in each relevant point) for people to attain out to when someone has a question or wants to take action. A few of my favorite policies are:

Company and Agency Associates' Online Social Media Activities

Let the subject field affair experts reply to negative posts. You lot may come up across negative or disparaging posts about the Company or its brands, or see third parties trying to spark negative conversations.

Unless you are a certified online spokesperson, avoid the temptation to react yourself. Pass the post(s) along to our official market spokespersons who are trained to accost such comments, at online.relations@na.ko.com.

Expectations Online Spokespeople

Remember that your local posts tin can have global significance. The way that you lot answer an online question might be accurate in some parts of the earth, but inaccurate (or even illegal) in others. Proceed that "worldview" in mind when yous are participating in online conversations.

I remember that if you're going to use a social media policy as a template, Coca-Cola's policy is a smashing place to start. Information technology covers multiple teams and is quite specific.

Dell Global Social Media Policy

Dell has a very simple and straightforward social media policy. Information technology boils down to half dozen overarching policies.

Protect Information
Be Transparent and Disclose
Follow the Constabulary, Follow the Code of Conduct
Exist Responsible
Exist Nice, Have Fun and Connect
Social Media Business relationship Ownership

The sixth bespeak, social media account buying, it really important. In that location have been legal disputes over who owns a social account and the followers of a company account in the past.

A social media policy should protect the visitor and set boundaries for the employee. This point ensures in that location is no confusion over account ownership.

I would like to see Dell'south social media policy to be more specific. I'm sure a lawyer could argue that Dell's social media policy covers everything that Coca-Cola'due south does, but nosotros're non in court. A social media policy needs to clarify things, not leave things in a grayness area. For instance, this sentence is part of the "Be Nice, Have Fun, and Connect" department:

"Social media is another tool you can use to build our make, just exist certain yous do it the right way."

I would solidify this signal with some follow-upwardly points for further clarity. Coca-Cola has two points (with an caption) in its social media policy that expands on the thought of "be sure you do it the right way."

Be conscious when mixing your concern and personal lives
When in uncertainty, practise not mail

Intel Social Media Guidelines

Intel is another case of a skillful social media policy. They've split their policy into five parts. At that place are three sections for disclosure, protect trade secrets, and use common sense. In add-on, there are sections for contractors or anyone else who is paid to contribute to Intel'southward social media activity.

I thing I really like most this policy is the first bullet point nether the Disclose section: Transparency. Transparency is a big issue with employee social media accounts.

I've seen agency employees post on behalf of a client and not disclose it. While other companies have disclosure guidelines in their policies, Intel takes it pace farther and makes sure its team knows exactly what Intel expects when it comes to FTC disclosures.

"If you practice non accept an 'Intel' handle, so employ #iwork4intel in your postings. Using a disclaimer in your bio or contour is non enough per the FTC."

Best Purchase Social Media Policy

Best Buy sums up its social media policy with the phrase, "Protect the brand. Protect yourself."

The policy itself is split into two primary parts; what you should practise and what you shouldn't exercise. I'm a fan of two particular points that All-time Purchase makes. Beginning, since many of its workforce is retail, it states that this policy goes beyond the time you're clocked in at work.

"Remember, your responsibility to All-time Buy doesn't finish when you are off the clock. For that reason, this policy applies to both company sponsored social media and personal use every bit it relates to Best Buy."

In addition to this reminder, I like that Best Buy respectfully addresses hateful comments and posts. People tin can get defenseless up with their First Amendment rights, believing it gives them the right to say whatever they want without upshot. That's non the case and Best Buy does a groovy job of setting these expectations for its employees.

"Honour Our Differences: Live the values. All-time Purchase will non tolerate discrimination (including age, sex, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, disability, or marital status or any other legally recognized protected basis nether federal, state, or local laws, regulations or ordinances)."

Ford Motor Company Digital Participation Guidelines

Ford's social media policy consists of a single page PDF, which is from 2010 . Ford's policy is very high level and consists of five core principles.

Honest well-nigh who you are
Clarity that your opinions are your ain
Respect and humility in all communication
Adept judgement in sharing only public information – including financial data
Sensation that what you say is permanent

I can't observe whatever current guidelines from Ford, but this PDF is hosted on its corporate Ford site. I mention this because in 2010, this guide was probably adequate, equally it covers the nuts.

But the social media landscape has changed dramatically in the past 6 years. While these guidelines are yet valuable today, I'd like to meet a visitor like Ford take a more complete social media policy.

Similar Coca-Cola, Ford has many different stakeholders in its social media success. They really need to address the unlike roles and expectations more thoroughly.

Air Forcefulness Social Media Guide

I'm a fan of the Air Forcefulness's social media guide. Not simply because it has great content, but because they added a design chemical element to the guide. Information technology reads more like an infographic than the policies of other companies.

Ii things stand out when looking over this policy. One, the Air Force clearly separates sections for Leaders, Airmen, and Families. I think the Families Department is peculiarly helpful.

It could be like shooting fish in a barrel to overlook families, just the section not but acknowledges the role an Airmen's family plays in the success of the Air Forcefulness. but they outline expectations for the family's social media use.

Secondly. in that location's an educational component to the Air Forcefulness social media guide that other policies lack. The guide reviews emerging trends, mutual platforms, and defines terms similar hashtags and geotagging.

The latter is especially important for the Air Strength to accost since Airmen location is often a undercover. The Air Force really tailored their policy to issues that are specific to their organization.

Equally we've seen, some companies have vague and general social media policies. A really skilful social media policy will reflect the specific nature of your company and concern.

The Air Force does a great job of making sure their policy is valuable and Air Strength specific.

Nordstrom Social Media Guidelines

The Nordstrom social media guidelines are like to many of the aforementioned policies. But 1 part of the policy that is different than others is its bullet indicate for disharmonize of involvement. Intel is the but other company to mention competition and they exercise so in a very full general fashion.

Don't slam the competition (or Intel): Play nice. Anything you publish must be true and not misleading, and all claims must be substantiated and approved.*

Nordstrom, on the other manus, tells its employees to avoid conflicts of interest.

A disharmonize of interest exists if yous have an involvement outside of your work at Nordstrom that interferes with your responsibilities or may touch your judgment on behalf of Nordstrom.
Blogging, posting or chatting about product or fashion related to a direct competitor could exist considered a disharmonize of interest.
If you take any questions, delight see your managing director or Human Resources. Conflict of interest is also outlined in the full Code of Conduct available on mynordstrom.com.

I run into that Nordstrom advises employees to consult HR with further questions. Simply I'd prefer to see them include a little more than particular in the policy itself. The phrase, "could exist considered" is too subjective.

I understand that this gives Nordstrom some elbowroom, but information technology would be helpful if information technology was a picayune clearer for the employees.

We packaged the above information along with a social media policy template in a complete eBook. You can grab your copy here and share with your team.

Final Thoughts

While information technology's essential to have a social media policy in the workplace, information technology's apparent the quality of the policies varies beyond the board. If you're working on a social media policy for your company, use these lessons to help you develop a great policy.

I would start with Coca-Cola'southward policy every bit a template, remember to be as specific equally y'all can for your employees' benefit, and tailor the policy to your visitor culture and industry standards.

Lastly, remember this is a living document that should be revisited every year and updated accordingly.

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