They should provide a complete roadmap for your team to follow every day. While these elements are part of a larger brand strategy, your social-specific guide needs to be focused and actionable. For a look at the bigger picture, you can see our guide on how to create brand guidelines and how this all fits together. Employees must refrain from knowingly contacting prospective student-athletes on social media platforms. 2.1 For the purposes of these guidelines, social media is a type of interactive online media that allows parties to communicate instantly with each other or to share data in a public forum.
In many cases, employers can fire employees for political beliefs as political views aren’t protected the same way that other attributes like gender, age, and race are protected. As you’re onboarding employees, thoroughly outline topics that are off limits, and also tell them which topics they are allowed to discuss. Expertise in content writing, social media copywriting, and neo-noir graphic novels. Used to run a music webzine in the 2 seconds in the early 2010s when blogs were hot.
Dell is a good example of how a social media policy is just one piece of the social media puzzle for employees. Below are 21 real-life social media policy examples from various industries. For each example, we’ll highlight what we like about the specific social media policy, as well as what we think could be improved. When in doubt, ask yourself, “Do I believe this post portrays myself in a positive light?
For example, your social media strategy might detail the type of content you plan to publish, whereas your style guide would explain how that content should look when you share it. However, social media platforms often have community standards that may drive the platform to unilaterally remove a comment or post. To draft a social media policy for your company, make use of social media policy examples online or work within a template. Set expectations for employee conduct and be clear about your brand’s voice and message. Communicate to employees that they are your brand ambassadors and outline the repercussions for inappropriate online activity.
Critical thought about how the post could be negatively received or interpreted should be given prior to any posting. With these best practices in mind, you’re all set to make an impact on social media while maintaining the integrity of your brand’s reputation. Now, you may be asking how this applies to you and your brand — that’s precisely what we will address in this blog. No matter what industry you may be operating in and the size of your business, understanding and creating a tailored social media policy is a must.
Social Media Policy Templates
However, social media guidelines ensure that social media does not harm your employees, but that it, instead, helps you use its power to strengthen your brand positioning. There are many more benefits of social media guidelines for your employees. Your social media policy should be part of your employee handbook or live inside your policy database (e.g. in your HRIS). Make sure all employees have read it, especially those in your social media team.
A nonprofit social media policy template, nonprofit social media policy examples, and a board management software system will smooth the path for your committee’s work. It articulates the values and standards the company upholds and expects its team members to reflect in their online engagements and social networking. Beyond just guiding public interactions, this code often touches on nuances like confidentiality, endorsing competitors, or voicing personal opinions that might be misconstrued as the company’s stance. CUNY encourages followers to engage with the University’s social media accounts and to post, comment, and interact with others. We expect that comments will be on-topic and respectful of the rights and opinions of others. In cases where the social media account will no longer be in use or is not transferred, administrators should deactivate the account.
Their posts leave a digital footprint and any derogatory or negative comments about their job can impact others’ views of their employer. While companies cannot restrict information posted on personal accounts, employees should use common sense when on social media. Social media offers unique ways to interact with customers, promote content, advertise sales, highlight events and recruit talent. Employees who promote their company can take social media potential up a notch, reaching a larger audience.
It’s crucial to be transparent about how employees’ social media use will be monitored and what information may be visible to the public. If you offer social media training or resources, include those as well. Finally, link to your employee advocacy program so staff can access pre-approved content and participate in any incentives for sharing. From copyright infringement to data leaks and workplace harassment, social media introduces several legal risks.
Social media is the use of mobile technologies and web-based applications to connect with the online community. Examples of social media include, but are not limited to, blogs, Twitter, Instagram, Vimeo, YouTube, and Facebook. They are powerful communications tools that have a significant impact on organizational and professional reputations. Posts and content added by the administrators of the official University of Missouri social media accounts are official University of Missouri content. Opinions expressed on social media channels by other users do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the University of Missouri. Your followers should be able to recognize your content, no matter where they see it.
Your policies should explain how employee social media activity can affect visa processing and keeping status. Clear rules help workers see how their personal posts might affect the brand. Your guidelines need to address both work-related and personal posts. Once you’ve filled out the engagement activity, you can assign it to a specific employee or a group of employees (e.g., the sales team). If you’re still struggling to get employees to engage on social media, consider using an employee advocacy tool like GaggleAMP to help employees become comfortable on social media. Above all else, encourage employees to reach out to their manager or the social media team if they’re unsure of how to proceed with a particular issue.
Social Media Style Guide: Template, Examples & Tips For 2024
Ford’s policy is very high level and consists of five core principles. 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 address such comments, at You may come across negative or disparaging posts about the Company or its brands, or see third parties trying to spark negative conversations.
Laws such as FERPA, and HIPAA must be followed along with all applicable NCAA regulations. 1.3 Students and employees are encouraged to embrace social media sites as easy-access venues for streamlining and enriching engagement and communication. L’Oréal’s advertising and marketing communications policy focuses on responsible communication to avoid misleading consumers and posting harmful or discriminatory content.
It’s essential to focus on preventing harm to the company, rather than policing employees’ personal lives. Establishing these boundaries will help employees feel respected while giving employers the ability to protect their business interests. Additionally, some companies may have policies that restrict the use of social media altogether during work hours, especially if it detracts from work performance. In this case, it’s crucial to respect those policies and use social media responsibly.
This is why you need a set of social media guidelines for your employees and team members to ensure protection from harassment or cybersecurity risks. Start by determining your brand’s colors, as they should remain consistent across all social media platforms used by your company. Select a font style for the images and posts’ caption or invest in creating a custom font that remains specific to your brand.
Some of these will be general, such as avoiding legal issues and protecting the brand’s image. Others can be more specific, based on your company’s unique position in the market and culture. Be prepared to implement crisis management protocols from your style guide in the event of negative publicity, customer complaints, or other reputational threats on social media. Follow established procedures for escalation, communication, and response, using pre-approved messaging templates and designated spokespersons to address the situation promptly and professionally. Implement engagement guidelines from your style guide to interact with your audience in a consistent and meaningful manner. Respond promptly to comments, messages, and mentions, using the appropriate tone of voice and language style outlined in your guide.