Tiffany Black

How to Write a Social Media Policy

 

When creating a social media policy you do not have to reinvent the wheel. Several companies including Cisco, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Razorfish have developed clear-yet-comprehensive social media policies.  If you are looking for some good examples of social media guidelines from various companies the Social Media Governance website has an online database of over 100 social media policies.

Falls recommends the Social Media Policies Toolkit offered by Toolkit Café for $149.  The toolkit features templates for different types of social media policies. Storey says: "There are many websites that you can copy social media policies from, but I would also say get a lawyer involved and make sure your policy is customized to your company.

(Note: While this guide is comprised of things experts we've interviewed say it's safe to include, it should not be construed as legal advice.)

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A corporate social media policy lets employees know what they need to know to communicate the company message effectively, and what they should and should not do.

"Your staff, clients and corporations are already on social media and will more than likely be talking about your company," says Katrina Collier, founder and director of Winning Impression LTD, a London based firm that helps companies with social recruitment.  "Clear guidelines will ensure that your company brand is enhanced and that your reputation is not sullied by an errant remark."

It is beneficial for employees to have their input in to the companies' social media.  They may have great insight and opinions to share with customers and clients. Employees are an amazing resource and can help you promote your business on social networks.

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Writing a Social Media Policy: How to Implement the Policy

The lesson to learn from the examples of employee firings and how some companies have chosen to address social media is to make the policy as clear as possible.  

The best formats for this policy is to first state the policy and follow with a bulleted breakout of the key points. Microsoft's policy includes a frequently asked questions section that further clarifies the policy for employees. Catherine Allen, vice president at SHIFT Communication a public relations agency with offices in Boston, San Francisco, and New York, suggested offering guidelines or best practices. Allen's firm created a draft of social media recommendations that companies can tweak to fit their needs.  "Our firm created this based on hours of research on other companies guidelines, to help streamline the process for our clients."
 
Once the social media policy has been finalized, it is important to let your employees know there has been a change to the employee agreement that each employee signed when they were hired. An e-mail or memo should be sent to all employees including a copy of the new policy or a link to where they can reference the policy.  Educating your employees on the social media policy will help to curb mishaps.

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Writing a Social Media Policy: Additional Resources

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As a senior producer Tiffany Black works to increase our audience through social media. She covers technology for Inc. Technology, coordinates Inc. Live chats and finds document templates for business owners. Tiffany also teaches Writing and Editing for the Web, Introduction to Blogging, Introduction to Social Media and Advanced Social Media at Mediabistro. She lives in Manhattan. @minnie6998