When violations occur, it’s important that they are addressed in a manner that is consistent with how other violations have been handled. Inconsistent enforcement can create resentment, confusion, and a lack of trust among employees. Transparency is key when it comes to monitoring employees’ social media use. From a legal standpoint, employers must comply with local, state, and national laws governing privacy, employee rights, and data protection. Failure to comply with such laws could result in legal action, reputational damage, or penalties. However, employers should avoid overly invasive monitoring of private or personal accounts that have no impact on the work environment.
To protect the brand image and help your employees feel confident posting on social media, here’s an overview of the 12 social media guidelines for brands that we recommend. Social media guidelines should be the cornerstone of your online presence. In a world where every tweet can become viral and having your reputation ruined can be caused by the right person sharing a bad take, social media guidelines are essential. And to protect your reputation and maintain those guidelines, well, there’s always Planable.
Pfizer Social Media Policy
If there is a conflict between guidance in this document and a policy in the Administrative Guide, then the Administrative Guide controls. Further, these guidelines do not supersede or otherwise modify the social media communications policy adopted by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. Keep things organized by outlining any campaign or brand-specific hashtags and how your team should use them in social media posts.
Ensure employees understand image usage rights, copyright, and other legal constraints. When using images of people, always ask for their permission before posting. While AI tools can assist in speeding processes up, it’s crucial to verify permissions manually to avoid any potential legal complications. For example, there might be a common problem you’re hoping to solve with your new policy — like employees posting too much profanity.
It also has a specific section to help those who post to social media on behalf of the ICO or are contacted by the media for comments as representatives of the organization. An unhappy former NBA employee retained login credentials to the brand’s Facebook account and posted this scathing rebuke of the league. A section of your social media policy should cover how to offboard former employees. A social media policy is a document written by your organization to provide guidance to employees about their actions and behaviors online. Along with implementing a social media policy for employees, some brands create a separate policy for content creators and influencers.
Use social listening tools to track how your brand is being talked about online. A consistent, on-brand presence usually indicates that your Social Media Policy is guiding behavior effectively. According to SHRM, companies that train employees on digital conduct see up to 50% fewer social media-related HR complaints.
These tools can take your engagement, content creation and customer interactions to the next level. The other reason is your own social media profile; as an organization, you’ll want to have a consistent voice on your social media and want to avoid posting potentially risky statements or information. A social media policy for employees can give them the instructions they need to know how to handle corporate accounts. For example, The Candida Diet’s social media policy includes health claim guidelines. The company added them after an employee’s post created regulatory concerns.
Platform
That’s why we like that Mayo Clinic doesn’t differ all that much from the less regulated companies in the social media world. Massachusetts General Hospital, or “Mass General”, is of course in the heavily regulated healthcare industry. As a handler of highly sensitive patient information, Mass General has to be cautious of what they share online. We suspect Adobe has more to say on social media in private, internal documents. The first, “be upfront,” encourages employees to identify as Intel employees, add disclaimers to their opinions and not to include Intel in the name of their profile. For a deeper look at these areas, including resources to help you define your social media goals, check out my article, Why Social Media Guidelines are the Key to Unlocking Employee Brand Advocacy.
Good guidelines protect your brand, sure, but they also empower your employees to share their authentic experiences and connect with your audience in meaningful ways. Keep your guidelines accessible – maybe create a quick-reference cheat sheet. And don’t forget to celebrate when team members nail it on social media. They’re on the front lines of social media and can offer real-world insights. Plus, when employees help create the guidelines, they’re more likely to follow them.
However, NYCPS employees should be aware that there are limitations to privacy settings. Private communication published on the internet can easily become public. Furthermore, social media sites can change their current default privacy settings and other functions.
As you may have noticed, this social media policy differs from X’s in two key aspects. Another great example is the Coca-Cola Company’s social community guidelines for employees and affiliates that work in their line of alcohol ready-to-drinks. For example, X’s social media policy is colossal, and well documented. Create a doc with pre-approved copy snippets for frequently asked questions. When you make it easy to do the right thing, people are much more likely to do it. Put it in a shared cloud drive, pin it in your team’s Slack or Teams channel—make it impossible to ignore.
He specializes in social media, content marketing, SaaS, small business strategy, marketing automation, and content development. The guidelines can protect your clients’ brand reputations while streamlining your agency’s workflows. Vista Social’s Post Approval Workflows streamline reviewing and approving scheduled social media posts.
If a new platform takes off or your company strategy shifts, update your guidelines to stay current and relevant. Create a unique hashtag for the takeover to track engagement and encourage participation. During the takeover, actively monitor the account to ensure everything runs smoothly. Work together to create a content plan that blends their style with your brand voice.
For that reason, we have provided a series of resources and best practices for members of the NYC Public Schools community. [newline]When creating a classroom, school or office social media site, NYCPS employees should reach out to the NYCPS Digital Team for training. Any social media space for a classroom or school should be treated like any other professional workspace. Easily create and schedule posts, publish at the best times, and maximize your social engagement across 10+ channels.
We recommend the rule, where 80% of your content is to inform, educate, or entertain your audience while 20% directly promotes your brand. Your use of emojis (or not) has a clear impact on your brand voice and tone. This isn’t a social media audit, but you still need to make a list of every social account you use for your brand. Comments made to UIS social media must be relevant to the UIS community and the original topic posted.
The social media policy will highlight the roles and job responsibilities each staff member has when it comes to executing the company’s social media strategy and content. A social media policy ensures responsible employee advocacy that promotes your company effectively without damaging your brand. Legal risks posed by social media range from privacy laws to copyright infringements and almost anything in between. Social media posts have led to claims of racial or sexual discrimination being levied against organizations. Careless social media posts of images or company information can breach confidentiality and data protection laws. The ultimate goal of a social media policy is to protect your brand from reputational and legal risks.