Building Blocks of a Sound Social Media Policy

Community Ebook / June 2012
The Building Blocks of a Sound Social Media Policy

COMMUNITY EBOOK / JUNE 2012 / WWW.RADIAN6.COM / 1 888 6radian

The Building Blocks of a
Sound Social Media Policy
Copyright © 2012 - Radian6 Technologies

www.radian6.com
1 888 6RADIAN 1 888 672-3426 / community@radian6.com Copyright © 2012 Radian6 Technologies [1]


The Building Blocks of a
Sound Social Media Policy
INTRODUCTION:
Why You Need a Social Media Policy

CHAPTER 1:
Individual Responsibility and Liability

CHAPTER 2:
Representing the Organization Online and
Handling Media Inquiries

CHAPTER 3:
Respecting Others

CHAPTER 4:
Honoring the Confidentiality of Proprietary
or Internal Information

CHAPTER 5:
Obeying Copyright and Fair Use Laws

CHAPTER 6:
Industry-Specific Considerations

CONCLUSION:
Encouraging Policy Adherence

APPENDIX:
Additional Resources

www.radian6.com


Introduction /
Why You Need a Social Media Policy
If you don’t have a social media policy, you’re inviting disaster. If you do, you’re facilitating
opportunities for employees to strengthen customer relationships, exemplify company
values, and draw awareness to your products and services.

Companies need to support and empower employees by arming them with the information
they need to successfully and appropriately engage on blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other
social media channels. Specifying rules and guidelines means staff can be confident about
engaging without being afraid of doing lasting damage to your brand.

This book will address all the vital elements of a social media policy, complete with
examples from different companies so you can create or improve your organization’s very
own policy. (Please refer to the appendix for the links to the full version of these publicly-
available policies.)

Before we discuss specifics, let’s lay the foundation.

A little disclaimer: this ebook is meant as a helpful introduction and doesn’t constitute legal
advice.

Considerations While Crafting
Identify the Purpose

Be clear about the purpose of the policy, and what the policy does and does not cover.

Nordstrom does this nicely in their policy:

We encourage approved employees to use social networking/media (Twitter,
Facebook, Nordstrom.com, etc.) as a way to connect with customers and others
during working hours. While social networking is fun and valuable, there are some
risks you should keep in mind when using these tools. In the social media world, the
lines are blurred between what is public or private, personal or professional.

We’ve created these social networking/media guidelines for you to follow when
representing Nordstrom—in the virtual world.

Additionally, a social media policy is very different from a social media usage guide.
Although social network best practices are important for employees, you should refer them
to separate documentation or training materials for specific how-tos.

www.radian6.com


Sync with Established Corporate Values

Your policy should restate company values, and identify how social media can communicate
those values.

Here’s Coca-Cola’s:

The vision of the Company to achieve sustainable growth online and offline is guided by
certain shared values that we live by as an organization and as individuals:

• LEADERSHIP: The courage to shape a better future;
• COLLABORATION: Leveraging our collective genius;
• INTEGRITY: Being real;
• ACCOUNTABILITY: Recognizing that if it is to be, it’s up to me;
• PASSION: Showing commitment in heart and mind;
• DIVERSITY: Being as inclusive as our brands; and
• QUALITY: Ensuring what we do, we do well.
Both Coca-Cola and IBM also clearly state that online behavior is governed by the principles
outlined in their governing Business Conduct Guidelines.

Get Approval from Legal, IT, HR and the Executive Team

Involve and collaborate with everyone who will play a role in enforcing the policy from the
very beginning so all necessary compromises can be made in the early stages.

This includes your in-house lawyer. She’s your best friend here. Without the help from
your legal team, your social media policy could end up being unhelpfully broad, improperly
narrow, or otherwise unable to protect your company in potential litigation.

Lawyers can also help the company understand the implications of reports like the one
released by the U.S. National Labor Relations Board in August 2011 to ensure your social
media policy does not unlawfully prohibit employees from using social media to self-
organize or discuss wages and working conditions protected under Section 7 of the National
Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

There have been two subsequent reports released by the NLRB that explain the outcomes
of multiple cases involving the lawfulness of social media policies in regards to employee
working rights. We highly recommend consulting the Appendix for links to read them in full.

Write in Plain English

Legal jargon and sophisticated vocabulary doesn’t make for a more effective policy. Simplify
the language, and write it as if you were talking to a peer in person. Use memorable

www.radian6.com


shortcuts like Farris Timimi’s “12-word Social Media Policy” to help employees remember
the rules:

Don’t Lie, Don’t Pry
Don’t Cheat, Can’t Delete
Don’t Steal, Don’t Reveal

Conform to Your Company Culture

Your corporate culture will determine the contents, tone and specificity of your policy. If
a button-down and a tie is the required uniform, the language in your social media policy
might be more formal than a start-up comprised of flip-flop-wearing, Instagram-addicted
twenty-somethings.

Make it as Brief as Possible

The easier it is to consume over a cup of coffee, the more the policy will get read. Use bullet
points and headings to draw readers to the critical parts of the policy like Nordstrom did.

Direct Employees to More Information

Even if your finalized policy addresses every question imaginable, employees may still need
more clarity. Let employees know how to get in contact with the right people if they have
questions or want to make suggestions. Volvo does this well.

In the following chapters, we’ll discuss the various components of an effective social
media policy.

www.radian6.com


Chapter 1 /
Individual Responsibility and Liability

Remind Employees of Responsibility for their Actions
This clause serves as “a reminder that all employees will be held individually responsible for
their posts and actions in the social Web and that if they violate the law online, they and not
the organization are accountable,” notes Chris Barger in The Social Media Strategist (p 125,
Kindle edition).

How IBM words it:

Use your best judgment. Remember that there are always consequences to what you
publish. If you’re about to publish something that makes you even the slightest bit
uncomfortable, review the suggestions above and think about why that is. If you’re
still unsure, and it is related to IBM business, feel free to discuss it with your manager.
Ultimately, however, you have sole responsibility for what you post to your blog or
publish in any form of online social media.

State Possible Consequences for Policy Violation
The purpose of the social media policy is not to scare employees to the point they have no
interest in participating. But employees do need to know the potential impact their online
behavior could have on the well-being of the company as well as their own. Being upfront
about possible consequences will make them take it seriously.

This is a perfect example of when your friends in legal come in handy; they can determine
what your company can and cannot lawfully enforce.

www.radian6.com


Chapter 2 / Representing the Organization Online and
Handling Media Inquiries

Provide a Stance on the Separation of a Personal and Professional Presence
In some industries, having employees keep their personal and professional lives separate
is important. In the healthcare industry, for example, doctors and nurses are strongly
discouraged from accepting Facebook friend requests from patients.

Make it clear where your company stands, and direct employees to more information about
keeping their personal and professional lives balanced or separated in social media.

How Mayo Clinic words it:

Mayo Clinic strongly discourages “friending” of patients on social media websites.
Staff in patient care roles generally should not initiate or accept friend requests except
in unusual circumstances such as the situation where an in-person friendship pre-dates
the treatment relationship.

How Volvo words it:

The company understands and encourages those employees and associates who
engage in online social media.

Volvo Car Corporation strongly recommends that you use your own name and that
you are transparent with whom you represent when participating, sharing or writing
in all online publishing. In online conversation, as well as in all other conversation, you
are always an ambassador for the company even if you are not acting on behalf of the
company. When you are acting privately, use your own private email-address (gmail,
hotmail etc). If you are acting as an appointed corporate spokesperson, you can use
your corporate (xx@volvocars.com) email address.

you are using social media for private purposes, use the same common sense as you
If
would use for private phone calls, i.e. limit them to necessary activities and try to avoid
such activities during working hours.

www.radian6.com


Encourage a Disclaimer
If employees indicate they work for your company in social media, some people may
confuse employee opinions with those of the company.

Avoid any confusion by encouraging employees to use a disclaimer on their personal blogs
and in their bios on other channels like Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

How Salesforce words it:

salesforce.com we believe in transparency and openness. This means that you do
At
not contribute anonymously or under a pseudonym unless it’s your company nickname.
You must disclose that you work for salesforce.com. On sites like Twitter or Blogger,
your bio must show your role and affiliation with salesforce.com. You are representing
the company even though you are not serving as an official voice of the Company. You
must include a disclaimer that the views you’re expressing are your own and not those
of salesforce.com.

Explain How to Handle the Media
The policy should also include a statement of how to respond if the media approaches an
employee who is unauthorized to speak on behalf of the organization. This usually involves
directing the media to the authorized personnel.

How Nordstrom words it:

a member of the media or a financial analyst contacts you, as always, refer them
If
to the PR or Investor Relations team through your store operator. If you have any
questions about what is considered confidential, check in with your manager or
Human Resources.

www.radian6.com


Chapter 3 /
Respecting Others
This section of the policy reminds employees to always be respectful to others on
social media channels, especially when communicating with coworkers, talking about
competitors, or conversing with existing or potential customers.

For safety reasons, discourage employees from sharing other’s personal information such
as current location, schedules, email addresses and phone numbers. Encourage employees
to respect one another by requesting they ask each other permission before posting their
picture or anything about them online.

Let employees know that it’s okay to disagree with other employees, but encourage them
not to use their personal blogs or other social profiles to express their differences.

Include Prohibitions on Hate Speech and Ethnic Slurs
Hate speech is any communication that threatens, insults or ridicules any person or groups
based on their race, religion, gender, disability, or other characteristic. It’s illegal in many
countries, and can expose employers to criminal or civil penalties.

This section of the policy should strongly discourage employees from using such offensive
language or initiating personal attacks.

However, a heavy-handed squashing of free speech can generate backlash as well, making
your company appear overly controlling. Employees shouldn’t be forbidden from engaging
in political, religious or social debate, as long as it’s conducted respectfully.

Clearly defining and prohibiting hate speech can prevent discrimination, damage to your
brand’s reputation, and impaired customer relations.

How Salesforce words it:

Respecting others is addressed in this Salesforce social media policy video.

www.radian6.com


Chapter 4 /
Honoring the Confidentiality of Proprietary or
Internal Information

Include Privacy Reminders
In the words of social media strategist and author, Christopher Barger, your social media
policy must include “a privacy reminder that the Internet is forever and that whatever gets
posted is usually searchable and findable by someone, so employees should exercise
discretion in what they post” (Barger 126).

To prevent potential lawsuits, set clear boundaries around what information is private
versus public, and be specific in your definition. In the U.S., any prohibited discussion must
make exceptions for activities protected under Section 7 of the NLRA.

Confidential or private information might include:

• Product releases and updates
• Acquisitions
• Internal financials and forecasts
• Proprietary product knowledge or trade secrets
• Private employee HR information
• Employee and customer contact information
• Ongoing legal cases

How Nordstrom words it:

not publish, post or release information that is considered confidential or not
Do
public. If it seems confidential, it probably is. Online “conversations” are never private!
Do not discuss numbers and other sales figures (non-public financial or operational
information), strategies and forecasts, legal issues or future promotions/activities. Do
not post any merchandise pricing information or comparisons.

How Volvo words it:

Volvo Car Corporation’s relationship with our customers, employees and partners is
our most important asset, and it is important that we always protect this relationship.
You cannot cite or disclose customer names without their approval. Protect your
fellow workers and our customers, dealers, and vendors by refraining from sharing

www.radian6.com
1 888 6RADIAN 1 888 672-3426 / community@radian6.com Copyright © 2012 Radian6 Technologies [ 10 ]


any of their personal information, statements, or photographs unless you have their
written permission to do so. Bringing someone else into the conversation without their
permission can be destructive to relationships, cause misunderstanding, or violate the
law (including privacy and defamation laws), commercial contracts, or confidentiality
agreements.

www.radian6.com


Chapter 5 /
Obeying Copyright and Fair Use Laws
Remind employees to look for and understand the copyrights for images, video, music or
documents on the Internet before including in a social media post. Look for images that
are under a Creative Commons license, purchase stock photos with limited use rights, or
request permission from the copyright holder.

It’s additionally important to understand the rights of written content online. Just because
you found it on Google does not make it free. Using short excerpts of content with a link
to the original piece is generally accepted, but it’s a good idea to get permission for long
quotes or excerpts.

How Coca-Cola words it:

Give credit where credit is due and don’t violate others’ rights. DO NOT claim
authorship of something that is not yours. If you are using another party’s content, make
certain that they are credited for it in your post and that they approve of you utilizing
their content. Do not use the copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, or other rights of
others without the necessary permissions of the rightsholder(s).

Respect of copyrights, trademarks, rights of publicity, and other third party rights in the
online social media space, including with regard to user generated content (UGC). How
exactly you do this may depend on your particular situation, so work with your cross
functional teams to make informed, appropriate decisions.

www.radian6.com


Chapter 6 /
Industry-Specific Considerations
Your industry may have specific legal or regulatory obligations that your policy must take
into account.

To illustrate:

• Expressing impartiality toward political and religious parties is of utmost importance
for some news publications.
• Protecting patient information in social media is vital for healthcare providers.
• Compliance, record-keeping and security are critical for the finance industry.
• Automakers are required to disclose certain consumer safety information under the
Transportation Recall Enhancement, Accountability, and Documentation (TREAD) Act.

How the Affinity Health System words it:

Remember, disclosing confidential patient Protected Health Information (PHI) in an
inappropriate manner is a federal offense. The penalties include significant fines and/
or arrest. Ministry employees should never publicly make comments about the care
of a specific patient, especially online. Even acknowledging the care of a patient is an
unacceptable disclosure of PHI.

How the BBC words it:

Impartiality is a particular concern for those working in News and Current Affairs. Nothing
should appear on their personal blogs or microblogs which undermines the integrity or
impartiality of the BBC. For example, News and Current Affairs staff should not:

• advocate support for a particular political party;
• express views for or against any policy which is a matter of current party
political debate;
• advocate any particular position on an issue of current public controversy or debate.

www.radian6.com


Conclusion /
Encouraging Policy Adherence
After working so hard on a company social media policy, you’ll want to take the necessary
steps to make sure it actually gets read and adhered to.

Here are a few tips to help make your social media policy a successful one:

Incorporate it into Employee Training
The policy isn’t effective until understood by all employees, and that comes with training.
To minimize unanswered questions, use specific examples to illustrate do’s and don’ts.
Addressing what is acceptable is just as important as demonstrating what’s not going to fly.

Make it Accessible
Post the social media policy to the company intranet or social network, save it to the
desktop of company-issued computers, or place it on your organization’s shared drive.
You want the policy to be easily found when an employee’s in doubt. In the interests of
transparency and accountability, consider sharing it externally by placing it on your website.

Repackage and Remind
Repackaging written excerpts into bite-sized tips, internal blog posts, short videos, or
regular email reminders can keep the social media policy top of mind. The social media
team at Salesforce used video and presentation slides to make the social media policy more
interactive, accessible and shareable.

Humor’s not a bad idea either. To remind our employees how to be respectful, our Director
of Community and Social Strategy, David B. Thomas, wrote a few fictional tweets and
posted them to Chatter, our internal social network.

No: @BigAirline You’ve stranded me again! Why do I keep flying with you?!
Never again!
Yes: @BigAirline I’m stuck in Tuba City and need to get to Pflugerville. Anything you
can do to help?

www.radian6.com


No: @BigRetailer The idiots in your Poughkeepsie store can’t fix my flange arrestor. I
want my money back!
Yes: @BigRetailer My flange arrestor is decombining at 25Mhz. Any suggestions or
online resources?

No: @BigCPGBrand I can’t believe I paid $42 for an electric kazoo and it doesn’t have a
spit valve! What a ripoff!
Yes: @BigCPGBrand You know what would make the XR50 Electric Kazoo perfect? A
spit valve. #thingsthatneedspitvalves

Revise as Needed
Business goals and processes can change. So does the popularity and functionality of social
networks. Your policies should adapt to ensure they continue to cover all the bases.

Regularly Review Employee Accounts for Compliance
Have the social media team in your company keep their eyes and ears on the way
employees are talking about your company online using a social media monitoring tool, and
ensure someone is responsible for occasionally auditing the way company information is
listed on employee social network accounts.

Once you have your social media policy written and adopted, everyone across the company
can stop worrying about accidentally embarrassing the company, and instead feel the
freedom to explore the wonderful world of social media.

www.radian6.com


Appendix /
Additional Resources

Templates
• Eric Schwartzman’s Social Media Policy Template
• WOMMA Social Media Policy Template
• SocialFresh Template

Additional Reading
• 10 Tips for Creating a Social Media Policy for Your Business
• How to Write a Social Media Usage Policy for Your Business
• Writing a Social Media Policy
• Are You Disclosing? What You Need to Know about FTC Rules and Social Media
• Is Your Social Networking Policy Illegal?
• U.S. NLRB Report of the Acting General Counsel Concerning Social Media Cases - August, 2011
• U.S. NLRB Report of the Acting General Counsel Concerning Social Media Cases - January, 2012
• U.S. NLRB Report of the Acting General Counsel Concerning Social Media Cases - May, 2012

Social Media Policies
• Salesforce
• Dell
• Clemson University
• Mayo Clinic
• Southwest
• Volvo
• Nordstrom
• BBC
• Coca-Cola

Questions, comments or feedback for us? Please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

Find us on the web: www.radian6.com
Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/radian6
Read the Blog: www.radian6.com/blog
Author: Shannon Johnson
Editor: Bart Byl
Designer: Lise Hansen

www.radian6.com

Building Blocks of a Sound Social Media Policy

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

More from Ishraq Dhaly

More from Ishraq Dhaly (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

Building Blocks of a Sound Social Media Policy