1. Social media - in policy and practice
Briefing 164 / October 2013
164
Briefing 164 / October 2013
This Briefing is designed to help you and your
voluntary arts or craft group to make the most of
social networking. It will help you to understand
the benefits of social media and how it works,
develop a sensible strategy and policy, and keep
children and volunteers safe.
A. What are social networks?
Social networks are internet sites or mobile applications that
allow users to communicate with each other and share
information such as updates about what they have been doing,
photos, videos and links to websites.
Users create a profile which typically includes a picture of
the users and some basic information about themselves. Users
then connect to other users in order to be able to share things
with them.
Popular social networks include Facebook, Twitter,
Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Google+ and many more.
B. Why use social media?
Social media is becoming increasingly popular and more and
more individuals and groups are embracing it. Sixty one per
cent of internet users now use social networking sites and it's
not just for young people – the largest gains in use between
2011 and 2013 were among those aged 55 to 64 (source:
Oxford Internet Survey 2013).
Social media is also cost effective, as the social networking
infrastructure is already set up and it's free to join in.
Compared to the cost of adding a bespoke forum to your own
website, social networking is amazing value!
In addition, smartphones are becoming more widespread
which is changing people's browsing habits. Social networking
sites are optimised to work on mobiles in a way that most
traditional websites aren't.
How can social media benefit your group?
Social media can bring a number of benefits to your amateur
arts or craft group including enabling you to:
• recruit new members;
• promote events such as concerts, fundraisers and weekly
meetings;
• stay informed of developments in your area of interest;
• get feedback from group members, event attendees etc. and
deepen relationships;
• support and make links with other local groups;
• gather momentum for fundraising;
• link with organisations like Voluntary Arts or funders, to get
information as soon as it becomes available;
• drive visitors to your website or blog if your have one;
• gain great 'word of mouth' support. People who love being
part of your group, or who have enjoyed one of your
performances can now tell the world!
Many groups have used social media to great effect when
entering the Voluntary Arts Epic Awards, by using Twitter and
Facebook to drum up support and ask for votes.
promoting participation in creative cultural activity
Glossary of terms
There may be terms that are unfamiliar to you, so here's an
explanation of the ones that are used in this Briefing:
• Post – anything that you share on social media, such as a
'tweet' on Twitter or a status update on Facebook
• Tweet – a 140-character update on Twitter
• (Status) update - posting about what you are doing or
sharing something interesting on Facebook and other
social networks.
• Like – clicking a 'thumbs up' symbol on Facebook to show
that you like something another user has shared.
• Hashtag (#) – a word or phrase prefixed with the #
symbol. Tagging posts enables them to be grouped and
searched more effectively.
• Content – anything that is shared on social media such
as information, photos, video and links.
• Spam – unsolicited and unwanted messages such as
advertising, inappropriate links or abusive messages.
• Page – a Facebook profile for your organisation or group
where you can see everything you have posted and
interact with others.
• Wall – the section of a Facebook page where your
updates and interactions with others are displayed –
usually organised in chronological order with the newest
posts at the top.

2. C. Creating a social media strategy
and policy
Having a strategy is beneficial so that you can make the most
of the time you spend on social media and make sure that it is
meeting the objectives of your group.
Your strategy should cover the following points:
• Establish your goals – work out what you are hoping to
achieve through your use of social media and note it down.
Maybe you're trying to increase membership by ten per cent
or aiming to get 30 people at your next event. Try and make
sure your goals are realistic and measurable.
• Identify appropriate social networks – there are over 500
social networking sites so it's impossible to be on all of them.
Do a bit of research and choose a few that are most
appropriate for you (Facebook and Twitter are currently the
most popular). You might want to start with just one and then
add another when your confidence grows. You can refer to
other Briefings listed in the Further Resources section to help
you set up accounts on popular social networks.
• Keep clear details of your social media log-in details –
and make sure this is kept secure and available to your
committee or chosen colleagues.
• Decide who will run the social media for your group – it
should be someone who has the enthusiasm, time and
confidence to take it on. They will also need to be trustworthy
and responsible as they will be representing your group
publicly. It's a good idea, if possible, to have a couple of
people who can share this responsibility.
• Decide how much time to devote to social media – it's good
to agree on how often you will post so that everyone knows
what is expected. This can be reviewed and revised as you
go on. It's unrealistic to expect administrators to be available
24 hours a day, so agree an appropriate timescale for checking
accounts and replying to comments. Ideally, it's good to have
someone who is able to check on a daily basis, and you may
need to arrange cover if that person is going to be away.
• Choose your tone of voice – social media is quite an
informal arena so it's best to use a conversational style rather
than a 'corporate' approach. It's important to agree as a group
how you would like to present yourselves on social media
and keep it consistent. When using group accounts (for
example @NewcastleBrassBand Twitter account), it's usually
best to post as though speaking on behalf of the group.
However, it's also good to encourage group members who
have their own personal social media accounts to post about
the group from an individual perspective.
• Decide on equipment – you may have group members who
are happy to use their own computer or smartphone to run
the group's social media. However, it may be a good
investment to buy a cheap smartphone for the group that can
be used by whoever is currently responsible for updating the
accounts. Many smartphones have very good cameras so it
could also be used as a group camera.
• Monitor effectiveness – decide when you will review your
social media strategy and how you will measure your
effectiveness against the goals you set out (more details on
the various ways to do this below).
Social media policy
In addition to the above, it is a good idea to have a simple
social media policy to make everyone in your group aware of
what is and isn't appropriate when using social media. It helps
everyone to know where they stand and gives them the
confidence to use social media responsibly. It doesn't have to
be complicated, but should cover these key points:
• Guidelines about what to post, including use of photos.
• The correct way to credit others and the right approach to
etiquette.
• Your policy on inappropriate material such as confidential or
offensive material.
• How to deal with complaints, spam or malicious comments.
You can use this Briefing as a guide to help you formulate a
social media policy that's suitable for your group.
D. Etiquette
As in life, etiquette is important on social media. Always
remember that you're dealing with other people. Be friendly
and helpful just as you would in 'real life'. Always be honest,
accurate and fair. Social networks are covered by libel laws so
be careful what you post and avoid posting anything about
another person that is unwarranted or untrue.
Remember that social media is a two-way street so it's really
important to engage with people and get into conversations -
respond to questions, ask other people questions, share advice,
be helpful. Try and balance marketing-style posts (where you
talk about what your group is doing) with more relationship-
building posts (where you show an interest in others).
It's very important to give credit if you have quoted
someone, rephrased their idea or passed on their link. Don't
pass off other people's posts as your own - why not use it as a
way to connect with other people/groups and generate new
followers for your own page? There are various conventions for
giving credit. The abbreviated nature of Twitter has lead to the
following shorthand:
• Retweet (RT) - this is simply sharing something someone
else has posted with your followers. There are two ways of
retweeting someone. Twitter has a built in Retweet button and
all you need to do is press it to copy a post exactly. You can
also do a manual retweet by writing 'RT @Username' (the
username of the person you are retweeting) and then copying
exactly what they wrote.
Briefing 164 / October 2013
Voluntary Arts Briefing
Working bilingually
If your organisation or group wants to reach people in
Wales through the medium of English and Welsh, you will
need to think about how to do this. For example, some
organisations choose to have two separate Twitter
accounts, some choose to have one account and tweet in
both languages through that account. Further advice on
can be found through Estyn Llaw (www.estynllaw.org) and
the Welsh Language Commissioner
(www.welshlanguagecommissioner.org).

3. • Modified tweet (MT) - this convention is becoming more
widespread and is used if you want to adapt what someone
has said before re-posting it (often necessary if it's too long to
fit in your tweet). The format is 'MT @Username' and then a
modified version of their tweet.
• Via - is used to acknowledge where you first heard of an idea
or saw a link, i.e. 'via @Username'. HT (heard through / hat tip)
is also less commonly used, and might be best avoided until
its use is more widespread, but is included here for reference.
It's also important to credit images on social media where at all
possible. If you have had photos taken by a professional
photographer, make sure you have permission and give
appropriate credit before sharing them.
You also need to make sure that members of your group are
happy to have their photos on social media. This can be as
simple as making the group aware of how you intend to use
social media and giving them the chance to opt out if they don't
want their image used. Children and vulnerable adults will need
written consent from a parent or guardian before their image
can be used. See the Briefing 151 on using photography for
more details.
E. Staying safe
Social networks can be a fantastic asset to your group and the
majority of people are able to use them without any difficulty or
threat from people with malicious intent. However, it is worth
being aware of the risks and making sure you take sensible
precautions to prevent damage to your reputation and to
protect the people you interact with.
• Make sure the person driving your social media is fully
briefed and will represent your group well. Ideally, have at
least two people who share the responsibility and make sure
your whole committee has access to the logins in case the
person doing the social media leaves your group.
• Remember that once you have posted something, you can't
control where it is shared so even if you delete it, it may still
be 'out there' somewhere. Only post things that you are
happy to have in the public domain.
• Take time to understand and adjust your privacy settings (see
Briefings 143 for Facebook and 148 for Twitter).
• Choose strong passwords and login information that can't be
found elsewhere. Try and use a random mixture of letters and
numbers and choose long passwords. Don't use information
that is easily found out such as the name of your meeting place.
• Sometimes social networks will ask to scan your address
book in order to find other people you know who are using
that network. It's best not to allow this to safeguard the
personal details of the people you know.
• Never publicly post personal details like home address, date
of birth or home phone number.
Dealing with negative comments and inappropriate posts
Some groups are understandably worried about what to do if
someone says something unfavourable about them on social
media. Social media is about a genuine dialogue so there may
be times when people will say unfavourable things. If someone
raises a dispute on social media, it's usually best to post a brief
acknowledgement and then send them a private message or
email to investigate further. Be polite and helpful and try to turn
their experience into a positive one. If they see that you are
genuinely listening and taking what they say seriously, they
may well become a staunch supporter.
If someone says something offensive or abusive, it's a
different matter and the best thing to do is to remove it as soon
as possible. You can report malicious posts on Facebook and
Twitter and you can also block people who are making a
nuisance of themselves. You could add a disclaimer to your
profile saying something like 'Please be aware that offensive or
abusive comments will be removed and repeat offenders may
be blocked.' Thankfully, abusive comments are still rare,
especially if you're being sensible about what you share and
who you share it with.
It's important to try and strike the right balance between
allowing honest feedback, but blocking anything that is
malicious or damaging.
Dealing with inappropriate volunteer behaviour
Another issue is what to do if one of your volunteers, or even
the person running your social media account, does something
inappropriate online. Firstly, it's really important that you don't
respond on the social network as it doesn't benefit anyone to
publicly reprimand a member of your group. It's better to delete
the inappropriate material and then have a private word with
the person in question to explain why you have done so.
Hopefully, they will understand and will be more careful in the
future. If they don't agree with your reasoning, then you may
need to have a discussion with the wider committee and come
to a consensus about what is and isn't appropriate. This
illustrates the importance of having a clear social media policy.
And remember, you always have the option of changing
your account passwords so that the volunteer can't log into the
account until the issue is resolved.
Protecting children
As there are so many children online, it's absolutely crucial that
your group knows how to do your bit to keep them safe.
With that in mind, the following tips will help your group act
appropriately:
• Try to keep all conversations with children in a public forum -
for example on the wall of your group's Facebook page rather
than in a private message.
• Avoid becoming 'friends' with a child through your personal
account.
• Make your social accounts child-friendly by moderating
discussions and regularly removing spam.
• Deal with inappropriate posts quickly and effectively so that
children are not exposed to offensive material.
Briefing 164 / October 2013
Voluntary Arts Briefing
UK Government guidance states:
'Adults should not share any personal information with a
child or young person. They should not request, or respond
to, any personal information from the child / young person.
Adults should ensure that all communications are
transparent and open to scrutiny.'
Source: Guidance for Safer Working Practice for Adults
Working with Children and Young People - January 2009

4. • Never share personal information with children or respond
when they share personal information with you. If they ask to
meet because they are interested in your group, ask them to
get an adult to contact you on their behalf.
• To avoid misinterpretation, be careful and clear about your
wording and avoid sarcasm.
• If you are concerned about what a child is posting on your
social network and the individual is known to you, you may
want to express its concern to the child's parents or guardians.
F. Measuring effectiveness
It's a good idea to have some way of measuring whether the
time you spend on social media is achieving the results you
hoped for, not least to help you convince your fellow members
that social media is a good idea. Getting an insight into how
people are responding will also help you to modify your approach
so that you can make your social media activity even more
effective. It's important to be realistic and not get disillusioned if
you don't achieve overnight success. It takes time and
commitment to build up a network, but you will get there.
There are plenty of analytic tools to help you assess your
progress against your plan. Facebook has built-in 'Insights' that
are available to page administrators. With other social
networks, you may need to use third-party tools to help you
monitor your effectiveness. A 'Twitter client' is a piece of
software or online tool that lets you manage your Twitter
account(s) and most clients have analytic tools so that you can
review your Twitter activity (some examples are included in
Further Resources). It can be a good idea to look at this
information regularly, perhaps on a monthly basis. You can use
it to track your progress against the goals set out in your social
media strategy and adapt your approach as necessary.
Further Resources
Voluntary Arts Briefings
Available to download from the Voluntary Arts website at
www.voluntaryarts.org. If you wish to reproduce or disseminate
material from the Briefings more widely, please email
info@voluntaryarts.org for more details.
• 157 – Child Protection Part V
• 155 – Handling complaints
• 148 – Creating a Twitter presence
• 147 – Creating a YouTube presence
• 143 – Creating a Facebook presence
Glossary
• Social media – an A-Z glossary for beginners –
http://blurgroup.com/blog/2012/04/09/social-media-an-a-z-
glossary-for-beginners-updated
Creating a social media strategy and policy
• Social media planning guide (PDF) – www.ictchampions.org.uk
/wp-content/Social-Media-Planning-Guide.pdf
• Social media, risk and policies for associations (PDF) –
www.socialfish.org/wp-content/downloads/socialfish-policies-
whitepaper.pdf
• Example social media guidelines for volunteers –
http://everydayvictimblaming.com/news/social-media-
guidelines-for-volunteers
Staying safe
• Handling negative comments on Facebook –
http://eduniverse.org/5-tips-handling-negative-social-media-
comments-facebook-real-time
• Protecting children (The Safe Network) – www.safenetwork.org.uk
/help_and_advice/Pages/using_social_media.aspx
Briefing 164 / October 2013
Voluntary Arts Briefing
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