What to Include in a Social Media Policy
Many things can and do go wrong for business on social media. Whether it is Internet trolls, a customer complaint or employees behaving badly, small mistakes can turn into disasters. One of the most proactive things a business can do is develop a social media policy.
Without a social media policy an organisation runs the risk of not being able to adequately manage their social media activities. Although a social media policy can avoid a PR crisis it can also aid management should a social media debacle occur. When writing a social media policy it is important to include the right things.
Things to Consider when Writing a Social Media Policy:
Company Culture
Each company has a culture which comes from the values and beliefs of the organisation. Your policy will be more effective if the social media policy is customised to this culture.
Consult Your Team
All employees need to be included in the process of developing a social media policy. Their input will be invaluable and they are more likely to take ownership and embrace the policy.
Be Specific
The policy needs to be clear and to the point so that it is not misunderstood.
Write in a Friendly Tone
Writing in a dictatorial tone will not get your employees on board. It needs to be written to encourage engagement where everyone has responsibility.
Some Things to Include in a Social Media Policy:
Define Social Media
There are many different social media platforms with various purposes and technology is constantly changing. Define what your organisation means by social media to avoid misunderstandings.
Social Media Goals
What are your goals with social media? What does your company want to achieve? This way the whole team is aiming for the same thing and content is developed accordingly.
Roles and Responsibilities
All those who are involved with your social media activities need to know who is doing what. This is particularly the case where there are multiple people managing the same accounts. Everyone needs to complement each other and individuals need to know the boundaries.
These are only some of things that need to be considered when writing a social media policy as there are internal and external issues involved. It is also important to have a lawyer look at your policy if they haven’t been involved in the process.
One of the aims of a social media policy is set the ground rules on social media interaction to protect your organisation, empower your staff and plan ahead.
Does your organisation have a social media policy and how is it working?
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