By specifying what is considered confidential, it ensures employees don’t unintentionally leak proprietary details, financial data, or internal strategies. Once, social media accounts were for showcasing your gourmet dinner and cat pics. But now, social media is the communication epicenter for both personal use and colossal enterprises. First and foremost, always consider the implications of what you post and follow the terms of service or community guidelines of the platforms you use. All members of the UMBC community are also expected to follow applicable university policies (e.g., Code of Student Conduct, Faculty Handbook and Staff Handbook).

It may be better instead for us to have a private dialogue about your issue through email or telephone conversation. Libraries should clearly state the consequences for posts that do not meet the library’s social media policy, which should be drafted in consultation with legal counsel. Permanently blocking a patron from the social media site based on prior comments could be considered a prior restraint in violation of the First Amendment. Social media policies should provide recourse for individuals to express complaints or concerns about content posted on the library’s social media. This establishes an objective and uniform framework for all involved while protecting the creative freedom and skills needed to engage library communities. The procedure for handling complaints and for reconsidering social media content should be clearly enunciated in the policy statement and applicable to everyone.

Boston Scientific wants to provide a respectful and welcoming community for all and may remove comments that use profanity, hate speech or other offensive language. Please understand that we cannot respond to every comment, and that we cannot offer medical advice, diagnosis or treatment via the Internet. If you have a question about your specific medical condition, you should contact your doctor or other qualified healthcare professional. For example, AI can catch things like missing disclosures, unapproved claims, or sensitive information the moment they appear. Compliance teams can then use dashboards to keep an eye on all accounts and step in quickly when something needs to be removed or approved.

But you may need to bend the rules a bit for specific social campaigns or platforms. You should also define your call-to-action (CTA) placement in captions. For example, some brands opt to put links in the comments on LinkedIn rather than the post itself. These rules apply to your social media post captions and any comments or replies from your brand account. There will always be new platforms to join, and as your brand sets its sites on the latest popular channels, these guidelines will come in handy. Main social media accounts – The University of Alabama social media accounts run by the Division of Strategic Communications.

Social media is used by many brands to engage with new customers and enhance their brand image, but there are some inherent risks to it. Also, the same content cannot be posted on all platforms, so you need to determine the topics that should go on a specific forum concerning its audience. For example, Walmart’s guidelines clearly dictate that the company uses its Twitter account to engage with its customers and offer essential information to them.

However, it has also increased companies’ exposure to security and data breaches, regulatory penalties and public relations (PR) backlashes. Consequently, it’s important that companies provide clear guidance on appropriate use of these platforms. Commanders must understand that they are assuming some risks when posting online, which can result in communication errors, audience misinterpretation and other unintended consequences. With the right knowledge, tools and approach, you can minimize these risks while maintaining public communication with your audience. Create guidelines for engaging with your audience on social media, including how to respond to comments, messages, and mentions.

It wouldn’t have been weird if the marketing and cultural juggernaut we know as Coca-Cola didn’t provide a strong set of social media guidelines, and they deliver. Similar to Adidas, Coca-Cola embraces the fact that their employees are constantly online and encourages them to be brand ambassadors on social media. It also provides clear guidelines as to how to deal with criticism, trolls, and bad actors. Their guidelines are simple — unless you are a spokesperson, don’t say anything. A takeover involves handing over control of your social media accounts to an influencer, employee, or industry expert for a set period.

To protect a company’s reputation, ensure messages align with brand values, and provide clear procedures should things go awry. In today’s social media climate and regardless of public vs. private social media accounts, everything you post is public to a degree and posts can never be truly scrubbed from the internet. Social media accounts that use CUNY’s name, likeness or logo to disseminate offensive, abusive and inappropriate content could violate student code of conduct and employee policies and procedures. A social media style guide is an important document for social teams of all sizes. Whether you’re a team of one or 100, recording your decisions about brand voice and style in a central place ensures consistency in your social media presence — and builds brand trust.

Customize For Regions And Business Units

Something like “All opinions expressed are my own” helps make it clear that these are not official viewpoints, like this university strategist and instructor does here. Your Social Media Policy should be written in simple, jargon-free language. Use bullets, subheadings, and short paragraphs to improve readability.

Nordstrom advises employees to avoid creating conflicts of interest and to consult HR with any questions regarding the related policies. Ford’s social media policy consists of five core principles that guide employee behavior online. These examples highlight the importance of having clear, well-defined policies that address various aspects of social media use. Clear and accessible social media guidelines encourage employee participation and eliminate confusion, fostering a positive and professional online presence for the brand. Social media is a public platform, and negative comments or complaints about the company can be damaging if not handled correctly. Whether it’s a disgruntled customer, a dissatisfied employee, or an external party, addressing these comments swiftly and professionally is essential for maintaining the company’s reputation.

Those cases, however, are still winding their way through the court appeals process and currently there is no definitive ruling from the United States Supreme Court. We encourage your posts and comments in social media channels maintained by Mass General. Lilium, a producer of electric jets, provides detailed information about the use of personal social media data. Since the company is based in Germany, the policy is designed to comply with GDPR. A social media compliance policy is a simple but effective way to educate your employees.

Outline The Do’s, Don’ts And Whys

A clear Social Media Policy outlines how to prevent, manage, and respond to such crises—helping your business stay in control and maintain its reputation. In today’s real-time digital world, one tweet, comment, or post can instantly affect your business—for better or worse. A strong Social Media Policy acts as a protective shield for your brand, ensuring that online activity reflects your values, complies with the law, and builds trust with your audience. Importantly, the Social Media Policy applies not only to official company pages but also to personal accounts when an employee’s content can be linked to the company. For example, an employee venting about work on LinkedIn could raise compliance or PR concerns. Websites and social media accounts should clearly display the contact information of the account manager.

Must-have Elements Of A Social Media Style Guide

You can also organize workshops, webinars, or meetings to explain your guidelines and answer any questions. You can also create checklists, templates, or tools to help your team and stakeholders implement your guidelines. Next, you need to define who is in charge of what when it comes to social media.

While your employees can post whatever they want on their personal social media accounts, it’s your responsibility to set policies for what you can and can’t tolerate as a company. Social media is a powerful tool, but it comes with significant responsibility. Employees’ actions online can have far-reaching consequences, both for themselves and for their employers. It’s essential for companies to hold employees accountable for their social media behavior and establish clear consequences for violations of company policies.

Ford offers a simple, five-point guide that makes participation easy to understand. It covers topics like identifying oneself as a Ford employee, respecting others, protecting confidential information, and adhering to legal requirements. This straightforward approach helps employees quickly grasp their responsibilities on social media. Even the best Social Media Policy won’t work if people don’t know it exists. Introduce it during onboarding and reinforce it through regular training sessions.