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THE SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY WORKBOOK You like Then why don’t you share
The Social Media Policy Workbook
Social media is everywhere and it’s leaky The rapid growth of social media means that everyone is connected. Not just your marketing department and customers. But your employees, your shareholders, your suppliers and vendors too. And they do love to talk. Not everyone associated with your business is aware of the damage they can do to your brand. Bar a few malicious folk, most social media mistakes are innocent: posted by people that are, for the most part, unaware of the risks. Now is the time to get good social media governance in place. And that starts with a robust policy.
Survey says ... We ran a survey earlier this year on social media and the law. We asked 183 large brands whether they had a social media policy in place. 19% didn’t have one at all!
download
You can download the full survey at http://bit.ly/IFSocMedLaw
76
of companies consider disclosure of confidential information to be a serious social media legal risk
yet
61
of companies are not confident that sensitive or confidential information is protected on social media platforms
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Not sure what a social media policy is A social media policy does a whole lot more than just set out your rules for social media engagement. It protects your company against liability caused by your workforce It focuses your attention on the distinction between private and professional social media usage It makes sure your business complies with the law and regulations It sets out your expectations, defines standards and identifies responsibilities
Before and AFTER Policies are preventative. They help you protect your business before an ugly situation arises. But you might want to think about afterwards too. Take a look at your insurance, professional indemnity, general liability cover and crisis plans.
It mitigates reputational risk and plugs the gaps in your vulnerabilities
Not convinced you need a policy
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Peek at what has happened in real situations and you might think otherwise… HMV might have preferred that those hearing about redundancies didn’t make their feelings quite so well known on Twitter http://bit.ly/V4rtjU Wetherspoons successfully won its case to dismiss an employee because they had a social media policy in place http://bit.ly/160GQfF Paris Brown steps down as the UK’s first Youth Police and Crime Commissioner six days after being appointed, leaving the Kent Police reputation in tatters http://bit.ly/11nAdAd A policy can support your case in an employment tribunal http://bit.ly/15v28Se
You HAVE to find the time! The trouble with any policy is that you never appreciate the value of it until something goes wrong. It’s only when you’re in the throes of defence during an employment tribunal, or battling with a tsunami of reputation damaging tweets, that you fully appreciate the brilliance of a well-thought through social media policy.
So what are you waiting for, shall we get started
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Lots and lots of checklists Actually it’s mostly lots of questions. Questions that will help you create a social media policy to be proud of!
Take it from the top Your policy is business critical You need to look at the BIG PICTURE first to determine the business impact and plug all the vulnerabilities
You might like to print the rest of this workbook out So you can scribble down your thoughts. By the end you will have a framework for your policy – Whoop! Job done.
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
A policy with purpose Your policy needs to strike the right balance between setting out the rules; educating and defining boundaries; and communicating simply. What broad issues do you want to address with your policy?
Consider all your potential stakeholders Employees Ex employees IT / Tech Legal
Who is your policy for?
Marketing Unions Tele / Home workers Casual & temporary staff Volunteers Suppliers
How are you already active in social media?
Vendors / Partners Shareholders Other?
Gather the detail Get buy-in If your policy is going to succeed then you need buy-in from the top and across critical departments. Think about who you might want on a policy team and who might champion your efforts
Before putting pen to paper you need to hoover up all the relevant policies and documents from across your business.
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
your social media policy will need to fit with your current practices. Identify existing documents that will integrate and impact your social media policy, including: Existing crisis documentation
Think stylishly Whilst you review all your documents, you can also note down the tone, format and design style – to keep your social policy in line with your corporate identity.
Compliance and regulatory documents Advertising or promotional guidelines Current company policies Grievance, harassment and disciplinary procedures Standard employment contracts Business continuity plans Prevalent restrictive covenants Employee Handbook
Maybe a revision or two You might actually want to also amend some of your current policies whilst you are revisiting practices. Make them current for the social media age
Platform terms of use IT & electronic communications (email) policy Privacy and data protection policy Recruitment policy Sensitive information and security policies Copyright and IP policy
Current policies might include these
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Ask and you shall uncover the insights that tailor your policy to your company. There are two we recommend‌ 1. A vulnerability audit
Conduct interview
Helps you identify and plug the gaps
Talking to executives across the disciplines helps you unearth the potential issues. Ask the right questions and you may find potential vulnerabilities your senior team may not even be aware of
Identify loose cannons
Imagine scenarios
Examine the weaknesses in company communications and operations. Consider what might happen if you lose the internet or get hacked
Brainstorm the differing issues and anticipate the outcomes. Plan for each situation
Always conduct your interviews in confidence
Brainstorming across disciplines makes certain that you consider all the risks
2. Skills and capabilities How in depth will you need to explain terms and social platforms in your policy? Well, it depends on the skills and capabilities of your workforce. Think about the questions you might ask in the following categories ‌ Social media knowledge
Involvement in social media for the company
Usage of social media platforms
Tools used for social communication
In our humble opinion Early consultation with your co-workers and stakeholders will bring you greater buy-in later down the line when you are ready to publish your policy. This bit does take time, but it is phenomenal for raising awareness.
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Enough assimilating information, let ’s get on with drafting the darn thing
Now for the social media Of course you must follow the policy model of your organisation, but the following guidelines will help you consider all the elements
Click here ut o a nd c he c k K U r e th o 30 ocial s company ies c li o p media
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
POLICY TEMPLATE Make a statement Set your scene and manage expectations
Kick start your policy by defining your terms, the level of guidance and how it applies to your other policies
Position and define What is the purpose of your social media policy? (Tell those reading what this will help them do; how it applies to them; and how it fits with the company brand, ethos and culture)
Tell them which other company policies this supplements Who does this apply to? (Which personnel and which departments?)
You might need a separate policy for those that communicate on behalf of the company through social media – something more in-depth and platform specific.
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
*!
Which media matter
it Ge t a bi t expl i c
! *# !
Social media is always evolving so your definitions should include the major platforms, and also future proof for networks yet to launch
Don’t be tempted to write detailed clauses to cover every single platform or eventuality – it will make your policy too long to be intelligible
Platforms to consider and add to: Facebook
YouTube
Forums
Social bookmarking sites (Diigo, StumbleUpon)
Blogs
Community sites Ning
MySpace Flickr
Tumblr Other
Wikipedia
Google+
Create a definitive list of approved social media platforms for company engagement
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
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Social security A safe start. From the tools you use, to the passwords you set, outline what can and cannot be used – and who takes responsibility Securing your network Who has permission to set up a company profile and where will passwords be stored? How can employees gain permission to access or set up company social profiles?
Authorised tools to use for work communications Monitoring tools
• • Social media engagement / customer service tools • Measurement and analytics tools linked to profiles
You might also want to consider a tool that allows you to store all your posts and tweets, securely. We use Social Safe http://bit.ly/savesocial
Responsibilities Who has overall responsibility for this policy?
• • Who will monitor, review and escalate issues if need be? • Which employees have permission to engage in social media on behalf of the company?
The Social Media Policy Workbook
Spell it out Outline acceptable behaviour: Clear and unequivocal guidelines work, but so does letting your employees take responsibility. Empower your staff, and you’ll get better results Identify elements for a code of conduct
You might want to include: What is acceptable behaviour – honesty and responsibility? Fair use during working hours What’s appropriate when sharing information internally and protecting personal reputations? The guidelines for external use – representing the company views and protecting the company reputation Confidentiality, copyright and IP and gaining authorisation Competitions, promotions and endorsements Acceptable use of third party content and links Knowledge of social platform terms of use Consideration of colleagues and privacy - avoiding gossip or heated debates Some general tips and advice for being safe in social media
A good policy starts from a position of trust your people want to do the right thing, so you need to create a safe framework of practical information
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Make it yours and theirs too
Try and keep the rules minimal and positive more DO than DON’T!
Tailor to you and your staff: Make it personal and include examples. It helps to make everything crystal clear and relevant Which elements will you tailor to your audience with clear explanations?
For some staff, you may need to show examples of defamation, libel or copyright infringement in social media
What is your expectation of personal social media activity?
Are there current policies they must still adhere to outside of working hours, such as bullying, harassment and data protection?
Draw a line between work and home life–but make clear when work cannot leak into private lives / or in many cases today, personal usage on a mobile device
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
You need to set some rules A code of conduct and tailored guidelines set the framework. But you will still need to have some clear rules. Hard stops that unequivocally tell readers what you expect. What do you consider social media misconduct or misuse?
Make clear the company position on abusive, obscene, discriminatory, harassing, derogatory or defamatory content
What do you consider to be confidential information?
Detail what is sensitive, anti-competitive, private or confidential
What regulatory and legal compliances must be adhered to?
Get the lawyers in! Sure it can be expensive. But then litigation can be more expensive
Want to swot up on social media law? Have a look at our ‘social media and the law’ best practice paper. Written in plain English and designed for those not legally minded, it highlights the laws you should be aware of and the steps you can take to prevent litigation. http://bit.ly/LegalSocial
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
What to do If things get ugly or difficult, what do you want your stakeholders to do? Consider how best to share difficult situations and how personnel can take preventative steps What to do if someone makes a mistake on a social network, who should be told and how might it be redressed?
• How will you escalate an
issue if it gets out of hand?
Disclaimers to use on personal social networks
• Pre-prepared statements might make it easier for some of your employees who are active on social networks
How will you help stakeholders keep safe? List some of the areas worth explaining such as:
• How to set privacy
settings on networks (and when is private not really private!)
• Where to find ‘terms
of use’ for the popular platforms. How to be safe online.
How to raise a grievance if you have been harassed, bullied or offended by material posted by a colleague on social media
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Action and consequences Ultimately, breach of rules can have wider consequences for both the individual and the company. You need to inform stakeholders of the action you will take. What and how the company may monitor employees? Ensuring you adhere to the law and are not excessively nosey!
Watch out as the laws on permissible employee monitoring vary between country and in the USA, between States
What is your disciplinary procedure? Will your steps to disciplinary action differ from your normal policy?
Explain potential staff legal liability You may need to spell out where there are legal consequences to the individual.
Employers can be held vicariously liable for the actions of employees on social networking sites. There is a useful explanation on http://bit.ly/14a3d0i
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
OMG there is a lot to do Developing a rounded and fully inclusive policy can seem pretty daunting. It certainly takes time and can involve a number of key disciplines Advice from people who are immersed in social media every single day. A revi ew to pl ug the gaps ce, but
a policy in pla You might already have iew. IF will help you rev a g erin are now consid f your guidance. update and future-proo
immediate future has helped a number of well-known brands create robust and valuable social media policies. Let’s be straight, we are not lawyers. But using our hands-on experience in social, we work with companies to deliver pragmatic advice on what needs to be included in a social media policy. We can quickly identify your social vulnerabilities and the practical solutions that will still keep you talking to your customers!
Create a policy from scratch The immediate future framework Drawing on best practice across multiple functions, disciplines and industry sectors, IF considers:
development Guiding your company through the ely with all clos work of a policy, the IF team will your stakeholders.
• Nuances gleaned from using social media daily
(including the challenges of working with media not always designed for enterprise)
• Use of integrated multichannel social media and cross functional requirements
• Capabilities of staff and policy guidance that makes clear expectations
• Fit with the brand – tone of voice, image uses, etc. • Uncover and address vulnerabilities and reputation risk to the brand
• Highlight which laws need to be considered
and where you should involve legal teams, HR and regulatory bodies
• Potential crisis scenarios, including what to do if your profile is hacked
• Technology considerations from NFC to platform changes
• Potential conflicts or inconsistencies that might arise in the future
• Ensuring clauses fit with social networks’ Terms • Future management of social media information of Use and storage of data for disclosure
• Using plain language definitions to make the document understandable to all employees
• Awareness of upcoming legislation such as changes to EU identity and privacy laws
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Expect your draft to be an iterative process involving people across the company to refine and develop it further
Now you can start drafting your own policy But that isn’t the end of it. There is a lot more to do to communicate your policy and ensure that it will stand up in a tribunal too
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
Next stop is communication and training Once the policy is on the page you need to get it off the page! And quickly. Your employees and stakeholders need to understand your policy. But more importantly you need to show that you have trained and communicated if you are to avoid litigation.
What steps will you take to train employees?
When Apple faced a tribunal hearing it was able to win its case because it could show that it had trained its staff and communicated the policy http://bit.ly/ZhYc8i
Who do you need to train? How often will you train? Will the course be on or offline or a combination of both?
66
of employees are not very aware of social platform terms of use
Don’t forget to include some real life examples
What essential elements will the training courses include? Consider whether to tailor the training to differing audiences and their responsibilities within the organisation
Thinking about outsourcing your training? Then give Katy a call on 0845 408 2031 She trains for the IDM, CiPR and CIM too.
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
onl y 6
C o de the Cap aware of ns on o are very ti regula and A SA and promotion g in is rt ve ad
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Keep on communicating
Beyond training and making sure your teams are all delivering best practice social media, you need to keep social media front of mind. Get together with internal comms, think campaigns and start a programme to keep your policy front of mind Which elements of the policy will you bring to life with internal communications campaigns?
What on-going programmes will drip feed information and encourage feedback and questions?
Need help to devise creative communications from video through to desktop reminders? Then give the IF team a shout – we are quite good at this stuff
How will you future proof your policy and adopt policies arising from employee and stakeholder feedback?
Do consider how you will future proof. Who needs to be part of an on-going policy team and how often should you meet and review?
The Social Media Policy Workbook
Be smart and consider crisis Things go wrong. Even with a belt and braces policy, you cannot legislate for every damaging eventuality. Create a crisis plan. A social media crisis plan
Adam Lewis, MD and crisis expert at IF, suggests that developing your crisis plans alongside your policy ensures you plug all the vulnerability gaps.
There is a lot to consider when creating a crisis plan … What constitutes a crisis?
How will you monitor and manage a crisis?
What scenarios are likely (gleaned from your vulnerability audit)?
How will you communicate with those not at the coalface of a crisis?
What will be your escalation process?
More?
Who will take responsibility, and who needs to be involved?
More?
Yes, there is a lot more to a crisis plan. We could create another 20 pages. But now you have got this far, why don’t you talk to us at immediate future – we can do it for you. And once the plan is in place, we can help you run a crisis simulation, which puts your team under the same crisis pressures as real life, but in a secure and safe environment where you can all learn.
We even use a clever social media simulation tool that lets participants tweet, blog, write news stories and behave just as they would in social media. But behind your firewall – safe and protected
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The Social Media Policy Workbook
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A helicopter view 1 Set goals and define audiences
5
2
Outline responsibilities, tools and authorities
Vulnerability audit and survey staff capabilities
6
Explain how to take action and the consequences of misuse
3 Gather information
Your social media policy
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4
Make clear the purpose and define the media
Make clear the purpose and define the media
8 Train and communicate
In our experience creating a policy is actually incredibly rewarding. You get to talk to people across your organisation. You get to develop something for a new communications age. And you get to enhance your own knowledge.
9 Now go develop your crisis plan
Enjoy it! We do!
The Social Media Policy Workbook
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Wanting more If you like the workbook then you might want to download (for free)‌. Risky Business: How to stay legal when using social media With social media litigation increasing, now is the time to get better informed. Download the immediate future social media law guide to discover: What laws and regulations are relevant to social media Guidelines to help you protect confidential information The steps you can take to ensure your competitions and promotions comply with ASA regulations and gaming laws How you might protect ownership of your social media profiles? What content you can share and curate without breaking copyright or IP? How social activity impacts employment law?
Why don’t we connect? We would be delighted to meet you, or you can call us on
0845 408 2031
Shall we be social
You can also chat to us anytime: IF on Twitter (@iftweeter) IF on Google+ IF on LinkedIn Katy Howell on Twitter (@katyhowell) Katy Howell on LinkedIn
Oh! And if you like this workbook, please share on social, comment on our blog or just tell everyone you know!