Social media is a great tool for promoting your brand, and your employees are natural advocates. Your social media policy will set out rules for using social media, guidelines for security, and explain the consequences of violating the policy. Without proper training on social media policy, they might share internal achievements or plans, thinking they’re helping to bolster the brand’s image. In reality, they could be disclosing sensitive information, showing precisely why training isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. Every brand hopes never to face a social media storm, but in case the clouds gather, it’s paramount to have a plan. The procedures for crisis management within a social media policy lay out a structured approach to navigating these turbulent times.

This will provide a clear picture of the naming conventions you’ve used for your accounts. If not, now’s the time to choose a style and note it in your style guide. This will make new accounts on new channels more easily discoverable for fans. This includes everything from your brand identity (e.g. your logo and colors), to your tone of voice — and even how you use emojis and hashtags.

Again, the Hootsuite content library is a great help here since you can create a catalog of pre-approved images for your social team to draw from. You likely want to avoid sharing posts from your competitors, for example. We’ve mostly focused so far on creating consistency in your written language. While your employees will certainly have different accents and ways of speaking in your videos, your brand name and products need to be pronounced consistently. Again, there’s no right or wrong answer until you define your brand style in your style guide.

If you already have these details in your social media kit, you can either copy the relevant sections into your policy or provide a link to the original document for easy reference. [newline]For example, government agencies typically require more comprehensive guidelines. The U.S. Department of Commerce policy, for instance, spans multiple chapters of detailed rules. However, that level of detail would be a bit of overkill for a small business.

To get a sense of the different kinds of social media guidelines out there, we’ve broken these examples out by industry. Clarify that privacy and confidentiality should be respected across all social media platforms. Or, start with our free social media guidelines template, which you’ll find linked below. The FTC social media guidelines also require clear disclosure when an influencer or other third party receives compensation of any kind for a social post. If your business doesn’t have a Social Media Policy yet, now is the time to create one. Don’t leave your online presence to chance—build a foundation that supports both compliance and creativity.

For example, maybe you’ve noticed certain brands have a distinct social style. Like Wendy’s, with their sassy, sharp-tongued posts that people enjoy so much, they’ll even request a roast. Publish content via social on a regular basisWhile it is not necessary to post every day on every platform, the accounts should reflect a consistent effort related to posting and engagement. Social Media TakeoversA social media takeover happens when you allow an individual to lead the content of your social media account for a set period of time. Prior to scheduling a takeover, account manager(s) must review takeover strategy with the Division of Strategic Communications.

Coca-cola Social Media Policy

Start by gathering key stakeholders—HR, legal, marketing, and IT—to discuss why the social media policy is needed and what it should achieve. We’ve created social media communities to engage with our stakeholders, foster discussion and learn about your experiences. As such, we are not responsible for their content or opinions, and we reserve the right to remove any comment or content for any reason.

These guidelines do not apply to personal social media accounts or social media accounts for non-university organizations, such as registered student organizations or employee unions. Nothing in these guidelines is intended to interfere with faculty exercise of academic freedom in appropriate forums. The Greater New Orleans Foundation provides a sample social media policy that outlines clear guidelines for employees engaging in online platforms. This policy emphasises the importance of transparency, respect, and confidentiality, ensuring that all online communications align with the organisation’s values and legal standards. Moreover, social media policies are not just for large organisations with dedicated communications teams. Smaller non-profits often have multiple individuals, including volunteers, managing their social media presence.

How Can I Ensure Employees Follow The Social Media Guidelines?

This develops a more reliable, trustworthy identity for your company, turning customers into loyal fans and ambassadors. Each exemplifies clear expectations and ethical standards for employee behavior online. Begin by understanding the platforms employees use and ensuring adherence to the site’s terms of service. The policy should adapt to changes in technology and company culture to remain relevant and effective.

Why Do You Need Social Media Guidelines?

Grab our easy-to-use template and tailor it to fit your business needs. Your policy should include a step-by-step plan for handling negative comments, viral criticism, or other PR issues. Be clear about who’s in charge and how to respond quickly and professionally. Marketing and communications staff need different rules for branded content and official messages.

Guardrails around appropriate social media use protect both you and them. Emphasis is the UK’s leading business-writing training company, offering specialist business-writing training and consultancy services to private and public sector organisations all over the world. For example, say you’re a finance brand that’s just started to use Instagram. You don’t have access to loads of real-life photography but you want to be visual, original and stand out from your competitors. Creating a do’s and don’ts list is ideal for people to easily see what’s OK and what’s not. If you have one, include your approval loop process, so employees know how to get their content approved and live.