Your social tools can do everything automatically, so you don’t need a lengthy workflow section in your policy. This is especially important for brands and organizations in the regulated industries. But all brands have regulatory compliance responsibilities, especially for marketing claims and disclosures. For example, if your company values are ‘authentic’, ‘involved’, ‘responsible’, and ‘respectful’, you can use these to develop goals for your social channels.
Social Media In Higher Education: 14 Essential Tips
First off, remember there isn‘t just one ’right’ policy that works for every company. As you draft your policy, don’t get caught up in tutorials or details. They prohibit “sharing any content that reveals unit availability, occupancy rates, or resident demographics,” according to Marketing Manager Gunnar Blakeway-Walen. A well-crafted and enforced social policy keeps you in line with the rules and regulations.
The FTC most recently updated its disclosure guidelines in June 2023. The FTC made it clear that brands can’t use virtual influencers — or any AI-generated personas — to create fake or misleading endorsements. The FTC requires content creators to disclose all “material connections” to brands. This includes personal, family, and employment relationships — not just financial relationships.
Your business does not have to be on every social media platform out there. Instead, focus on channels that offer the most opportunities for your business to attract potential customers and spread awareness. It’s also a good practice to retrain employees on your company’s social media policy annually. Consequences for social media policy violations are important to maintain compliance and keep social media users accountable. One post can reflect poorly on your nonprofit, and viewers aren’t always so understanding. Before an unsavory post goes viral on the internet, we encourage you to take a look at our step-by-step plan for creating a nonprofit social media policy.
Account Ownership
Importantly, the policy must apply uniformly across all organizational levels, from entry-level staff to senior executives. Ensuring that everyone is aware of and understands their responsibilities in maintaining a positive and respectful online presence is crucial for the policy’s effectiveness. If you want your employees to respect your social media policy, they must be aware that there are consequences for violating it, including termination of employment. As Alex mentioned, employees should be mindful of what they post, and with a social media policy, your employees will know what they can and can’t do on social media.
It might be moving, but it’s certainly not heading toward its destination. These rules provide the direction you need to navigate the choppy waters of social media and actually get somewhere. Imagine your brand as a person having thousands of conversations online at once. Without a clear identity, it’s like sending out a dozen different people to represent you—each with their own personality, tone of voice, and style. It dilutes your message and makes your brand completely forgettable in an endlessly scrolling feed. 7.2 Employees are permitted to indicate that they work for Lamar University.
As we’ve seen, some companies have vague and general social media policies. A really good social media policy will reflect the specific nature of your company and business. A social media policy should protect the company and set boundaries for the employee. To maintain a professional and appropriate relationship with students, NYCPS employees should not communicate on personal social media sites with students who are currently enrolled in NYCPS schools.
It’s essential to focus on preventing harm to the company, rather than policing employees’ personal lives. Establishing these boundaries will help employees feel respected while giving employers the ability to protect their business interests. Additionally, some companies may have policies that restrict the use of social media altogether during work hours, especially if it detracts from work performance. In this case, it’s crucial to respect those policies and use social media responsibly.
Since businesses usually have different processes and codes of conduct, it is necessary to tailor these sections according to your corporate values and employees’ preferences. These guidelines lay down a framework that incorporates your company’s regulations as well as the rules that are established by law. A clear social media policy with well-defined consequences is easier to enforce.