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As more organizations make social media an integral part of their communications efforts and the idea of “brand representative” gains widespread hold, the potential for brand damage grows.
Probably the majority of organizations using social media have some type of policy—from informal to very strict. But simply the act of having a social media policy doesn’t guarantee success. Recently, software company Infosys’social media policy couldn’t keep disgruntled employees in check. They apparently took to external message boards and chat rooms complaining about the company’s salary structure.
So it’s back to the guidelines drawing board for India-based Infosys. “Executives have a fear of letting employees say stupid things,” muses Michael Brito, VP of social media at Edelman Digital. “But it happens.”
Make no mistake, your employees are having digital conversations on a daily basis, says Brito. “Organizations empowering employees as spokespeople—it can only do a brand justice,” he says.
But Brito, who helps clients develop their social media guidelines, sees confusion on the part of executives in how to craft the right policies for them. “They’re not really sure what guidelines mean, and they don’t know how to go about developing them,” says Brito. “Do we dive in headfirst? Do we take small steps?”
Those are questions, Brito says, that need to be answered individually, according to structure and culture. To keep the guidelines in perspective, Brito has a suggestion: “Keep it smart but simple, with a caveat that there needs to be empowerment and protection,” he says.
SIMPLE STRATEGY
Keeping the guidelines simple was a major objective of the Mayo Clinic, says Lee Aase, the clinic’s manager of syndication and social media. But simplicity in an industry ripe with regulation isn’t easy. So Aase and other internal stakeholders decided to apply social media guidelines to the organization’s existing employee policies, which made the process less complicated, he says Aase.
“We started out with the blanket declaration that existing clinic policies all apply in the social media space,” he says. “We then more specifically linked social media to policies like HIPAA.”
Mayo started work on its guidelines about three years ago, using policies from IBM, Intel and Sun as resources, says Aase. “We wanted to launch an internal blog, and needed to communicate our expectations to employees,” he says.
Now Mayo’s social media efforts cover more than an internal blog, and for a healthcare provider, the Mayo’s guidelines are pretty loose. “It’s OK for you to be on Facebook and have your own blog, but do have a disclaimer that you’re speaking for yourself, and don’t hide the fact that you’re working for Mayo,” says Aase.
So far, a relatively hands-off policy seems to be working. “We expect our medical professionals to act professionally,” says Aase. “We might need to pull someone aside and say ‘this is something that might put you in a bad light.’”
BACK IT UP
Acting responsibly via social media is a mantra at the Washington, D.C.-based American Institute of Architects (AIA), says Sybil Barnes, the organization’s director of social media. Relatively new to social media outreach, the AIA is now holding a series of social media orientations for staff.
The nonprofit also has an online “social media center” that keeps staff informed about the guidelines, and a “social media team” comprised of reps from various parts of the organization. The AIA’s message to employees: “We want to be able to turn you loose, but here are these guidelines to help you do so responsibly,” says Barnes. “It’s more about guiding as opposed to controlling.”
PERSONAL VS. PRO
Feedback from staff has highlighted one key area where guidance is needed, says Barnes. And that is, “How do I keep the personal content separate from the professional?”
When creating social media guidelines, that’s the million dollar question, says Brito. “It’s the idea of branded profiles versus personal profiles,” he says. At Intel, for example, branded profiles are “owned” by the company, says Brito. But there’s a fine line between the two, and Brito generally recommends that organizations leverage personal profiles. “People relate to other people, not to logos,” he says. The “80-20 rule” works for Brito—80% personal content, 20% about the brand. But for some companies those numbers can be reversed.
ADJUSTABLE EDICT
To AIA’s Barnes, the guidelines drawn up are meant to be changed to accommodate such dilemmas: “It’s a living, breathing document and we expect changes to be made.” For now, Barnes offers the following tips for those contemplating social media guidelines:
• Determine why you are embarking on a social media plan. You shouldn’t just jump in because everyone else is jumping in.
• Take time to understand the different social channels. They have different flavors.
• Go slow, be patient. Developing a plan and a community is not going to happen overnight.
Where are social media guidelines headed? “The trend is toward more openness,” says Brito. “Organizations are understanding that social media is a viable platform, and there’s ripe opportunity for engagement with customers.” PRN
CONTACT:
Michael Brito, [email protected]; Lee Aase, [email protected]; Sybil Barnes, [email protected].
Creating Social Media Guidelines: Key Issues to Address
When developing its social media guidelines three years ago, the Mayo Clinic brought in company execs from HR, marketing and PR to help create the document. Another key player was legal. Here’s some issues to consider for your own policy, from Mayo Clinic attorney Dan Goldman:
1. Communicate your company’s stance on employee use of social media during work time. Often the issue can be addressed with reference to existing company policies which prohibit non-work activities on company time.
2. Identify who can speak on behalf of the company. Be clear that employees must refrain from making it appear that they are speaking on behalf of the company, or communicating your official position on issues if they are not authorized to do so.
3. Address the blurring issue head-on. Remind your employees that if they are going to engage in activities on their social media site which are incompatible with your company’s brand or public image, they should not identify themselves as employees of your company.
4. Stress the importance of maintaining business confidentiality. Remind your employees that they must maintain the confidentiality of your trade secrets and other confidential business information and should not be discussing such information online.
5. Prohibit your employees from speaking anonymously or pseudonymously about your company. This is considered dishonest and unethical behavior in the social media space, and if it is discovered, will lead to negative publicity for your company.
6. Follow the FTC Endorsement and testimonial guidelines. These have been around forever and generally prohibit deceptive advertising practices in connection with endorsements and testimonials. The guidelines were significantly revamped in October 2009 and now specifically address social media.
7. Address intellectual property. Make sure your social media team understands that they can and can’t do with the intellectual property of others. If your employees post or re-post information of other without permission, this can lead to infringement claims against your company.