Creating a Social Media Policy That Works

Note: Want to skip the guide and go straight to the free templates? No problem - scroll to the bottom.
Also note: This is not legal advice.

Introduction

The need for an efficient social media policy that meets the requirements of organizations and protects their brand’s integrity has become increasingly important in recent times. But crafting an effective policy which accounts for all applicable regulations and legal obligations is no easy feat. Genie AI, the world’s leading open source legal template library, is dedicated to helping businesses of any size create and implement a tailored policy for their needs.

By developing a comprehensive social media policy that adheres to best practices, organisations can protect themselves from potential liabilities arising from employee misuse of social media - while also forming a culture of respect and collaboration among staff. It also serves as an invaluable safeguard against any reputational damage stemming from inappropriate use on platforms like Twitter or Instagram.

Yet creating an effective social media policy requires more than just picking up advice off the internet; it necessitates customising it to fit your company’s particular needs with clear rules on acceptable behaviour set out. That’s why Genie AI provides free templates and guidance – there’s no need for a Genie AI account – so organisations can make sure they comply with industry-specific regulations while still defining expectations around workplace use of the internet.

An experienced lawyer can also assist with this process by supplying valuable insight into crafting the most suitable document; they know exactly what needs to be included within company policies to protect individuals, businesses, and customer data alike. Plus, establishing clear consequences for those who break these rules should always be part of your organisation’s protocol in order to ensure everyone within the company remains accountable for their actions online.

In summary: having an effective social media policy in place is essential if you want to avoid possible legal pitfalls without compromising on marketing efforts or brand reputation - but you must take time in creating one best suited to your organisation’s specific requirements if you want it really work effectively in practice. If you’d like more information about our step-by-step guidance or access our template library today, read on!

Definitions (feel free to skip)

Establishing: Creating and putting in place.
Expectations: Requirements and standards that are set by a particular organization.
Policy: A set of rules and regulations that outline how an organization should behave in a certain area.
Enforcement: Taking action to ensure that rules are followed.
Monitoring: Closely observing and tracking an activity or process.
Guidelines: Recommendations that provide direction and help people to understand how to act.
Training: Teaching and providing information to help people develop a skill or knowledge.
Reporting: Providing an account of activity or events.
Risks: Potential for something bad to happen.
Response: Taking action in response to a situation.
Communication: The exchange of ideas or information between people.
Review: To look at and consider something again.

Contents

• Establishing clear expectations of use
• Outlining the general uses of social media in an organization
• Setting rules for how social media should be used
• Establishing a policy enforcement plan
• Outlining how the policy will be enforced
• Establishing disciplinary action for violations
• Establishing a monitoring plan
• Outlining how and how often the organization will monitor use of social media
• Setting guidelines for content
• Outlining what type of content is acceptable to post on social media
• Establishing guidelines for addressing inappropriate content
• Establishing a training program
• Setting guidelines for staff training
• Outlining how to stay up-to-date with changes in the social media landscape
• Creating a reporting procedure
• Outlining how staff should report instances of misuse or violations of the policy
• Identifying potential legal risks
• Identifying potential legal risks associated with social media use
• Outlining how to address them
• Creating a response plan
• Outlining how the organization will respond to misuse of social media
• Establishing communication channels
• Setting up communication channels between staff and management to discuss social media use
• Establishing a review process
• Establishing a process for regularly reviewing and updating the policy as needed.

Get started

Establishing clear expectations of use

• Develop a list of acceptable uses of social media
• Decide who is responsible for approving social media posts
• Set expectations for employees when using social media to represent the organization
• Define the consequences for not following the policy

Once you have established clear expectations of use for your organization’s social media policy, you can move on to the next step.

Outlining the general uses of social media in an organization

• Brainstorm with all stakeholders to come up with a list of uses for social media in your organization
• Discuss and agree on the purpose and goals of using social media
• Decide how to use social media to achieve organizational goals
• Determine who in the organization should be allowed to post to social media
• Establish an action plan for how to respond to customer inquiries on social media
• You’ll know this step is complete when you have a list of general uses for social media in your organization that you have agreed on with all stakeholders.

Setting rules for how social media should be used

• Determine the type of social media platforms that the organization wishes to use (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.).
• Develop a list of rules that employees and other organizational members should follow when engaging in activities on social media (e.g. rules on language, content, images, etc.).
• Outline the consequences for not following the social media policy.
• Establish a process for reporting any violations of the policy.
• Create a way for employees to ask questions about the policy, such as a designated contact person or email address.

Once you have outlined the rules for how social media should be used, you can check this step off your list and move on to the next step of establishing a policy enforcement plan.

Establishing a policy enforcement plan

• Decide which team members will be responsible for monitoring the policy, including who will be the point person for answering questions about the policy
• Determine how often the policy will be reviewed and updated
• Create a process for employees to report policy violations
• Develop a system for how policy violations will be addressed
• Establish consequences for policy violations

Once you have determined how the policy will be enforced, you can check this step off your list and move on to outlining how the policy will be enforced.

Outlining how the policy will be enforced

• Establish clear and specific expectations for employee behavior on social media
• Identify any disciplinary action that will be taken in the event of a policy violation
• Define the roles of supervisors, HR, and other departments in enforcing the policy
• Describe the process for reporting violations of the policy
• Develop a system for tracking violations and documenting disciplinary action
• Ensure the policy is communicated to all employees and any contractors or vendors

Once you have outlined the policy enforcement plan, you can move on to the next step.

Establishing disciplinary action for violations

• Create a list of disciplinary actions that could be taken in the event of policy violations
• Decide on a clear course of action for each type of violation; for example, for a first offense, the employee may be given a written warning, for a second offense, the employee may be suspended, and for a third offense, the employee may be terminated
• Make sure the disciplinary action is in line with company policy and applicable laws
• Determine who will be responsible for administering the disciplinary action
• When the policy is complete, review it with upper management and HR to ensure everyone is on the same page
• When all parties have agreed on the disciplinary actions, document it in the policy and make sure it is communicated to all employees

Once you have established the disciplinary action for violations, you can move on to the next step - establishing a monitoring plan.

Establishing a monitoring plan

• Establish what resources will be used to monitor social media
• Determine how regularly the organization will review social media channels
• Identify who will be responsible for monitoring social media channels
• Develop a process for responding to any issues that arise
• Once the monitoring plan is in place, review it regularly to ensure it is working effectively

Once the monitoring plan is established and in place, you can check this off your list and move on to the next step.

Outlining how and how often the organization will monitor use of social media

• Decide on whom in the organization will be responsible for monitoring social media usage
• Establish how often the organization will monitor social media usage, e.g. weekly, monthly, etc.
• Determine the types of monitoring that will be employed and the tools that will be used, such as analytics software or social media listening tools
• Establish what alerts will trigger further investigation and/or action
• Determine the frequency with which alerts will be acted upon
• Document the plan and ensure it is shared with the stakeholders

When you can check this off your list and move on to the next step:

• When you have a plan for monitoring social media usage that is documented and shared with stakeholders.

Setting guidelines for content

• Identify the types of content that are acceptable to post on social media
• Define the specific topics, language, and images that are allowed
• Make sure guidelines are in line with the organization’s mission, vision, and values
• Set expectations for what is appropriate to post and what isn’t
• Explain the consequences for violating the policy
• Establish whether content should be reviewed before it is posted

Once guidelines for content are set, you can move on to the next step of outlining what type of content is acceptable to post on social media.

Outlining what type of content is acceptable to post on social media

• Decide which type(s) of content are acceptable for employees to post on social media (e.g. company announcements, customer news, professional advice, etc.)
• Decide which type(s) of content are not acceptable for employees to post on social media (e.g. political opinions, religious beliefs, offensive language, etc.)
• Make sure all employees are aware of what type of content is acceptable, and which type of content is not acceptable
• Once all employees are aware of the content guidelines, you can check this step off your list and move on to the next step.

Establishing guidelines for addressing inappropriate content

• Establish a set of guidelines of how to address inappropriate content on social media.
• Decide on a policy for how to respond to offensive comments, posts and reviews.
• Create a process for moderating and reviewing posts and comments.
• Establish who has the authority to take action on inappropriate content.
• Decide how warnings and other disciplinary action will be handled.

When you can check this off your list:

• When you have established a set of guidelines, a policy, a process, and have decided who has the authority to take action on inappropriate content.

Establishing a training program

• Develop a comprehensive training program for all staff members on how to use social media responsibly
• Identify which employees need to be trained and where they should be trained
• Develop a set of educational materials on what is appropriate use of social media and what is not
• Ensure that all staff members understand the policy and their roles in following it
• Keep a record of training sessions and retain copies of all training materials
• Once all staff members have been trained, ensure that the policy is regularly reviewed and updated as necessary

Once all staff members have completed their training, you can move forward to the next step of setting guidelines for staff training.

Setting guidelines for staff training

• Determine what core topics need to be covered in staff training
• Develop a timeline/schedule for staff training
• Create a training manual, including relevant guidelines and policies
• Set up a training program that covers all core topics
• Identify the most effective form of training (e.g. in-person, online, etc.)
• Ensure that staff members have the necessary resources and access to complete training
• Make sure that all staff members complete the training program
• Track progress and completion of training

Once these steps have been completed, you can move on to the next step of outlining how to stay up-to-date with changes in the social media landscape.

Outlining how to stay up-to-date with changes in the social media landscape

• Research any new social media platforms and trends
• Read through and understand the terms of service for each platform
• Set up a system to monitor changes in the social media landscape
• Monitor industry news and press releases for updates
• Establish a team to regularly review any changes and update the company’s social media policy accordingly
• When all changes have been monitored, reviewed, and updated in the social media policy, move on to the next step.

Creating a reporting procedure

• Establish a system for employees to report any instances of misuse or violations of the policy
• Create a contact or email address that employees can use to anonymously report any instances of misuse or violations
• Establish a timeline for reporting and responding to any instances of misuse or violations
• Put a process in place for responding to reported instances of misuse or violations
• Outline the consequences for any employees who violate the policy

Once you have established the reporting procedure, you can check this off your list and move on to the next step.

Outlining how staff should report instances of misuse or violations of the policy

• Establish a clear reporting system for all staff.
• Ensure that all staff are aware of the reporting system and how to use it.
• Determine whether staff should report violations to direct supervisors, HR personnel, or another designated individual.
• Establish a timeline for reporting potential misuse or violations of the policy.
• Establish a process for how to handle the reported misuse or violations.
• Establish a process for how to respond to reported misuse or violations.

You can check this off your list and move on to the next step once you have a clear reporting system established, all staff are aware of the reporting system and how to use it, and you have determined who staff should report violations to, as well as a timeline and process for handling and responding to reported misuse or violations.

Identifying potential legal risks

• Research applicable laws and regulations that may affect your organization’s social media policy
• Familiarize yourself with legal risks associated with social media use, such as libel, copyright infringement, and privacy
• Consult with your legal team or an outside lawyer to ensure your policy is compliant with applicable laws
• Educate staff on potential legal risks associated with social media use
• Once you have identified all potential legal risks and taken steps to address them, you can move on to the next step in creating your Social Media Policy.

Identifying potential legal risks associated with social media use

• Research relevant laws that may be applicable to your company’s social media use
• Create a list of potential legal risks associated with social media use
• Consider any potential regulation that may affect your business’s social media activities
• Make sure to consider any legal risks associated with employee posts, customer engagement, and advertising
• Consult with a legal professional to ensure that you are in compliance with all relevant laws
• When you are confident that you have identified all potential legal risks, you can move on to the next step.

Outlining how to address them

• Create a list of the potential risks identified in the previous step and discuss how to address each one
• Consider what solutions are available to protect the company from these potential risks
• Brainstorm potential solutions that could be implemented to protect the company
• Consider possible scenarios and what the company’s response should be
• Develop a plan to address any situations that may arise
• Outline any processes that need to be put in place to ensure compliance with the policy
• When all potential risks have been addressed and a response plan has been developed, you can move on to creating the policy.

Creating a response plan

• Set up a response team, and identify who will be responsible for responding to any social media inquiries or issues
• Determine the appropriate response time for each inquiry or issue
• Establish processes and procedures for responding to comments or inquiries
• Outline an escalation process if needed
• Establish guidelines for how to respond to criticism or negative feedback
• Create a protocol for when to respond publicly and when to go private
• Determine who will have the authority to make final decisions on any response

When you can check this off your list:

• When the response team is established and roles are identified
• When response times are established
• When processes and procedures for responding to comments or inquiries are outlined
• When escalation processes are established
• When guidelines for responding to criticism or negative feedback are created
• When protocols for when to respond publicly and when to go private are determined
• When who will have the authority to make final decisions on any response is determined

Outlining how the organization will respond to misuse of social media

• Create a clear policy on misuse of social media, e.g. no offensive language or posts, no posting confidential information, etc.
• Establish consequences for misuse of social media, such as suspension or termination of the employee.
• Make sure the policy is available to all employees in an easily accessible format.
• Ask all employees to sign an agreement that they understand and will abide by the policy.
• Check that the policy is being enforced by regularly monitoring employees’ social media activity.

You’ll know you can check this step off your list and move on to the next step when you have a clear policy on misuse of social media, established consequences for misuse, the policy is available to all employees, all employees have signed an agreement, and the policy is being enforced.

Establishing communication channels

• Decide which communication channels are best suited for discussing social media use within the organization.
• Establish a process for individuals to quickly and efficiently share and discuss their thoughts on social media use.
• Ensure that the communication channels are secure and private to maintain the confidentiality of discussions.
• Set up rules and expectations around communication to ensure that interactions are respectful and professional.
• Establish a time frame for when employees can discuss social media use and when it should be avoided.

When you can check this off your list:

• Once you have established the communication channels and set up the rules and expectations for using them, you can check this off your list and move on to the next step.

Setting up communication channels between staff and management to discuss social media use

• Establish a system for staff and management to communicate about social media use, such as a weekly meeting or email listserv.
• Encourage an open dialogue between staff and management to discuss social media use.
• Establish policies and guidelines for staff to follow when using social media, and make sure all staff are aware of these policies.
• Set up a system for staff to report any issues or concerns with social media use.
• Make sure all staff have access to the communication channels and know where to go for help if needed.

How you’ll know when you can check this off your list and move on to the next step:

• Once you have established a system for staff and management to communicate about social media use, established policies and guidelines for staff to follow, and set up a system for staff to report any issues or concerns with social media use, you can consider this step complete and move on to the next step.

Establishing a review process

• Establish a process for regularly reviewing and updating the policy as needed. This should include a timeline for review, as well as procedures for making any necessary changes.
• Have a designated team or individual responsible for the review and approval of any changes.
• Ensure the process is transparent and that employees are notified of any changes that are made.
• Establish a forum or platform for employees to provide feedback on the policy, which should be taken into consideration when making changes.
• Once you’ve established a review process, you can check this off your list and move onto the next step.

Establishing a process for regularly reviewing and updating the policy as needed.

• Create a timeline for reviews of the policy and make it known to all employees
• Set up a system for collecting feedback on the policy and use that feedback to inform the regular reviews
• Involve employees in the review process by encouraging them to provide feedback and suggestions for improvement
• Put a system in place to track changes made to the policy and ensure that all employees are made aware of any updates
• Assign someone or a team to be responsible for regularly reviewing and updating the policy
• When the policy has been successfully reviewed and updated, check this step off the list and move on to the next step.

FAQ:

Q: What is the difference between GDPR and other privacy policies?

Asked by Matthew on 19th May 2022.
A: The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European Union law that regulates the collection, processing, and management of personal data. It applies to EU citizens and is applicable to any company that processes their data, regardless of where the company is located. While other privacy policies may be more specific to a particular country or jurisdiction, the GDPR applies to all EU citizens regardless of where their data is collected or processed. That said, other privacy policies can still apply on top of GDPR if they are more specific or stricter than the GDPR requirements.

Q: How can we make sure our social media policy complies with GDPR?

Asked by Emma on 6th October 2022.
A: To ensure that your social media policy complies with GDPR, you should include clauses which cover how personal data will be collected and processed. This includes outlining how you will gain consent from users to use their data, how it will be stored securely, and the rights they have to access and control their data. Additionally, make sure that any third-party services or applications which are used are also compliant with GDPR. Finally, make sure you appoint someone who is responsible for managing your data protection compliance as well as providing training and support for your team members.

Q: What are some best practices for creating a social media policy?

Asked by Jacob on 24th February 2022.
A: When creating a social media policy for your organisation, it’s important to consider the needs of your organisation and industry when drafting it. Generally speaking, it’s best practice to create a detailed policy that outlines how employees should act online and when using social media, as well as how they should handle customer inquiries or complaints. Additionally, it’s also good practice to specify how employees should use corporate accounts and what types of content they can share on them. Finally, make sure you clearly communicate your policy to everyone who works in your organisation so that everyone knows what is expected of them when using social media.

Q: How do I create a social media policy that works for my industry?

Asked by Ryan on 14th August 2022.
A: Every industry has its own unique set of considerations when it comes to creating a social media policy that works for them. For instance, if you work in the financial sector then your policy might need to include information about how employees should treat customer information when posting online or engaging with customers on social media platforms. Similarly, if you work in healthcare then your policy might need to include information about how patient privacy should be maintained at all times when using social media platforms. Ultimately, you should tailor your policy to suit the needs of your industry while making sure it adheres to any relevant laws and regulations that apply in your jurisdiction.

Q: How often should I review my social media policy?

Asked by Alexander on 3rd January 2022.
A: It’s important to regularly review your social media policy in order to ensure that it remains up-to-date with any changes in both technology and the law. Generally speaking, it’s best practice to review and update your policy at least once every year in order to ensure that both employees and customers are aware of all changes that have been made. Additionally, if there have been any changes in technology or the law then it’s important to update your policy immediately in order to remain compliant with all relevant laws and regulations.

Q: What types of content should be prohibited in our social media policy?

Asked by Michael on 31st July 2022.
A: The types of content which should be prohibited in an organisation’s social media policy will depend on the particular industry and jurisdiction in which the organisation operates in as well as the needs of its customers or clients. Generally speaking though, most organisations will want to prohibit any content which could be considered offensive or discriminatory towards any particular group (e.g., religious or gender-based discrimination). Additionally, organisations may also want to prohibit certain types of content such as spammy posts or posts which contain sensitive information (e.g., financial details). Ultimately though, it’s important for each organisation to assess its own needs before deciding what types of content should be prohibited within its own policy.

Q: What steps can we take to protect our brand reputation online?

Asked by Joseph on 17th April 2022.
A: To ensure that you protect your brand reputation online it’s important firstly to create a comprehensive social media policy which outlines how employees should act online (e.g., no offensive language) as well as what types of content they can share (e.g., no confidential information). Additionally, you should monitor all activity across all channels (e.g., Twitter) and respond quickly and professionally if there are any negative comments or reviews posted about your brand or products/services. Finally, you should also take steps to proactively engage with customers online (e.g., responding quickly to queries) as this will help build trust with customers and improve your overall reputation online over time

Example dispute

Suing Companies for Violating Social Media Policies

• A plaintiff might sue a company for violating their social media policy if they were discriminated against, harassed, or had their rights violated in any way while using the company’s social media platforms.
• The plaintiff could reference the company’s social media policy in the lawsuit and prove that the company did not follow their own rules.
• If the plaintiff can prove that the company failed to abide by their policy, they may be eligible for damages, such as compensation for emotional distress, lost wages, or other financial losses.
• Settlement might be reached through mediation, arbitration, or other forms of alternative dispute resolution.
• Damages could be calculated by looking at any economic losses that the plaintiff suffered, such as lost wages or medical bills. Non-economic losses, such as emotional distress, could also be taken into consideration.

Templates available (free to use)

Simple Social Media Policy For Employees Uk
Social Media Policy
Social Media Policy Template Us

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