Social Media Guidelines

Eight Simple Steps to Implement For Small and Medium Businesses

Amber Peterson

When your company wants to start practicing social media, guidelines need to be established in order to have a

successful online experience.

Social media is about interacting and exchanging ideas with all previous, current and potential employees and customers. You better believe your competitor will be

looking too.

Guidelines are aimed to provide helpful and practical advice while protecting the contributors and the company. All contributors

have to abide by the guidelines in order share in company social networking. Guidelines should constantly be evolving as new

technology emerges and additionally social networks are

added.

You Are Here To:

LISTEN: Your company needs to listen to customers-find out what people are really saying about your company. Discover who the influencers are, once you do that, you can encourage them to get involved with your network.

CONTRIBUTE: Once you have listened to the conversation it is time to contribute to the conversation. This is a scary process to most, but a rewarding one if done right.

“If you learn to talk, listen, and respond, you’ll master the middle of the funnel.” -Groundswell

If You Choose to ParticipateKeep these in mind:

•Provide unique insight and personal perspective on what is said

•Reply quickly if suitable

•Respect confidentiality

•Remember, everyone has an opinion, if you do not agree with someone’s, be polite

Transparent but Judicious

It is highly encouraged to use your real name, identify your

company, and state your role or position. Your honesty-or

dishonesty-will be immediately noticed in the social media

environment. With that said, transparency does not mean

you need to spell out everything about the company you work

for.

“Once they seem to be getting it, how difficult is it to let them know that it is okay to be

human, without giving away the store, another

way of saying that would be that you don’t

need to divulge company secrets to let people know what is going on within the

company.”-Michael Bailey,

President, Mobasoft LLC

Responsibility

• What you add to the company’s network is ultimately your responsibility

• Know and follow your company’s code of conduct

• It is your responsibility to be accurate, current and complete with all information submitted

• If you make a mistake, always be the first to admit it

• If you update or modify anything, let people know

Conversational

You are engaging in an online conversation, talk to people as

you would in a professional setting. With that said, do use

jargon and business talk, speak in human terms so everything can participate in the conversation.

Do not use street slang; use accurate grammar and complete

sentences. Be consistent with your writing. Do show your

personality by writing in the first person. Keep the post open-

ended so it encourages people to respond.

Give Credit, Take Credit

Respect all trademark, brand, copyright, fair use, financial disclosure

and confidentiality, if you use material owned by other

people properly give reference.

If you publish a blog or any other form of social media, use a disclaimer. Make it clear that those

are your views and opinions. You could say

something along the lines: "The postings on

this site are my own and don't necessarily represent (Your

company) positions, strategies or opinions."

Respect

Do not be afraid to be yourself, but be respectful in doing so. This not only includes the obvious: racial,

gender, age, obscenity, status, etc., but also privacy: religion and politics. When it comes to competitors, do not

defame them in any matter, if you have a disagreement, say it without

insulting. If a competitor has said something to defame your company,

do not lash back, stick to the facts and be honest and polite. Try to avoid

unnecessary arguments, be the bigger person and ignore comments

that affect you.

Value, Interests and Excitement

Your company is a brand, and everything you published reflects that

brand. With that said, there are so many blogs in the social media

environment, how are you going to contribute to make your “brand” stick out? Make it innovative and thought provoking, share the exciting things

that your company is doing and learning. This social communication should help co-workers, customers,

stockholders, and the general public. The communication should about the

company at best and what can be done to improve and satisfy.

If You Pause

There are always consequences to anything you publish. If you

hesitate before you hit the submit button, review what you have said

and make sure it abides by the guidelines. If you are still unsure, share it with your manager or co-workers they are willing to help.

Just make sure that what you submit is something you want your

name attached to. Remember, transparency.

Just Say No to Spam

Stay clear of any sort of spam in your postings, especially spam that might correlate with the company. If you

promote the company in any matter, do not make it into spam. No one likes it, not

even you. Spam could ruin your social media presence and put a bad name on your

company. Be transparent always.

RECAP:If You Follow These Eight Steps, You Will Succeed

-Transparency but Judicious-Responsibility-Conversational-Give Credit, Take Credit-Respect-Value, Interests and Excitement-If You Pause-Just Say No to Spam

References: Giving Credit

First Page: Picture http://www.kokasexton.com/word/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/stockxpertcom_id705679_size1.jpg

Second Page: Picture http://zuluzulu.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/marketing-funnel.gif

Third Page: Picture http://www.lili.org/forlibs/ce/sable/course2/images/cmptrpeopljoin.gif

Fourth Page: Quote http://vergenewmedia.com/2007/05/14/old-media-empower-employees-to-be-brand-champions/

Fifth Page: Picture http://www.daibochiplastic.com/images/corp_res/ist2_4913928_global_team_xxl.jpg

Seventh Page: Picture http://www.popular-blogging.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/manoman.jpg

Eighth Page: Picture http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_avxIZ5dQn28/RiUxQG8hM-I/AAAAAAAAAeo/_iwdkWMsa3c/s400/wom.jpg

Ninth Page: Picture http://www.biojobblog.com/uploads/image/social-media-democracy(1).jpg

Tenth Page: Picture from Flickr-uploaded by tapasparida http://www.flickr.com/photos/tapascreation/2571539880/

Eleventh Page: Picture http://www.uploadsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/10/spam_tastiera.jpg

*Guideline ideas came from IBM Intel and Dell