July 4

Need social media guidelines

by Torben Rick No Comments
Categories: Social Media
Tags: , , , .

social-network-1 As more and more businesses dive head-first into the raging waters of social media, having an official company policy surrounding individual tools and services is becoming increasingly more commonplace.

Social networks, if used correctly, can be a powerful tool. But it needs guidelines to cover on-line interaction with customers. Why?

  • Employees will have a clear idea of your position when it comes to social media so they will be able to communicate that to the outside world
  • Employees will feel empowered that they can leverage their social networks in support of their role, as well as for their professional careers
  • Companies will be legally protected from the possible misuse and misbehaviour of their employees online
  • Companies will appear more innovative, forward thinking and acknowledgeable of how social media has integrated through employees lives and the rest of the world
  • Employees will have a set of best practices and guidance while they venture into the social media world, so even the beginners have some reference guide to turn to

Official social media policies may vary as widely as company cultures do, but no matter what the nature of your business, it might be good practice to consider if you’re wading into social media waters in any strategic manner.

As you write your policy, consider these items:

  • Stay open to opportunities. Social media offers new options for business. Be open to how it can help you engage with your constituents, collaborate, solve problems, provide customer services, increase efficiency and more
  • Make sure your policy flexible enough to adapt as the world around you evolves
  • Keep it general. Social media isn’t just Facebook and MySpace. It includes blogs, groups and communities, file and link sharing, wikis, applications, mobile platforms and more. Set policies that apply to what exists now and what will exist in the future.

Last but not least remember to educate employees about the use of social media and its impact.

Below social media employee policy examples from different companies and organizations:

OrganizationPolicy Title
About.comTemplate: Blogging and Social Media Policy
About.comTemplate: Internet and Email Policy
Australian Public Service CommissionInterim Protocols for Online Media Participation
Baker & DanielsSocial Media Policy
BBCEditorial Guidelines, personal use of Social Networking
BBCUse of Social Networking and other third party websites
BBCOnline Services Guidelines in Full
BBYOStaff/Volunteer Presence on Social Networking Sites
BTForum Guidelines
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC)Facebook Policy
Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)Social Media Guidelines
Children’s Hospital Los AngelesShare Your Story — Use and Access
CicsoInternet Postings Policy
City of SeattleBlogging Policy
Cleveland ClinicSocial Media Policy
DellOnline Policy
DePaul UniversitySocial Media Guidelines
Easter SealsOnline Community Guidelines
Electronic Frontier FoundationHow to Blog Safely (About Work or Anything Else)
ESPNSocial Media Guidelines For ESPN Employees
eWay DirectSocial Media Policy
Fairfax County, VAFacebook Comments Policy
FedExBlog Policy
FeedsterCorporate Blogging Policy
Fellowship ChurchPersonal Website and Weblog Policies
FINRAGuide to the Internet for Registered Representatives
FudderNetiquette
GartnerPublic Web Participation Guidelines
General Services Administration (GSA)Social Media Policy
Gibraltar AssociatesAssociates Social Media Policy
GMBlogger Policy
Greteman GroupSocial Media Policy
Harvard Law SchoolTerms of Use
Headset BrothersSocial Media Policy
Hill and KnowltonBlogging Policies and Guidelines (selected extracts)
Hill and KnowltonCollective Conversation Code of Conduct
Hill and KnowltonSocial Media Principles
HPCode of Conduct
IBMSocial Computing Guidelines
IBMCase Study: The Impact of Corporate Culture on Social Media
InQbationGovernment Policy Guidelines
IntelSocial Media Guidelines
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)Social Media Staff Guidelines
International Olympic Committee (IOC)Blogging Guidelines for Persons Accredited at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Beijing 2008
Iowa Hospital AssociationComment Policy
JaffeTemplate: Social Media and Social Networking Policies and Procedures
Judith LindeauTemplate: Social Media Policy for Associations (Real Estate)
Kaiser PermanenteSocial Media Policy
KodakSocial Media Tips
Le Bonheur Children’s Medical CenterComments Policy
LiveWorldSocial Media Content Guidelines
Media Law Resource CenterCompilation of Legal Actions Against Bloggers
MicrosoftChannel 9 Doctrine
MicrosoftTweeting Guidelines and Blogging Guidelines
Missouri Department of TransportationPost A Comment — Use Policy
National Public Radio (NPR)NPR News Social Media Guidelines
New Zealand State Services CommissionPrinciples for Interaction with Social Media
New Zealand State Services CommissionThe Guide to Online Participation
OceSocial Computing Guidelines
OperaEmployee Blogging Policy
PlaxoCommunication (Blogging) Policy
Porter NovelliOur Social Media Policy
Powerhouse MuseumCommunication Using Public Facing Museum Blogs — Policy
PR-SquaredCorporate Social Media Policy: Top 10 Guidelines
RazorfishEmployee Social Influence Marketing Guidelines
RhetoricaBlogging and Comment Policy
RightNowSocial Web Employee Policy
Roanoke County, VASocial Media Policy
Roanoke TimesNews Standards and Policies
Robert ScoblePress FAQ
SAPSocial Media Participation Guidelines 2009
SentaraSocial Media Policy
Shift CommunicationsTop 10 Guidelines for Social Media Participation
Smithsonian InstitutionWeb and New Media Strategy
Social Media Business CouncilDisclosure Policy Toolkit
SpareBank 1Rules for Blogging
State of DelawareSocial Media Policy
Sun MicrosystemsGuidelines on Public Disclosure
Sun MicrosystemsAlumni Blog Aggregation Additional Terms
Sutter HealthPolicy for Social Networking and Other Web-Based Communications
Sutter HealthGuidelines for Participation in Online Communities
Telstra3 Rs of Social Media Engagement
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer CenterBlog Policies and Guidelines
The WellCommunity Guidelines
Thomas NelsonBlogging Guidelines
U.K. GovernmentTemplate Twitter Strategy for Government Departments
U.S. Air ForceAir Force Blog Assessment
U.S. Air ForceNew Media and the Air Force
U.S. Coast GuardSocial Media — The Way Ahead
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)Blogging at EPA for Greenversations
U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC)Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
UK Civil ServiceCode for Online Participation
UnicSocial Media Guidelines
Wal-MartTwitter External Discussion Guidelines
Walker Art CenterBlog Guidelines
Washington Post (via PaidContent.org)Newsroom Guidelines for Use of Facebook, Twitter and Other Online Social Networks
WebtrendsSocial Media Guidelines
Wells FargoCommunity Guidelines
Workplace FairnessOff-Duty Conduct
Yahoo!Personal Blogging Policy

Short URL & Title:
Need social media guidelines — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/lgh

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July 2

Parody as a tool in social media attack

by Torben Rick No Comments
Categories: Social Media
Tags: , , .

Since the BP oil rig explosion led to a massive spill in the Gulf of Mexico the Internet has not been shy about venting its frustration:

  • Tumblr painted its dashboard black in an effort to raise cash
  • Creative agency Jess3 developed a Firefox plugin that aims to black out all mentions of BP across the Web
  • The satirical Twitter account @BPGlobalPR has gained a mighty following for its biting commentary.

YouTube users are uploading a steady stream of videos – some better than others – that use humor to express their anger at the disastrous situation.

The team behind UCBComedy shows us exactly what would happen if BP executives spill their coffee:

A BP rep points out the up side to the oil leak: the fish are rich!

Short URL & Title:
Parody as a tool in social media attack — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/dzf

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June 29

Redirect traffic as a crisis management tool

by Torben Rick No Comments
Categories: Social Media
Tags: , , , .

In the wake of the oil spill disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, BP has been getting a lot of negative press, has been the butt of many YouTube parodies and has been generally lambasted on Twitter, Facebook and the rest of the Web:

  • Attacked on Facebook by a boycott movement called “Boycott BP,” urging a worldwide boycott of all BP brands and services
  • An anonymously managed Twitter account – BP Public Relations (@BPGlobalPR) – that makes glib comments, purportedly on BP’s behalf

BP have been under heavy social media attack:

google-oil-spill But now BP has purchased several phrases on search engines such as Google and Yahoo so that the first result that shows up directs information seekers to the company’s official website. Terms related to the spill, from “oil spill” to “gulf disaster” to “BP,” have consistently remained in the list of most-searched terms on Google since the spill began in April.

A simple Google search of “oil spill” turns up several thousand news results, but the first link, highlighted at the very top of the page, is from BP. “Latest news and facts about the Gulf of Mexico”, the link’s tagline reads.

From BP’s perspective it’s a brilliant move – directing traffic to their own site is a great PR strategy. But controlling what the public finds when they look online for oil spill information is just another way for the company to try and rebuild the company’s suffering public image.

Short URL & Title:
Redirect traffic as a crisis management tool — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/ksz

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June 26

The ability to embrace criticism on social media

by Torben Rick No Comments
Categories: Business Improvement
Tags: , , , .

social-network-1 You’ve probably heard that Intel was attacked by activists opposed to minerals mining in the Congo, that Nestlé was attacked for using palm oil from companies that where trashing Indonesian rainforests, that Shell was attacked by human rights group Amnesty International  for their activities in the Niger Delta. Or, more recently, that BP was attacked on Facebook by a boycott movement called “Boycott BP,” urging a worldwide boycott of all BP brands and services.

Even if your business chooses not to engage in the online conversation, people are talking about your products and services whether you like it or not. Surely it’s far better to acknowledge the presence of these conversations rather than ignoring them to the potential detriment of your business, especially given that any business would be adequately prepared to enter the world of social media without fear with the right social media strategynand social media policy in place.

dominos In fact, brands who take on board the criticisms they hear on Facebook, Twitter or through social media monitoring, and then try to improve on them, will be the ones who continue to grow and prosper. Every single piece of information that is picked up online, be it good or bad, is a valuable learning.

A good example of a brand that has the ability to embrace criticism as well as praise is Domino’s pizza. Instead of cowering in shame or responding angrily to negative online reviews and comments about their products, Dominos pizza met the criticism head on -  “Oh yes we did – The Pizza Turnaround“. They made a documentary describing the extent of their problems and the efforts they were making to improve their products and services. They posted the documentary on YouTube:

What’s refreshing about this reaction is that it’s completely transparent and wholly honest. Dominos acknowledged the shortcomings their customers highlighted and made every effort to address the issues.

Even more intelligent is the fact that Dominos clearly thought about their long-term business strategy rather than the immediate need to quell any negative comments. They openly addressed the issues that their customers were complaining about so that these same people would  spread word of their proactive response via the same fast-spreading medium. In other words, if you act on negative comments and turn them into positive experiences then the people who you’ve listened to are likely to become your biggest advocates and will start doing your marketing work on your behalf.

Does your company care enough about its customers to rebuild a bad product from scratch?

Make sure to read:

Short URL & Title:
The ability to embrace criticism on social media — http://www.torbenrick.eu/t/r/uxr

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