Social Media Guidelines, Everything You Need to Know About Them and Why They are So Important

1. What are Social Media Guidelines?
2. Why do companies need social media guidelines?
3. 5 Reasons to develop social media guidelines
4. What should Social Media Guidelines regulate and contain?
5. 10 tips for creating company-owned social media guidelines
6. Examples of Social Media Guidelines
7. Conclusion

Our guest author Nadine Triebel explains in this guest article what social media guidelines are and why they are so important for you and your company.

To show the significance of social media guidelines, I would like to begin with a small example:

"A social media post makes it to the top of your timeline. You click on it. A colleague recounts her impressions of a workshop and documents her learnings with text and pictures in the post. She shows herself in an authentic pose and looks in into the camera with a beaming smile. In the background, we see empty chairs and a PowerPoint slide that still flickers on the wall via a projector. At first glance, it seems harmless. But upon closer look, anyone can recognize the content of the slide: it's about the planned restructuring of an area within the company, revealing very sensitive data, both financial and personal. These pieces of information were not intended for the public and are subject to confidentiality. Once shared, the post could have been copied and duplicated despite later deletion. A fatal faux pas that can have bitter consequences. This is where social media guidelines come into play."

What are Social Media Guidelines?

Social Media Guidelines are instructions that primarily aim to provide support and orientation for employees when they express themselves actively and visibly as company members regarding content on social channels. Authentic and positive contributions can boost the company's appeal and branding. But the risks associated with public expression need to be taken into account: anyone who speaks out publicly runs the risk of being seen as the company's spokesperson. This is often a misjudgment, but it's one the social media community can't discern clearly.

The company's reputation can thereby be affected. There are also risks involved in using images and videos. This can result in consequences, both for the company and for the person involved. What once circulates in the spheres of social media isn't easy to shake off.

Guidelines thus highlight risks associated with using social media channels, but also contain useful tips so that employees can feel secure when posting company-specific content.

Why do companies need social media guidelines?

Anyone who is active on social media channels will quickly notice that the boundaries between public and private, personal and professional, are blurred. Social media simplifies the creation or exchange of information, ideas, personal messages, professional interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. Any online communication can, in turn, generate interaction, often at a surprisingly fast pace.

This reinforces inclusiveness and pluralism, because everyone can have their say. A post, a word, a video can ignite discussions that can have a tremendous impact and reach within the network. Other users join in, comment, and discuss. However, when dealing with sensitive and confidential information concerning one's own company, one must act with caution.

What may you as company’s members post, what kind of information, and photos should be handled with care? Often, employees are not aware of where the pitfalls are. Especially on professional networks like LinkedIn or Xing, your own network usually consists not only of your own colleagues, but also of customers, suppliers, and service providers you interact with professionally. Guidelines can help avoid many faux pas.

5 Reasons to develop social media guidelines

Social Media Guidelines …

• … should provide security: Employees are enabled and encouraged to handle information and materials safely on social media.
• … provide clarity: What may you do, what should you be careful about?
• … highlight legal risks, such as when using images or videos.
• … should serve as a guide.
• … are understood as a guide for employees.

What should Social Media Guidelines regulate and contain?

Social Media Guidelines should include principles that apply to the use of social media and can educate and sharpen the consciousness in dealing with it. In many companies, some of these principles, for instance confidentiality, are already anchored in so-called compliance guidelines and can be adapted and extended in the field of social media based on these. Basically, social media guidelines should provide guidance on the following topics, and contain dos and don'ts.

Authenticity and Transparency

Your professional profile should show who you are and the role you play in your company. For this purpose, the "About Me" or "Info" section is suitable. This not only creates clarity, but also trust and transparency. Therefore, you should definitely appear here with your real name. If potential customers or networkers start looking for you, or if you want to network yourself, everyone immediately knows with whom they are dealing and for what you are the right contact person. It is always helpful to complete the existing fields on professional networks to make your focus and qualifications in the work world visible.

Respectful interaction and tonality

Respectful online interaction is essential and forms the basis for successful communication with users. Many companies commit themselves to values that you should make visible through your actions and behavior. This means more concretely: no insults, no obscenities, no personal attacks of any kind. This is poison for a communication culture in public discourse and beyond that even constitutes a criminal offense, which is regulated in the Network Enforcement Act (NetzDG). Be polite and respectful - and if content errors occur: show gratitude, acknowledge them, and correct them. Because mistakes are human and can happen to anyone.

Data protection and copyright

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) stipulates: Personal data must be protected. Customer data or personal data of colleagues have no place. If reporting about collaborations, always obtain the approval of the customers for certainty - preferably in writing.

The same applies to the use of images and videos. Have all the people depicted in them agreed to their publication? Play it safe and get an official go-ahead!

Also, pay attention to using logos and music only when you have the rights holder’s permission, to uphold copyright. You should best discuss the use of the logo in consultation with your marketing department, since it is based on corporate identity guidelines.

Separation of professional and private content

It is important to mark private opinions as such and to separate them from the professional opinion. This can be clarified by an addition in the info text or by a formulation:

"The views published on this [profile, website, blog etc.] correspond solely to my personal views and do not represent the views and positions of my employer XY."

In addition, it is inadvisable to get involved in political debates on professional networks on behalf of the company, as there is space for this on other platforms where you appear in your full private capacity.

Confidentiality obligations

Employees should and may not publish any information about personal, confidential, or commercially sensitive information. The consequences can range from a warning to termination. As a general rule, this is also stipulated by so-called compliance guidelines or a company's code of conduct. This point should be listed in the guidelines as it emphasizes the importance of colleagues' behavior in public. In case of doubt, the guidelines should always name a contact person to whom inquiries can be made in case of uncertainty.

Violations and sanctions

It should not seem intimidating, but the presentation of potential penalties for violations should definitely be considered in the guidelines. While these are always to be assessed individually, you should be aware that you are not allowed to share everything that happens with your employer with the public and possible sanctions could be the consequence.

Inquiries by third parties

Someone sees your post and asks you for a press report or as an interview partner. Stop! Only company-authorized representatives, such as a spokesperson, are allowed to give statements and also regulate who can comment or not. This communication process must be regulated so that employees are sensitized to how they are allowed to act in such situations.

Let's summarize these points again

Before a post is sent, note the following points to ensure you are safe:

• Be authentic and transparent.
• Be respectful and be sure to use the right tone.
• Separate professional and private content.
• Do not disclose personal data and respect copyright.
• Do not share sensitive company information.
• Be aware that violations can result in penalties.
• Do not speak for the company in enquiries, but direct these to the appropriate person.

10 tips for creating company-owned social media guidelines

1. Introduction: The guidelines should include a brief introduction to the topic Social Media Tools: What purpose does each channel serve, what audience is found there? The company's individual goals for each channel should be stated here and aligned accordingly. In addition, the question of why social media guidelines are important for all employees should be answered.
2. Opportunities: It must be clearly communicated that these guidelines are not a directive, but a guideline. Social media rules should be seen and understood as an opportunity and safeguard, and should definitely continue to motivate employees to show their enthusiasm for their employer.
3. Clarity: Social media guidelines should be clear, concise, well-structured, and understandable. Technical terms should be explained, for example in a glossary.
4. Legal advice: It's helpful to consult the legal department for drafting, or even better, external consultants who specialize in social media.
5. Accessibility: The guidelines should be accessible and visible to all: in an appropriate area on the intranet, for example. There, you can offer them for download as a PPT or PDF.
6. Training: Employees should officially be trained in this topic to be able to ask questions and express uncertainties.
7. Communication: The guidelines should be actively communicated: as a newsletter, as an email, or as an intranet article.
8. Company goal: The guidelines should match the company's policies. For this, important links and redirects should be set: for example to the code of conduct, to the brand and corporate identity requirements or to the compliance rules and/or trainings.
9. Contact person: Name a contact person and their contact details, who colleagues can approach if they feel uncertain. Usually, the first port of call is the person responsible for social media.
10. Checklist: Conclude the guidelines with a checklist containing the Do’s and Don’ts. This list should also include the channels on which the company is managing profiles. If there’s already a general netiquette, include it here as a supplement.

These social media tools will help you plan and evaluate your posts

Hootsuite

Swat.io

SocialHub

Fanpage Karma

Agorapulse

Sprout Social

Examples of Social Media Guidelines

I was impressed by the animation video of TV channel SIX which captured its social media guidelines for employees in a short, catchy, and above all very understandable video.

The digital agency denkwerk manages in their animation video to highlight the significance of Guidelines, in a clear, understandable and highly creative way.

Other best practices in social media guidelines

• Autohaus Gruppe Spindler
• BITKOM, Federal Association of Information Technology, Telecommunications and New Media e. V.
• German armed forces
• Caritas
• DATEV
• Deutsche Bahn
• Fresenius
• Intel

Conclusion

The creation of social media guidelines is an important component to show employees the possible effects of their communication, and at the same time to give them security and trust. Communication on social channels is growing at a rapid pace. Just one click can ignite a debate, the magnitude of which was impossible to predict.

It is worth investing time in guidelines to provide clarity in the digital jungle. If these are lived by employees, their activities can have a significant positive impact on business goals, and essentially on the business field. Everyone needs to be aware: everything I do here affects my network. And the more respectfully and securely we interact with each other here, the more fun posting becomes.