For instance, a physician’s assistant student was recently called out on X (formerly Twitter). The student was posting patients’ radiographs and other confidential images on social media. For example, Dell’s rules for tasking a specific person with social media responsibilities are mentioned in the image above. You can also go for specific tools such as markup and annotation software  that help you and your team members to manage your content efficiently. Moreover, include the specific words that you find appropriate for calling your customers to take action or make a purchase from your brand.

Personal Social Media Accounts Guidelines

That’s not the case and Best Buy does a great job of setting these expectations for its employees. To do so, this means keep it simple, clear, accessible, and continued to be updated. The goal is to not frustrate your workforce or discourage employees from participating in social media. But, it does need to emphasize some basic conduct so there are no major issues in the future. The challenge is many companies do not know how to best organize a good social policy and want to ensure employees are actually reading it.

How Can Planable Help You Adhere To A Social Media Style Guide?

Unfortunately, Clorox overlooked this important fact when the update was released. If you violate this policy inadvertently, you may receive a reprimand. We expect you to comply after that, or stricter disciplinary actions will apply.

Individuals who run the accounts may not express personal opinions or use University branding without authorization or accountability. The purpose of these guidelines is to establish protocols for the use of social media by employees and to outline expectations for its use. Social media includes websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or other social media and web 2.0 tools. The District acknowledges that its employees have the right under the First Amendment as private citizens to speak out on matters of public concern. However, the District has the right to regulate the speech of employees in specific circumstances. Accordingly, it is essential that employees conduct themselves in such a way that their personal and/or educational use of social media does not adversely affect their position with the District.

The goal of this policy is to prevent employees from posting something that would embarrass the company, disclose confidential information or land the company in legal trouble. As part of every employee’s onboarding, a member of the social team should discuss the company’s social media policies and guidelines and help any new hires set up their channels in a brand-relevant way. Share your brand’s official social media handles and specific hashtags with your employees.

In addition, for public-sector organizations, archiving isn’t optional, it’s legally required. Laws like FOIA and the Federal Records Act mandate that government agencies preserve all social-media communication. Healthcare providers can’t share any protected health information (PHI) on social media. The U.S Security Exchange Commission (SEC) also monitors social media for misleading statements and compliance violations. This now extends to AI-generated or AI-assisted content, which regulators treat the same as any other communication. If you haven’t yet updated your policies to reflect the new guidance, it’s definitely time to check in with your compliance team.

Develop Solid Social Media Guidelines For Your Team

Whether it’s defending against phishing scams or ransomware attacks, make sure that everyone in your organization is vigilant about online protection. Your social media policy is a critical advocacy tool, giving your employees the guidance they need to represent your brand accurately within social networks. This is a key component of social media governance, ensuring consistent and responsible online behavior across your organization. Training and implementation are vital for ensuring the effectiveness of a social media policy and protecting the company’s online reputation. New employees should review and/or train on the social media policy as part of their onboarding process and be asked to read and sign the policy. Regular training sessions keep employees informed of updates or changes, fostering a culture of compliance.

On top of that, every integration, app, or plugin should be reviewed to make sure it follows your organization’s compliance and security requirements. Community guidelines also change frequently, especially around areas like political content, AI-generated content, and misinformation. It’s important to stay on top of these updates so you can avoid accidental violations.

Boston Scientific does not provide medical diagnosis, treatment or otherwise engage in the practice of medicine, and information on our social media communities should not be considered medical advice. If you are experiencing a medical problem, please consult a healthcare professional for diagnosis and treatment. Also, see Standards for Technology in Social Work Practice for additional standards regarding social media policies provided by NASW and ASWB. Journalists should treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings deserving of respect.

Account manager(s) – University faculty and/or staff member(s) designated by a unit to oversee all OUSMA operations, including but not limited to, account content and engagement and policy compliance. Focus on telling your story honestly and providing accurate, timely information that is relevant to your audience. Visual identityAccount managers should follow the University’s Brand Guidelines to ensure the University maintains a strong, unified visual identity online. This includes logos and/or text for avatars, thumbnails, and other photos.

It is not advised to delete an account because you may want to remain in ownership of the handle. Instead, remove all art and make a final post that directs your followers to other social media platforms where you are active and/or a relevant web link and pin the post to the top. In the bio section, a note should be left that indicates that the account is no longer active.