Because social media emphasizes immediacy, access and personal sharing it is particularly important to minimize harm for your audience, your sources, your colleagues and yourself. Journalists should be honest, fair and courageous in gathering, reporting and interpreting information. Social media helps journalists find sources, engage audiences and develop story ideas as well as make personal and professional connections. To ensure the highest standards, students in Cronkite News must abide by the following standards for social media use, which reflect the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics core principles.
The State Department sets strict rules for how social media activity affects visa processing and employee conduct. Many companies now tell employees to steer clear of posting about politics, conflicts, or sensitive social issues that could hurt the company’s image. Even government agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs now warn employees about posting sensitive information on social platforms. This gives them the confidence to post social media content more regularly, which can ultimately help improve your brand’s presence and thought leadership.
Your content moderators, who respond to comments on your owned accounts, should have a more codified content moderation policy to help guide them on this front. It’s important for every employer and brand to promote accessibility and inclusivity on and off social media. Encouraging your employees to do the same is a way to show that you care about them, too. Social media was the top contact method for fraudsters targeting everyone up to age 70 in 2023, according to the FTC. If your employees are taken in by a social media scam or otherwise jeopardize cybersecurity, they put both themselves and your organization at risk.
Scope Of The Policy
Work with your product team to ensure you’re accurately describing your products. Partner with your PR communications team to define how you handle crises on social. Similarly, the HR department can offer tips on employer branding or employee engagement initiatives.
Establishing a legacy system will avoid confusion over old or lost logins and passwords when individuals inherit the account(s). Social media admins of divisions and programs should keep a list of the passwords for their accounts. All accounts should have a shared cuny.edu email address, username and password so the account(s) is not tied to a personal email address or to a specific individual. These guidelines are for anyone in the Central Office starting an official CUNY account, including but not limited to divisions, programs and members of leadership. UMBC now has a Social Media Advisory Group that can provide feedback, training, and supports for social media administrators across campus.
For example, employees are encouraged to state on their profiles that opinions expressed are their own and not representative of the organization. Companies should also prohibit the disclosure of confidential information on social media to protect proprietary data. An example of an employee violating a social media policy is an employee who posts confidential company information without the company’s approval. Another example is an employee who insults the company publicly on social media. Now that you know what a corporate social media policy is (and its importance), it’s time to go over the key elements that every social media policy for employees should contain. Situations like this are more common than you think, but with a workplace social media policy, you can minimize these risks.
For example, maybe you’ve noticed certain brands have a distinct social style. Like Wendy’s, with their sassy, sharp-tongued posts that people enjoy so much, they’ll even request a roast. Publish content via social on a regular basisWhile it is not necessary to post every day on every platform, the accounts should reflect a consistent effort related to posting and engagement. Social Media TakeoversA social media takeover happens when you allow an individual to lead the content of your social media account for a set period of time. Prior to scheduling a takeover, account manager(s) must review takeover strategy with the Division of Strategic Communications.
Mailchimp’s Content Style Guide is a comprehensive resource that outlines guidelines for writing and creating content across various channels, including social media. It covers tone of voice, grammar and mechanics, formatting, and accessibility considerations. The guide is well-organized and includes clear examples to illustrate each point. Provide guidelines for using hashtags effectively on social media platforms. Specify branded hashtags, campaign-specific hashtags, and industry-related hashtags that align with the brand’s messaging and objectives.
The Roi Of Advocacy In 2025: Resources, Case Studies, Data
Social media presents an opportunity for libraries to engage with users and to make significant contributions to shared knowledge. This robust civic engagement leads to an informed citizenry and a healthy society, while also demonstrating the great value of our institutions. Similarly, your corporate SM guidelines should also state the standards for devising names for your social media posts, as well as the images posted by your employees.
On the flip side, Patagonia’s voice is passionate and purpose-driven, tying every post back to their core mission. Defining your voice isn’t about handcuffing your team with rigid rules. It’s about creating a character so vivid that anyone can step into its shoes and speak with confidence.
4.8 Employees and page administrators must follow the terms of use for each social media platform. Social media, such as Facebook and Instagram, evolve constantly and it is the responsibility of every social media administrator to stay up-to-date on these terms. 1.5 These guidelines must be read and adhered to in conjunction with all other information provided by Lamar University on the use of social media. Legal Templates LLC is not a lawyer, or a law firm and does not engage in the practice of law.
Learn what states have adopted data privacy laws to protect consumers online in 2025 and stay compliant to avoid potential lawsuits. Moreover, if an employee mentions your brand in one of their posts, you should instruct them to use the official logo, font, or anything else that is connected to your brand. Let’s say an employee working in a tech company accidentally posts internal product details on LinkedIn, thinking they were sharing a harmless update. This is a serious breach of confidentiality and could result in significant harm to the company. For example, when commenting on company updates, providing feedback, or engaging in industry discussions, ensure that your comments reflect the professional tone expected in your work environment. If you’re unsure whether something is appropriate, err on the side of caution and consider how the message might be perceived by others—especially if it involves sensitive or controversial topics.
Step 5: Train Employees
CharityComms offers a comprehensive social media policy template tailored for charities. This resource provides a structured framework to guide staff and volunteers in their online interactions, ensuring consistency and professionalism across all platforms. The template is designed to be adaptable, allowing organisations to customise it according to their specific needs and branding.
It covers which platforms are included and what content is appropriate. To avoid running into such social media issues (big or small), you need a good social media policy. It is also essential for you to highlight the real do’s and don’ts of social media communication between your employees and potential customers, regardless of the size of your company. A social media policy provides the guidelines and standards for social media postings, whether someone generated them internally or externally. Just to be clear, an internal post refers to staff, volunteers, or others who publish a post on behalf of your nonprofit.