Does Your Organization Need a Social Media Policy?

We’ve all heard social media horror stories. The person who embarrassed themselves and their employer by posting inappropriate pictures online. The person who undermined their organization by tweeting their unhappiness with their boss or a decision at work. The person who posted something about a client or coworker which they never intended that person to see.

These events are rare, but they do happen.

The result? Employers are afraid.

How do people respond when they’re afraid? Often they attempt to control.

So, businesses, non-profits, schools, and churches all over the world have established social media policies. These policies are rules which their employees are required to follow online.

Overreaching social media policies

In the worst cases, social media policies can be overreaching and intrusive.

• One example is that of the Kentucky Conference of the United Methodist Church. They require clergy to “agree to allow the Kentucky Annual Conference to examine any and all MySpace, Facebook, or other blog and website accounts that I may have.”
• Carnival Cruise Lines implemented a social media policy which prohibits partners from sharing Carnival pictures or videos without the company’s written permission. (Huh? Isn’t that the whole point of social media?)
• Here in Florida, a county teachers union is suing because it claims the county’s 9 page social media policy for teachers is oppressive.
• And finally, the most restrictive policy of all… Rev. Cedric Miller of Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune, NJ completely banned all married church leaders from using Facebook claiming it led to too many affairs… A few weeks later, he resigned for inappropriate sexual behavior.

Unnecessary social media policies

Assuming your organization is not looking to do anything crazy like the examples above, most of the things covered in a typical social media policy are probably policies your organization already has in place. Here are some elements of a sample social media policy which can be found on about.com:

• Confidential information. Do we really need a social media policy to tell employees not to share confidential information? Almost every employee contract already include a confidentiality clause that applies to all communication including social media.
• “Speak respectfully about the company and our current and potential employees, customers, partners, and competitors. Do not engage in name calling or behavior that will reflect negatively on your company’s reputation.” Again, do we really need a separate social media policy for this? We expect staff to speak respectfully at all times, not just in social media.
• “You may not sell any product or service that would compete with any of your company’s products or services without permission in writing from the president.” Again, you probably have a policy somewhere else on this that applies to more than just blogging and social media.

Social Media Policy Principles

I am not 100% opposed to social media policies, but I think if an organization creates a social media policy it should do so with these three principles in mind.

1. Trust your staff. You already entrusted the entire future of your organization to your staff when you hired them. Trust them to use social media appropriately.
2. Bureaucracy sucks. Nobody likes rules. Nobody reads long policies. Don’t repeat things that are already in other policies. If you’re going to have a social media policy, keep it really short – less than a page.
3. Encourage social media use. Your staff should be your organization’s biggest fans. And they may have the power to reach even more people through their personal social media connections than your organization does through its official social media channels. Be a catalyst not a barrier to their social media use.

Social Media Guidelines

With those principles in mind, maybe the best social media policy would be an index card saying:

We encourage our staff to use social media well, because we believe as your influence grows, our influence grows. Be smart. Remember people will see everything you post. And it’s recorded – forever! Your reputation at stake and so is ours. Feel free to use social media while at work, but be on guard because it can be big time suck. You’ve got an important job, and we’re counting on you to do your best at it.

I never had a policy; I have just tried to do my very best each and every day. -Abraham Lincoln

What do you think?  Is your organization ready to support it’s staff’s use of social media and trust them to use common sense?  Or do you feel like explicit guidelines and policies are necessary?

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Paul Steinbrueck

Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com

Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.

An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.

Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.