Social media guidelines and policy for FindCourses Global

Bloggat av: Joakim Trolle

Below is FindCourses Global’s guidelines and policies concerning the use of social media. This document is designed to raise awareness of rights and obligations. The idea is to reflect on our use of social media and how we profile our brand. How we respond, if we respond and what we say. It is not really so much guidelines, rather to reflect on what we do and before we do it especially when one is an ambassador for a company.

Since we are in an early stage in a very changing landscape thoroughly, you can not make a static document, and my recommendation is to revising it every year, I have thus set an expiration date on it until 30 August 2012. I am also grateful for thoughts and comments about both improvements and changes.

I’m totally open for other companies to use this document, you may copy, print and customize it however you want and I require no citations or credits. But it would be however nice to know if anyone else had use of it. Tweet me on @joakimtrolle. Some assistance has mainly been from Jennifer who always gives great input, IHM for great templates and ideas, Kodak for inspiration, SSBD illustrating how you might not want to do and a hundred other blogs.

Nedan är FindCourses Globals guidelines och policy för användandet av sociala medier. Dokumentet är framtaget för att väcka medvetenhet om rättigheter och skyldigheter. Tanken är att man ska reflektera över sitt användande av sociala medier och hur vi profilerar vårt varumärke. Hur vi bemöter, att vi bemöter och vad vi säger. Det handlar egentligen inte om så mycket riktlinjer, snarare om att man reflekterar över vad man gör och innan man gör det särskilt när man är ambassadör för ett företag.

Eftersom vi befinner oss i ett tidigt stadie i ett väldigt förändligt landskap, går det inte att göra ett statiskt dokument och min rekommendation är att revidera detta varje år, jag har därmed satt ett bäst före datum på det till den 30 augusti 2012. Jag tar även tacksamt emot tankar och kommentarer om både förbättringar och förändringar.

Jag är helt öppen till att andra företag får använda detta dokument för eget bruk, ni får kopiera, skriva om och anpassa hur ni vill. Jag kräver ingen som helst källhänvisning. Men det vore däremot kul att vet om någon annan fått användning av det. Lite hjälp har framförallt varit från Jennifer som alltid ger bra input, IHM för bra mallar och tankar, Kodak för inspiration,  SSBD för att belysa hur man kanske inte ska göra och typ tusen RSS flöden.

Presence, dialogue, participation and conversation

Introduction

The essence of social media is socializing and the purpose of using social media is for conversation, interaction, sharing and giving. Therefore our focus should purely be on being social, participating in dialogue. Which channel we use, how many followers we have and so on only becomes of importance when we are using them to be social. FindCourses Global does not want to control the conversation in social media; we participate using the same principles as our audience and the social media forums themselves use. It is important to understand that each forum has its own set of rules and that we have to adapt and understand how to act and to do so we listen.

What we do online has to be experienced as useful, engaging and be based on mutual respect. It is also important to demonstrate presence and consistency over time, that is to say sporadic bursts of activity will not work. Time will help us build large and relevant networks. Then, when trust and mutual interests are established, the real opportunities can arise.

Why social media

By being present in social media and showing company transparency FindCourses Global can maintain a meaningful dialogue with our audience, strengthen our market value and increase the number of people knowing and talking about our brand and services which will increase the number of people using our services. Being present online gives people a chance to interact with FindCourses Global and to bring us feedback, ideas and improvements.

However, social media is not all about marketing a product or an idea – it is also about showing that we keep up with and contribute to the development of the social web as well as making ourselves accessible for people who are looking for professional development.

In conclusion, there is not a simple answer as to why we should use social media. What we know is that social media is being used by our target audience; this is the place they gain new knowledge, talk about products, build and maintain networks, share and find information and so on. Commercial businesses cannot afford to lag in these processes and have to adapt and join the use of this media.

Social Media Policy

When we act online on behalf of FindCourses global we should act openly and transparently. We do not apply censorship but we always apply relevance. If content is not relevant for the channel it may be removed. An example of irrelevant content could be negative critique toward a customer on one of our own branding channels such as our Facebook wall. That is not relevant and should be removed since that wall is intended for our own branding and not our customers’. If the critique is constructive and aimed toward us we should avoid removing it and make sure to respond to it. But these instances can only be judged on a case by case basis.

Social media is a channel for conversation and not advertising. People appreciate relevance and quality, not being pushed towards a brand or product. When you engage in conversations through social media there are some basic rules you should follow.

FindCourses Global, we recommend these guidelines:

• Transparency
• Be proactive with commenting and responses
• Contribute with your own areas of expertise
• Honesty and responsibility
• Show courtesy, be friendly and polite
• Freedom of speech and loyalitetsprincipen
• Maintain confidential information
• Respect Copyright
• Private use, be careful with company resources

Social Media Guidelines

Transparency

Be clear that you are an employee of FindCourses Global, always be sure to tell us who you are and where you work. Even if you are commenting on matters relating to the business, but give your personal reflections, it is important that you still are open about where you work. Complement in this case your post with a text that says: “The views and opinions expressed here are my own and not necessarily those of my employer, FindCourses Global “.

Be proactive with commenting and responses

Be proactive, react fast and respond to posts regarding FindCourses Global, especially critique and constructive feedback. Act personal, yet professional and in accordance with FindCourses Global’s core values. A short response time minimises the risk that negative comments will spread.

• Complaints, comments and feedback that are negative have to be addressed as soon as possible. Please take into consideration whether or not the comment is meant to harm FindCourses Global’s reputation or if it is sarcastic.
• Comments and feedback containing factual errors, or coming from an unsatisfied person, have to be addressed as soon as possible.
• Answer as often as possible on comments containing positive feedback. This creates good relations and shows a positive presence online.
• When joining a conversation always keep it in mind to add value. Quality comes before quantity, even regarding microblogs such as Twitter.
• Always follow up on a conversation after replying and consider whether or not you should be commenting further.

Contribute with your own areas of expertise

Write posts and contribute to the dialogue in your own areas of expertise. Customers and partners are entitled to expect that posts and comments that are related to FindCourses Global are of a high standard. The level of expertise in various forums can vary considerably and it is important that you are familiar with the forum where you act on behalf of FindCourses Global. Stick to facts and paint a precise picture of a setting or situation. Double check information if you are uncertain.

Honesty and responsibility

Do not conceal information but do not promise more than you can keep. Never make any other promises of future performance, future products and the like than is the company’s official line. If you do make a mistake and provide false information then admit to this and correct it immediately. Social media provides almost unlimited ways to express your views; with these opportunities comes a responsibility for what is being said. Honesty and accountability builds trust, both for you and for the company. Be playful, share trends and information (not gossip). A key to good relations and feedback is to share tips and links to other discussions, or relevant information for the target audience.

Show courtesy, be friendly and polite

Always be friendly and polite and use a clear and mature language. Brief written information of the type which is typical in social media can sometimes be perceived by the recipient to be harsher than the sender intended. This is particularly true in discussions where the parties have fundamental differences. Even if you could believe that someone has written a negative or incorrect message about FindCourses Global, always avoid escalating a conflict. Stay calm, explain your position as objectively as possible and avoid setting off a mudslinging contest.

Mind your language and avoid profanity and other jargon that may offend. Never use a condescending tone about others and do not speak ill of competitors. Also consider that even if your reply is addressed to a particular person, chances are that it also will be read by many others such as competitors, former employees and customers. Thinking twice before you post a message and using common sense gives a sober and authoritative impression.

Freedom of speech and loyalitetsprincipen

Freedom of speech is a fundamental right in a democratic society. This means that each individual is within their rights to express both positive and negative comments about the company. Our view is that anyone expressing such an interest in the company that they want to use their time to write about us on social networks is someone we want to have a dialogue with. We cannot control this communication; we can participate and give our point of view, correct factual errors and learn from mistakes.

In Sweden we have lojalitetsprincipen, directly translated it means the duty of loyalty but a better reference would be code of conduct. Lojalitetsprincipen says that an employee does not have the right to criticize their employer on any medium such as Facebook or twitter if the intention is to harm the employer or if the critique is liable to harm the employer. This is then a breach of loyalitetsprincipen.

All employees are bound by lojalitetsprincipen with their employer during employment. Lojalitetsprincipen does not need to be formalized, but is instead automatically included as part of their employment. Lojalitetsprincipen means that employees may not take action that is likely to harm or otherwise impede the employer. The employee is required to put the employer’s interests before their own and to avoid situations where employee and employer interests may collide.

Freedom of speech and expression means that an employee has the right to criticize and question the employer’s conduct but not in a way likely to cause damage to the employer. So, do not share work related problems or criticize FindCourses Global in a way that is liable to harm.

Confidential information

Never give out confidential information over social media about current affairs, customers, employees etc… If a situation arises where others speculate about the company’s trade secrets, it is usually best not to reply at all. If we deny their claims at one point and then do not want to respond on another occasion then our audience can make an assumption that the speculation is true in the second case.

Always ask other people for permission before writing anything about them. Consider also the risk of giving too much personal information when such knowledge in the wrong hands can provide a basis for intrusion attempts and other attacks.

Respect Copyright

FindCourses Global’s official logos and trademarks may be used only for authorized purposes. It is not permissible to use the company logo as a private profile picture or on a personal blog. Never use other people’s material without permission and be sure to specify any sources and follow the copyright rules that apply to various publications.

Please use the external links to point to your sources, but be careful to control who you link to and show clearly that there is an external link. Be aware that a link could be perceived as a recommendation by FindCourses Global of a particular supplier. There is also a risk that the site you link to changes their content to something that the company did not want to be associated with. Be critical to source and link only to sites run by reputable owners.

Private use, be careful with company resources

Given that it’s possible to be constantly online and connected it means that the boundary between private life and employment is in many cases unclear. Many employees take the opportunity to check their mail from home, and sometimes private e-mail to the company. Some also check their Facebook or Twitter whilst at work. Parts of the news flow on these services can be of a private nature while other elements are relevant in a professional context. For many, it is therefore not possible to draw a sharp distinction between private and professional use of social media. Nonetheless, the private use of social media at work should be limited to an absolute minimum. But just as it is permitted to manage private banking on the job’s computer for example during a coffee break, then limited private use of social media is also acceptable.

It is inappropriate to be friends on Facebook with a business customer – there should be a clear distinction between personal life and what you do at work. If you do have a profile on for instance Facebook or Twitter, which states that you are employed by FindCourses Global, you should also clearly state that your opinions and actions in that respective media are your own.

Summary

To sum up, these are all guidelines we should strive towards and try to incorporate in our daily routines. Remember that the things we do not want to share are equally important to think about as the things we want and need to share, in order to build awareness of FindCourses Global and gain more visitors and information requests. The characteristics of social media are; presence, dialogue, participation and conversation.