This document provides an overview of writing social media guidelines for companies. It begins with definitions of policies, codes of conduct, and guidelines. It then discusses why companies need social media guidelines, using examples of employees damaging brands and the need for conversation guidelines. The document outlines challenges in developing guidelines, including format, implementation, education, and ensuring pertinence. It provides basics that should be covered, such as distinguishing professional versus private use and ensuring data protection and responsibility. The document presents examples of guidelines from Meltwater Group and for employees. It concludes that guidelines should be simple, fun, make employees proud to work there, and avoid issues.

1. Friday Session #48
Helene Debaisieux
Writing Social Media
Follow @Cleverwood Guidelines for Companies
Use #FridaySession
Why you need them and where to
start?
03/10/12

2. Plan
1. Introduction
o Definition
o Why guidelines?
2. How to start with guidelines?
o The challenges
o The keypoints
3. Cases
4. Conclusion
2

3. Introduction
3

4. Definition
These tools have no legal obligations, they are more related to « good
practices » encouragement (soft law) than to Justice sanctions.
Code of
Policies Guidelines
Conduct
Model Rules Rules Instructions
Determination of Determination of Determination of
Goals behaviors responsabilities behaviors
Influence Engaging Ethical Practical
Contain Rights, duties Values, concepts Do’s, don’ts
Webmaster
Example Privacy Policies Code of Business
guidelines
4

5. Why guidelines?
« A 17-year-old boy arrested as part of an investigation into Twitter
messages sent to the diver Tom Daley after he and team-mate Pete
Waterfield missed out on a medal on Monday has been issued with a
harassment warning. »
5

6. Why guidelines?
Your employees are your best brand ambassadors but they can be your
worst destroyers if they don’t learn how to use social media correctly.
6

7. Why guidelines?
Even for your community managers, things are not always
clear… You need to set-up conversation guidelines.
7

8. How to start with guidelines?
8

9. The challenges
1. Format
• Make them clear, easy
Format • Make them fun
• Engage
2. Implementation
• Involve the whole company
• Define the limits
Pertinency Implementation
3. Education
• Find a SPOC
• Make them accessible
• Explain, develop, teach
4. Pertinency
Education • Adapt the document to personal
experiences
• Keep them current
• Review guidelines after incidents
9

10. The basics
1. Professional versus private
Ø Limits of transparency
Ø Who are you? Who are you speaking for?
2. Data protection
Ø « Oubli numérique »
Ø Confidentiality
3. Responsability
Ø Personal versus professional
Ø Add values
Ø Think before you ink
10

11. The basics
4. Respect
Ø The audience
Ø The copyright
Ø Legal aspects and terms of use
Ø Company reputation
5. « Sanctions »
Ø Show the importance and the relevance of those rules
11

12. Cases
12

13. Cases: MeltWater Group guidelines
13

14. Cases: Employees
14

15. Conclusion
15

16. Conclusion
make it simple, make it fun
close your eyes about social media
make your employees proud of working for
you
avoid any issue to happen
16

17. See you next Friday Session!
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§ Did you enjoy it? Come for next FAS!
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