6 Steps to Creating the Right Social Media Policy

There are about a million different ways to develop your social media policy, but are they right for your company? Sticking to a process that is easy to remember will keep you focused and on track in developing your policy. We have found that the following 6 steps, happily listed in a mnemonic ABCDEF, keep things simple and yet cover all the bases.

A – Assemble the team

Bring together those folks best suited to help you. Ensure that it is composed of people who are both “officially” recognized by the organization as well as those who are influential and therefore “unofficial” experts. Do it early in the process to decrease the odds of downstream resistance.

B – Baseline your current state to assess your level of risk

What are the things you need to evaluate to determine if you have an issue? Is anyone aware of which SM platforms are being used by which functions? Are people aware of the Regulatory, Legal, Security and Cultural constraints under which they are to operate?

C – Create the Project Plan

Agree upon roles and responsibilities for both now and in the future. Determine who will write the policies. Determine who will review the policies. Determine what specific role each member of the SM Policy Team will play. Agree upon WHO will do WHAT by WHEN.

D – Develop the Policies

What makes for “good” vs. “bad” policies. Content rules – or Who gets to say What.

E – Educate

What are some of the things to consider when managing large-scale change efforts. How should you segment your education efforts. Should Managers and Individual Contributors receive differentiated training.