Social Media Guidelines: Give Them a Ponder.
Posted by Annette DeHaven in The Daily UpdateRemember all the hype surrounding the “Cisco Fatty” tweet in 2009? “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”
If you’re not familiar with this particular social media saga, Tim Levad, a Cisco employee, tweeted back: “Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.”
Connor Reily, aka Cisco Fatty, tweeted herself out of an opportunity and in the aftermath admitted, “I should have been a little more careful … I certainly learned the hard way.”
I’m sure we could all attest to the fact that some of life’s best lessons come to us the hard way, even when it seems that common sense should have saved us.
What can we do to make sure that our current employees, some of our favorite “tweeps” out there, don’t make similar missteps on the web for all to see? Start by creating a set of social media guidelines.
There’s a treasure trove of examples over at SocialMediaGovernance, an online database of social media policies. I also recommend that you check out the set of social media guidelines Intel has created (and continues to evolve as social media does) for their employees. Why?
- It’s concise
- It’s conversational
- It connects back to the company’s code of conduct
- It’s full of common sense advice including: “If it gives you pause, pause.”
The extra second you (the employee and the person) spend to proofread, debate, analyze – really think about what you are putting out there for all to see – is so, so worth it. Heed Intel’s wise words!
James Lipton (and his beard) seem to know what I am talking about. His advice to teens – “Before you text, give it a ponder.” – in a series of PSAs for LG, is really a universal message:
Do you work for an organization that’s created a social media policy? Share with us some of the key guidelines that you’re glad are there. If you are thinking about creating one, what guidelines do you view as essential?
Author Bio:
Annette DeHaven, Alstin's Vice President, Operations, serves as right hand woman for an impressive roster of clients. Known for addressing problems head-on, Annette, who's led by example for more than 15 years, remembers crazy statistics, regularly spouts off mind-bending metrics, and recalls just about every field description for birds you've never heard of.
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Commenting on this post, not as an Alstin employee, but as a parent of tweens. Every parent with a child from 10-19 should read this post and they HAVE to watch the video. The videos are funny as can be, but the message is really important, especially in this age!