If you need a Corporate Social Media Policy document to get started, use this template. It outlines most of the steps you need to write your first set of Corporate Social Media Policy guidelines.

Purpose of this Corporate Social Media Policy
This policy governs all information sharing and commentary on Social Media by employees of your Business and its related companies.

Definition
For the purposes of this policy, Social Media means any application, tool or software used for online information and publication including blogs, wikis, and social networking sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube.

Other Policies
This policy complements existing policies regarding the use of technology, computers, e-mail and the internet.

Employees Rights
your Business employees are free to publish or comment on Social Media sites in accordance with this policy.

Compliance
your Business employees are subject to this policy to the extent they identify themselves as a your Business employee.

Scope
This policy applies to all types of social media, including personal, by your Business employees as their position with your Business would be well known within the community.

Ethical Standards
All uses of social media must follow the same ethical standards that your Business employees must otherwise follow.

Setting up Social Media Sites
To get assistance in setting up Social Media accounts, please contact your Business’s (fill in details).

Confidential
While it’s fine to talk about your work with the community, it’s not acceptable to publish confidential information. Confidential information includes unpublished details about our software, details of current projects, future product releases, financial information, research, and trade secrets.

Privacy #1
Ensure that your privacy settings on Social Media sites are set to allow anyone to see profile information similar to what would be on the your Business website.

Privacy #2
Control other privacy settings that might allow others to post or see information that is personal and should not be displayed. Do not publish information that you would not want the public to see.

Identify Yourself
Do not blog anonymously, use pseudonyms or false screen names.

Use your real name and identify that you work for your Business.

Integrity
Do not say anything that is dishonest, untrue, or misleading. If you have a vested interest in something you are discussing, say it.

Copyright laws
Show due respect for the laws governing copyright, fair use, and fair dealing of copyrighted material owned by others, including your Business own copyrights and brands.

Do not quote more than short excerpts of someone else’s work, and always attribute such work to the original author/source.

Respect
Respect your audience, your Business, and your coworkers

• Do not say anything in conflict with your Business website.
• Do not cite customers, partners or suppliers without their approval.
• Do not identify a customer, partner or supplier by name without permission and never discuss confidential details of a customer engagement.
• Do not be afraid to be yourself, but do so respectfully.

Partners
Protect your Business customers, business partners and suppliers

Use common sense and be sure to make it clear that the views and opinions expressed are yours alone and do not represent the official views of your Business.

About the Author: Arthur Grant helps companies develop Corporate Social Media Policy Guidelines for Facebook, Twitter and Blogs. You can download his Corporate Social Media Policy Templates here.