Worksheet #3: Social Media Policy

Social Media policies provide companies with specific and exact rules, regulations, and guidelines for how the companies social media will be used. This can include rules that pertain to making sure clients isn’t posting certain content, like songs with profanity or hate speech. These policies can consist of components like maintaining the brands’ identity, protection from any legal or regulatory challenges, or even a breach of security.

 For example, Nike’s social media policy ensures that Nike employees are ‘responsible for ensuring Nike’s non-public, proprietary, or confidential information does not enter the public domain through electronic transmissions regarding inventions, patents, unreleased products, marketing, sales, promotion plans, customer information, production data, future orders, earnings, sales, and more. If so, that employee has broken the policy and could risk termination.

 Another example of a social media policy being used for an agency can be found even for the U.S. Army. Their online conduct requires that soldiers accounts are able to be clearly identifiable as they encourage those to use the media to stay connected with their families and share their personal stories. As they represent our country, the U.S. Army’s social media policy also asks soldiers who are on duty or in uniform to refrain from participating in any only interviews or discussions regarding any political party, candidate, or cause as it is prohibited.

Now, imagine me working for the U.S. Army in modern time. As the social media/ public relation specialist, it’s important for me that my CEO and their employees understand the importance of confidentiality within the policy as it’s in the best interest for our country. By focusing on confidentiality, soldiers would be provided with a specific and detailed list of what to refrain from posting when broadcasting themselves on their personal media. This list would be given to those who are currently on duty as they have specific responsibilities and tasks to complete.

 This crucial piece of the policy would ensure that no wrongful, deluded, unsuitable information is being spread to the public while serving our country in uniform. This would be important specifically for those who may work in foreign affairs or for the oval office as confidential information is shared among those who qualify daily.

One policy that could execute this plan is that No officer or soldier is permitted their personal device while working directly under the President of the United States. This policy would guarantee the privacy and safety of the President, and any proceeding affairs planned. This also eliminates any potential threats in regard to the President and/or the soldier's career.