Available Now: Social Media Policy Guide

Posted by Dave Konig at 9 December, 2009, 9:00 am

If you ask anyone what the top 5 requirements of a successful Agency are, you’re pretty much guaranteed that one of the requirements they list is effective communication. We constantly hear that a clear understanding of Social Media is lacking in First Responder and Public Safety Agencies. We hear this both regarding the Agency itself as well as what an Agency’s expectations are for its Responders.

An effective method of communicating what an Agency will do in Social Media as well as what it expects from its Responders in their usage of Social Networks and in creating Social Media is to create a Social Media Policy. The problem that most Agencies and their management run into is that they don’t understand how to create an effective Social Media Policy. Too often we hear of Agencies doing nothing or issuing draconian blanket statements forbidding Responders to so much as mention what Agency they work for or face disciplinary action. Those efforts, or lack thereof, do nothing to protect either the Agency or the Responder from getting in trouble when using Social Media.

Social_Media_Policy_column To help Agencies tackle this daunting task, we are pleased to announce the release of our first e-guide Social Media Policy Guide For First Responder Agencies.

Over the course of the 26 pages we explain:

Why Social Media Matters
The 5 Vital Components of a Social Media Policy
The challenges of maintaining privacy in the near instantaneous Social Media environment
Blogger Specific Policies
E-mail Specific Policies

Additionally, we also included three sample policies to help guide you in the creation of your own document. To learn more about the guide and get your own copy, visit the Social Media Guide For First Reponder Agencies product page.

Are you still under the misguided notion that your Agency doesn’t need a policy or a guideline for your Responders? Consider that providing social media advice was viewed by the state of Utah as important enough that they issued their own guidelines to all state government employees. You can find a copy of their guidelines as a free download below, and you still have time to get your own policy guide here.

Download: State of Utah Social Media Guidelines

Internal Social Media: Building A Case (altitudebranding.com)

About the author

Dave Konig wrote 204 articles on this blog.

Dave has been involved in Social Media since 2005 through the current major services and some defunct ones as well. During this time he has been able to hone the craft by testing out the theories of others, creating his own philosophies, and gathering a better understanding of the mediums involved through networking and most importantly actual practice.