Social Media: Guidance for staff

“People with an opinion – good or bad – are likely to register it on social media”

“Don’t say anything online that you wouldn’t want plastered on a billboard with your

face on it.”

“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.”

“If you make customers unhappy in the physical world, they might each tell 6 friends.

If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.”

Introduction Social Media is a very useful tool to do your job, and when used well by staff is an excellent way for Luton Borough Council to engage and communicate with residents, businesses, professionals and other stakeholders. Social media is popular because it connects people. It can connect you to what people are saying, doing and thinking. Many people prefer to receive their information via social media and it has replaced traditional channels such as newspapers, email and telephone for a section of the population. Therefore by not communicating via social media, you are not reaching a lot of your audience. More importantly, people now expect to be able to communicate with organisations via social media, just as they do by telephone, email and other traditional channels. It is for all these reasons that Luton borough Council encourages employees to consider the use of social media as a vehicle for communication and in building our reputation as a ‘listening organisation’ which acts on the feedback it receives. Luton Borough Council believes that there is a great potential for developing the organisation’s social media identity through personal use by staff. We do not wish therefore to prevent staff from having social media accounts which link them to the organisation.

Quick stats Social media has changed the way people interact with organisations affecting their lives:

72% of UK internet users have a social media profile (22% in 2007).

81% of these people use social media at least once a day (30% in 2007).

Although 16-24s have always shown the highest levels of social media use however the most marked increase over the last eight years has been among the 35-44s (12% in 2007 compared to 80% today).

More than half of people aged 55-64 have a social media profile Source: Adults’ media use and attitudes Report 2015 (Ofcom)

The UK's most popular social media sites:

40 million use YouTube

35.1 million use Facebook

11.9 million use Twitter

11.3 million use LinkedIn

8.8 million use Google Plus

Source: Ofcom 2014

Purpose This is guidance for Luton Borough Council employees on the use of social media. It aims to help staff make the right decisions about the use of social media and to understand the impact should they get it wrong. It should be read in conjunction with the Council’s official social media policy.

Scope This guidance applies to professional use of social media on behalf of Luton Borough Council as well as personal use of social media when referencing or identified as affiliated with Luton Borough Council. There is a separate social media policy which must be read and agreed by staff. Social media includes all social networking sites, including but not exclusive to, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Yammer, Pinterest, Flickr and other sites and services such as blogs that permit users to share information with others online.

Golden rule

“Don't post any message on social media that you wouldn't happily say in a public meeting”

Accounts in Luton Borough Council’s name You are permitted and encouraged to use relevant social media websites for any business activity. However, you should consult with the communications or web services team first.

The main official Luton Borough Council corporate social media accounts are managed by the communications and web services teams. If you are interested in using social media, please contact the communications or web services teams who will look at your aims and help you find the best solution for your needs (see form at Appendix 1). It should be noted that it takes a great deal of time, resource and energy to manage a social media account; and building your audience can take a number of months, if not years (see considerations below). It may therefore be more effective to use the existing corporate social media accounts to meet your aims, rather than setting up separate individual, team or service accounts.

Considerations before setting up a Luton Borough Council Account You should know the audience you want to communicate with and be able to describe them. You should have a clear aim, purpose and measurable outcomes for the social network. Only set up a social media account if you are able to manage it and give speedy and appropriate replies to correspondence. People expect speedy responses on social media so it should be prioritised similarly (if not over) other incoming messages. Think of a query as if it’s a media enquiry or being asked in a public meeting. Followers don’t automatically appear. The single biggest trick to getting the most from social media is to build your online communities by sharing, listening, being active and being social. You will need to provide interesting things to read, watch or listen that your target audience values and wants. Keep accounts updated regularly. There should be activity at least every day or two. There are a large number of social media platforms. You should only create profiles on ones that are relevant. It is better to do one really well, than several poorly. You need to ensure other staff have access to the social media account(s) when you are unable to update it.

Top Tips for using social media

Be human - be approachable in your language and tone. Write in plain

English

Be friendly - Use warm and welcoming language.

Be engaging and helpful - Respond to questions and post/contribute when

you can move the conversation on or help

Be professional and respectful - Remember that you are representing

Luton Borough Council

You can't control, only contribute - You cannot stop conversation amongst

your audience. You can only contribute to it

Be strategic by planning ahead – who do you want to engage with, why and how? What do you want to achieve?

Listen - social media is designed to be a two-way channel, just like any good conversation

Monitor and adapt - Keep records of ‘likes’, ‘mentions’ ‘popular content’ and ‘analytics’ for future analysis - use this recorded data to see what works and what doesn’t to help make decision in the future

Post questions - You'll find that many people on social media are very happy to help if you post questions to your community or followers

Don't be afraid to ask for help – The communications and web services teams will be happy to provide you with advice on your social media use

Personal social media accounts There is often a fine line between the use of social media as a work tool and your personal use as an individual outside of your work role. Sometimes your opinions may conflict so you must take care to separate the two when it happens. Luton Borough Council recognises that many employees make use of social media in a personal capacity. While you may not be acting on behalf of the organisation, employees must be aware they can damage the Council if they are recognised as being one of our employees. If you use social networks or blogs for personal use and have indicated that you work at Luton Borough Council, you should consider using a disclaimer that states that opinions on this site are your own. An example: “The views expressed are my own and don’t reflect the views of my employer”.

Guidelines for all accounts – business and personal

Always be mindful of the impact your contribution might make to the reputation of Luton Borough Council. You are personally responsible for content you publish.

Don’t upload, post or forward any abusive, obscene, discriminatory, harassing, derogatory or defamatory content. This includes your colleagues, members of the public or Luton Borough Council as an organisation. It could result in disciplinary action if you do.

Never disclose commercially sensitive, anti‐competitive, private or confidential information. Also do not breach copyright for example by; using someone else’s images or written content without permission. What you publish will be around for a long time so consider the content carefully and also be sensible about disclosing personal details.

Social media networks, blogs and other types of online content sometimes generate press and media attention or legal questions. Employees should refer these inquiries to the communications and engagement team. Our reputation is made by your behaviour. Everything you publish reflects how we are perceived. Please ensure you are aware of Luton Borough Council’s values and reflect these. If you identify inaccuracies about Luton Borough Council, please politely and sensitively point out the situation as you see it. You must also advise the communications or web services teams that you have identified information that is inaccurate or could damage the reputation of the organisation. Ensure compliance with data protection legislation – for example move the discussion to private message (Facebook) or Direct Message (Twitter) when personal details need to be discussed; or ask them to contact us another way (ie telephone). Delete any information posted on our sites that contains personal details. You may ‘block’, ‘hide’ or ‘ban’ abusive users.

What happens if you get it wrong? It’s possible to make a mistake and get it wrong. If it happens tell your line manager immediately and consult with them and the communications and web services teams to agree remedial action to avoid embarrassment or reputational damage. If you make a mistake, be open and honest whilst quick to correct it. Please read and understand the Council’s social media policy which provides more information on the consequences of misuse.