How To Avoid Social Media Messes

10 Smart Enterprise Uses For Twitter

Any company developing a social media strategy today will have the benefit of at least a little history and some best practices on its side. Those who were pioneers didn't have those advantages, and many are now paying the price with a hodge-podge of accounts, messaging, and credentials. How can companies clean up this mess and focus their efforts, and how can organizations new to social media avoid these missteps?

The BrainYard's David Carr recently wrote a story in which Joshua Michelle Ross, senior VP and director of digital strategy for Europe with communications firm Fleishman Hillard, was quoted as saying, "The very factors that make social media" so easy for individuals are what make it a sprawling mess for organizations."

Indeed, social networking is intended to enable unfettered (within reason) communications among users. There are very few checks when accounts are set up, and information is updated and widely shared with lightning speed. Organizations need to recognize this, and then work to apply the controls they can put in place.

One organization that has done just that is Montgomery Community College, located in Pennsylvania. The director of communications for MCCC, Alana Mauger, is responsible for developing and facilitating social media activities. She describes herself as one of those early social advocates: "[Our social media presence] was a grass-roots effort that I started a little over three years ago because I recognized the value of such interaction," she said. "Soon, every department wanted an 'official' college Facebook page, Twitter account, etc., and I saw the potential for mass chaos if something wasn't done quickly."

As an academic institution, MCCC has disparate departments and users ranging from students to faculty to administration to alumni and more. Mauger said there was an acknowledgement that social media could not be controlled, but that the accounts endorsed as official by the institution could.

[ Setting social media policies is good. Here are a few more things worth considering: 9 LinkedIn Etiquette Tips ]

Mauger identified that one of the most important steps to take in putting some boundaries around the college's social media presence was to create a system by which users could, in effect, apply to act as a sanctioned social mouthpiece for the organization. She developed a social media handbook that details the college's philosophy on social media and its uses, including how users can set up an "official, endorsed" social media account. Once an application has been approved, the applicant must agree to abide by a contract including provisions such as, "Each account must be updated a minimum or once per week and must be monitored daily."

"The application and contract state that any person or entity at MCCC can have a social media account, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, blogs, LinkedIn, etc.," Mauger said. "However, if the department or person would like its account to be endorsed and promoted by MCCC, an application must be completed and approved by the appropriate area VP. [The application] is then considered by the department of marketing and communications."

Mauger said this approach is intended to weed out departments and individuals who don't understand how to effectively use social media, although she added that she works with these users to develop their understanding. The application asks questions such as, "What is your experience using social media?" "Who is your target audience?" "What type of information/interaction you will offer?" "Who will facilitate the page?"

10 Cool Social Media Monitoring Tools

As director of communications, Mauger is an admin on every account. She notes that she provides general oversight and edits information only when MCCC's reputation or brand is in jeopardy. In addition to that kind of control, the single admin model also enables the college to ensure continuity if and when an admin leaves, Mauger added.

Refining early efforts

SAS also started its social media presence at the grass-roots level, and now the company, which provides business intelligence and analytics software systems--is focused on "refining and focusing our earliest social media efforts into a more cohesive online brand presence across channels," said Kirsten Hamstra, SAS' social media manager.

Hamstra said SAS began facilitating this change with the organization of a global social media team. The team shares best practices, current social media campaigns, and guidelines and policies. A smaller, cross-divisional team--called the Social Media Program Team--is responsible for managing the process and strategy for SAS' external social media Web presence.

Like MCCC, SAS has put a system into place for requesting a business social media account.

"We have integrated all new requests for Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, blogs, and discussion forums into our company's marketing information system," said Hamstra. "When an employee wants to request a new channel presence, they are required to fill out a detailed form with their business justification, content strategy plan, time commitment, and other supporting information, which is then reviewed by the Social Media Program Team."

Hamstra said the Social Media Program Team ensures that all social media presences follow SAS branding standards and are added to a channel directory. There, employees can see who's responsible for any SAS-branded social media account. "This process leads to greater accountability and ensures consistency among our global social media presences," she added.

As for any accounts created before these policies were put into place, SAS is planning a "social media amnesty" month. During this period, said Hamstra, current account owners of SAS-related social media accounts can bring their account "up to snuff." This includes adding SAS-branded images to the accounts, bringing the accounts into the social media account directory, and ensuring branding and consistency standards. "This event will help our team wrap our arms around all of our global social media presences and offer more support to our country offices who are just getting started with social media," said Hamstra.

SAS has also rolled out new policies and updated social media guidelines to all employees on a new intranet site, the SAS Social Media Resource Portal. The portal also provides on-demand social media education curriculum and a companywide social media channel directory. Hamstra added that plans are in the works for a library that will include SAS social media success stories.

Has your company made progress in cleaning up its social networking act, or are things being swept under the rug? Let me know by commenting below or emailing me at [email protected]