Keys for developing a social media policy.

• Position: RIM FUNDAMENTALS

Social media is reshaping the way organizations conduct business--from running sweepstakes to enacting sales transactions of products and services to managing various facets of customer relationships.

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Getting ahead of this juggernaut of technological change is no small task. While using social media is rife with risks, a well-constructed and enforced social media policy can substantially mitigate or minimize those risks.

This excerpt from the ARMA International Technical Report Using Social Media in Organizations (ARMA TR 21-2012) provides valuable guidance for developing such a policy.

Policy Development

Policy that addresses an organization's participation in social media should be approved and championed at a high level within the organization, be technologically neutral (not restricted to a particular software and/or hardware), and support the organization's goals, objectives, governance structure, and organizational culture.

Successful policy creation and/ or modification result from a collaborative, team effort. If records and information management personnel are developing the policy, they should elicit input into policy development from other stakeholder groups, including, but not limited to, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, and Marketing.

Initiate social media policy development by:

* Identifying the need for a policy to govern the organizational use of social media technologies

* Examining existing policies to identify which policies (if any) already cover records/information management and social media use

* Determining whether policies governing social media technologies should be embedded into existing policies or will need to stand alone, and, if embedded in existing policies, identifying the policies of which they will be a part

* Ensuring new social media policies align with existing policies

* Identifying key stakeholders responsible for new social media policy approval and implementation

See Figure 1 "Policy Development Workflow" on page 43.

Information Gathering and Analysis

Pertinent information may be gathered through interviews with administrators, decision-makers, records managers, and employees who participate in and/or oversee the use of social media. Analysis of the organization's data map and literature (e.g., annual reports, work and strategic plans, legal documentation, and legislation) should also be undertaken. This analysis will help to understand the administrative...