This piece is based on an interview with Mara Butts, PR professional and social media strategist at Hexagon.
Social media governance is the “Standard Operating Procedure” that an organisation follows for its social media initiatives and programs. This governance provides the framework necessary for ensuring collaborators and employees are informed about social media guidelines. Creating social media guidelines can help businesses prevent potential legal and reputational risks.
Apart from ensuring quality assurance, governance gives companies more agility to address critical situations in real-time. Brands should maintain transparency and highlight non-negotiable offences, like hate speech, while preparing governance policy.
To create an effective social media governance policy, companies should start by reviewing the social media landscape, audit the brand’s social media channel, review existing media policies and conduct social listening. Further, collaborate with operations, branding, legal and HR teams while developing the governance policy.
[4 minute read]
