Social media has made communication more effective, and convenient. When instituting these platforms within your community there are topics you’ll need to specify within your policies. Here are a few things that must be added to your associations social media policy. It’s incredibly important to set these regulations from the beginning, to protect your association and board from any legal issues.
1. Who can see our associations social media pages?
a. Will these social media pages be public or closed?
b. Will homeowners need to be invited to these pages?
c. Who will be in charge of accepting or denying these innovations?
2. Who is in charge of publishing social media content?
a. It’s important to assign a board member to each of these duties;
i. Administer posting information
ii. Approve/deny posts
iii. Manage comments
iv. Respond to messages
v. Remove prohibited content.
b. Content and editor roles can be assigned to different board members to maintain accountability and disseminate the workload.
3. What are the types of prohibited content?
Your social media policy should provide clear restrictions regarding social media use.
a. Content You Should Never Post Include:
* Photos of children without parental consent
* Photos taken of anyone without their consent
* Confidential board business
* An individual’s private information
* Posts directed toward a specific person in your community
* Anything promoting a board member’s personal agenda
* Inflammatory or defaming remarks
b. Discuss with the board about additional items to include, then reflect everything within your policy. By avoiding posts like these, the board will help prevent legal problems.
It is important for associations to work with their legal counsel to draft a social media policy that provides guidance and protects the board. These legal consequences can include libel, slander, privacy, and harassment. Any of these can lead to issues can have repercussions involving liability and/or litigation. In turn, it’s important for you and your board to sit down and frame a specific and comprehensive social media policy. Your should also always seek guidance from a professional before taking your association online.
