Social Media Policy

This Social Media Policy describes Shires Festival of Dance’s expectations of Committee Members and their behaviour when using Shires Festival of Dance’s social media accounts. It also describes the rules governing social media as a Committee Member of Shires Festival of Dance.

Social media can bring significant benefits to Shires Festival of Dance, particularly for building relationships with current and potential clientele. However, it is important that Committee Members who use social media within Shires Festival of Dance do so in a way that enhances the Shires Festival of Dance’s prospects. A misjudged status update can generate complaints or damage Shires Festival of Dance’s reputation as well as security and data protection issues to consider.

This policy explains how Committee Members can use social media safely and effectively. It applies whether that social media use takes place before, during, and or after the Festival.

Social media sites and services include but are limited to:

• Popular social networks like Facebook, and Twitter
• Photographic social networks like Instagram and Flickr

Accountability

Shires Festival of Dance recognises that social media offers a platform for the Shires Festival of Dance to perform marketing and stay connected with interested parties whilst building its profile online.

Everyone who operates a Shires Festival of Dance social media account or who uses their personal social media account has some responsibility for implementing this policy. Committee Members should be aware that they are representing the Shires Festival of Dance in using corporate social networking and media accounts and adhere by the terms of use. Failure will be treated as a breach of this policy.

However, these people have key responsibilities:

The Shires Festival of Dance’s page owner is ultimately responsible for ensuring that Shires Festival of Dance uses social media safely and appropriately in line with the Shires Festival of Dance’s objectives. Ensuring pages have the appropriate level of security regarding page settings.

All Committee Members with access to the Shires Festival of Dance’s Facebook and Instagram social media accounts are responsible for ensuring requests for support, assistance or information made via these avenues are followed up.

General Social Media Guidelines

Regardless of social media networks Committee Members are using following these simple rules helps to avoid the most common consequences and as such users of social media networking applications need to adhere to following terms of use:

• Users must not use to publish any content which may result in actions for defamation, discrimination, breaches of copyright, data protection or other claims for damages. This includes but is not limited to defamatory statements, material of an illegal, sexual or offensive nature that may bring the Shires Festival of Dance into disrepute
• Must not be used for the promotion of personal financial interests, commercial ventures or personal campaigns;
• Must not be used in an abusive or hateful manner
• Must not make any commitments or agreements without prior checking with other members of the Shires Festival of Dance
• Users should err on the side of caution when posting to any of Shires Festival of Dance’s social media networking pages, if they feel an update and or post may cause distress, upset, complaints or offence, or be otherwise unsuitable. If users are unsure DO NOT post it
• Use good basic manners
• Knowledge of the use of the social media networking sites that Shires Festival of Dance utilises prior to contributing
• Must handle complex queries via other suitable means and not on a public forum
• Must not escalate issues arising by posting a contentious status update and regret it, users should think before responding and replying; if in doubt about appropriate response please seek advice.

Authorised Users

Only pre-authorised users by the Shires Festival of Dance’s account owner may do so, it will be granted to those users who will be deemed to have social media-related tasks. Allowing only designated users to use the accounts ensures Shires Festival of Dance’s social media presence is consistent and cohesive.

Creating Social Media Accounts

The Shires Festival of Dance currently has one Instagram account, one Facebook page and one Facebook group, further (new) social media accounts must not be created unless by prior agreement with the Shires Festival of Dance Committee. If there is a case for opening a new social media account such as; Twitter, users should raise this with the other Committee Members.

Purpose of Shires Festival of Dance social media accounts

Shires Festival of Dance’s social media accounts may be used for many different purposes. In general, authorised users should only post updates, messages or otherwise use these accounts when that use is clearly in line with the Shires Festival of Dance’s overall objectives.

For instance authorised users may use Shires Festival of Dance’s social media accounts to:

• Respond to enquiries and requests for help;
• Share blog posts and other content created for the Shires Festival of Dance;
• Share insightful articles, videos, media and other content relevant to the Shires Festival of Dance, but created by others;
• Provide followers with an insight to what goes on at Shires Festival of Dance.

Inappropriate content and uses

Shires Festival of Dance social media accounts must not be used to share or spread inappropriate content, or to take part in activities that could bring the Shires Festival of Dance into disrepute.

Users should review the content of a post when linking to a post or company page, and also search for posts where the Shires Festival of Dance is ‘tagged’ to review the content as suitable; if the post is deemed unsuitable please inform the Secretary who will contact relevant persons to remove post.

Personal Social Media Rules

Users should ensure it is clear that their personal social media account(s) do not represent Shires Festival of Dance opinions or views.

The following disclaimer may be on social media profiles

‘The views expressed are my own and do not reflect the views of any organisation I am connected to.’

Safe, Responsible Social Media Use

The rule sets out in this section apply to authorised users of Shires Festival of Dance’s social media network accounts. Users must not:

• Create or transmit material that might be defamatory or incur liability for Shires Festival of Dance;
• Post message, status updates or links to material or content that is inappropriate as detailed previously within this policy;
• Use social media f or any illegal or criminal activities;
• Send offensive of harassing material to others via social media;
• Send or post messages or material that could damage the Shires Festival of Dance’s image or reputation;
• Discuss colleagues, competitors or suppliers without their prior approval;
• Post, upload, forward or link to spam, junk email or chain emails and messages;
• Interact in a way that could be deemed offensive, disrespectful or rude.

Copyright

Shires Festival of Dance respects and operates within copyright laws. Users may not use social media to publish or share any copyrighted material owned by a third party, unless permitted to do so by the third party.

If users wish to share content published on another social media page or website, they are free to do so if the page and or website has the sharing functions available.

Security and Data Protection

Users should be aware of the security and data protection issues surrounding the use of public social media networks.

Therefore, to maintain confidentiality users must not:

• Share or link any content or information owned by the Shires Festival of Dance that could be considered confidential or commercially sensitive
• Share or link to any data in any way that could breach the Shires Festival of Dance’s Data Protection Policy or the Safeguarding & Child Protection Policy.

Policy Enforcement

Shires Festival of Dance reserves the right to monitor how social media networks are used by users and where appropriate the general public.

Additionally, all data relating to social media networks where it is written on a public forum as a status update or comment and sent or received via social media messaging forms part of the Shires Festival of Dance’s official records.

Knowingly breaching and violating this social media policy is a serious matter, users who do so will be subject to action being taken against them by the Shires Festival of Dance including termination of their relationship with said user.

Where appropriate, the Shires Festival of Dance will involve the police or other law enforcement agencies as deemed necessary.