Social Media Governance Document

1. Social Media Governance Document Social Media Governance DocumentPurposeUse this template to create a social media governance document to help you govern the“COMPANY XYZ” social media marketing program.At the highest level, this document is intended to address the following: 1. Governance Goals 2. Governance Structure 3. Governance Process 4. Social Media Roles & Responsibilities 5. Implementation Timeline 6. Social Media Training 7. Social Media Funding Model 8. Social Media Program Metrics 9. Continuous ImprovementScopeThis document is limited to “COMPANY XYZ’s” social media properties, and does notinclude information pertaining to the corporate website, intranets, extranets, portals, micro-sites, landing pages, and/or “Company XYZ” subsites.

2. This document describes “COMPANY XYZ’s” Social Media Governance Framework (theFramework). The Framework is to be used by all “COMPANY XYZ” employees & contractorsto introduce consistency in the way “COMPANY XYZ” social media properties are created,managed, and maintained. Senior Management and the Governance Committee haveendorsed development and implementation of the Social Media Governance Framework.This document is subject to modifications and amendments from time to time as required.Please be sure to check back frequently for updates.Background & ArchitectureThis section is not required but it will provide the reader with a better understanding ofwhy this document exists.A good example of background information can be found below:  “COMPANY XYZ’s” social media properties are now mainstream channels through which information is being communicated. Therefore, social media marketing efforts should project a unified, positive image of “COMPANY XYZ” locally, nationally and globally in order to better support our customers/clients.  On “Enter Date Here” we undertook an internal audit of “COMPANY XYZ’s” social media marketing efforts to gain a comprehensive understanding of our current infrastructure and quality of communications.  The Review revealed that “COMPANY XYZ’s” corporate social media program is inconsistent and fragmented.  In response to the findings of this review, the fragmented social media channels were re-branded aligned and social listening software was purchased. This document describes “COMPANY XYZ’s” Social Media Governance Framework (theFramework). The Framework is to be used by all “COMPANY XYZ” employees & contractorsto introduce consistency in the way “COMPANY XYZ” social media properties are created,managed, and maintained. Senior Management and the Governance Committee haveendorsed development and implementation of the Social Media Governance Framework.This document is subject to modifications and amendments from time to time as required.Please be sure to check back frequently for updates.Background & ArchitectureThis section is not required but it will provide the reader with a better understanding ofwhy this document exists.A good example of background information can be found below:  “COMPANY XYZ’s” social media properties are now mainstream channels through which information is being communicated. Therefore, social media marketing efforts should project a unified, positive image of “COMPANY XYZ” locally, nationally and globally in order to better support our customers/clients.  On “Enter Date Here” we undertook an internal audit of “COMPANY XYZ’s” social media marketing efforts to gain a comprehensive understanding of our current infrastructure and quality of communications.  The Review revealed that “COMPANY XYZ’s” corporate social media program is inconsistent and fragmented.  In response to the findings of this review, the fragmented social media channels were re-branded aligned and social listening software was purchased.

3.  This Social Media Governance Document will assist “COMPANY XYZ” employees and contractors to focus on delivering effective communications that are aligned to the needs of our clients/customers and will lay the path for clear ownership and responsibility over social media marketing activities.1. Governance GoalsThe main goals of this governance document include: 1. Facilitating communication & collaboration across the organization 2. Creating a better managed and maintained social media marketing program 3. Decreasing the amount of time it takes to train new employees 4. Building a more “Customer Centric” social media program 5. Increasing the speed at which decisions can be made 6. Controlling the quantity & quality of content for the social media program2. Governance StructureThe governance structure is depicted in the diagram below: Corporate Governance Committee Social Media Governance Committee Expert Groups E-Governance Sub CommitteeThe Governance Structure identifies the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groupsthat participate in the day to day and strategic decision making required for thedevelopment, management and administration of “COMPANY XYZ’s” social mediagovernance.  This Social Media Governance Document will assist “COMPANY XYZ” employees and contractors to focus on delivering effective communications that are aligned to the needs of our clients/customers and will lay the path for clear ownership and responsibility over social media marketing activities.1. Governance GoalsThe main goals of this governance document include: 1. Facilitating communication & collaboration across the organization 2. Creating a better managed and maintained social media marketing program 3. Decreasing the amount of time it takes to train new employees 4. Building a more “Customer Centric” social media program 5. Increasing the speed at which decisions can be made 6. Controlling the quantity & quality of content for the social media program2. Governance StructureThe governance structure is depicted in the diagram below: Corporate Governance Committee Social Media Governance Committee Expert Groups E-Governance Sub CommitteeThe Governance Structure identifies the roles and responsibilities of individuals and groupsthat participate in the day to day and strategic decision making required for thedevelopment, management and administration of “COMPANY XYZ’s” social mediagovernance.

4. 3. Governance ProcessAny employee wishing to make representation on the Social Media Governance Committeeis required to provide the following to the Social Media Governance Committee Chair:  Their name, address and telephone number;  Details of why they wish to become a member of the committee; and  Whether they are speaking on their own behalf or also representing the views of others.If you need to locate a Social Media Governance Committee member, use “COMPANYXYZ’s” intranet portal and search for “Social Media Governance Committee Members.”Compliance with the Social Media Governance Documents will be checked on an on-goingbasis.The penalty for not complying with this document depends on the severity of theinfraction and will be judged on a case-by-case basis by the Social Media GovernanceCommittee.Responsibilities of e-Governance Sub-Committee:  Provide policy directions for the Framework (current and future) through collaboration with representatives, for example the Social Media Governance Committee and Expert Groups (when required).  Provide clarity and assistance to “COMPANY XYZ” departments on the policies and standards in the form of tools and implementation guides.Responsibilities of Expert Group:Contribute to and assist in the development of best practice standards as required. 3. Governance ProcessAny employee wishing to make representation on the Social Media Governance Committeeis required to provide the following to the Social Media Governance Committee Chair:  Their name, address and telephone number;  Details of why they wish to become a member of the committee; and  Whether they are speaking on their own behalf or also representing the views of others.If you need to locate a Social Media Governance Committee member, use “COMPANYXYZ’s” intranet portal and search for “Social Media Governance Committee Members.”Compliance with the Social Media Governance Documents will be checked on an on-goingbasis.The penalty for not complying with this document depends on the severity of theinfraction and will be judged on a case-by-case basis by the Social Media GovernanceCommittee.Responsibilities of e-Governance Sub-Committee:  Provide policy directions for the Framework (current and future) through collaboration with representatives, for example the Social Media Governance Committee and Expert Groups (when required).  Provide clarity and assistance to “COMPANY XYZ” departments on the policies and standards in the form of tools and implementation guides.Responsibilities of Expert Group:Contribute to and assist in the development of best practice standards as required.

5. Responsibilities of Social Media Governance Committee:  Administration of the Framework policies and standards.  Communication, marketing, awareness raising and promotion of the Social media Governance Framework.  Manage and maintain relevant policies.  The Social Media Governance Committee will meet Monthly to discuss revisions to policies, change requests, and to update the Social Media Governance Document when necessary.Responsibilities of Corporate Governance Committee:  Provide strategic direction setting for all strategic matters concerning the development of the Social Media Governance Framework.  Approval authority for policies where there is significant policy impact to the organization as a whole.  The Corporate Governance Committee will continue to meet Quarterly.4. Roles & ResponsibilitiesGovernance Committee ChairInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Guide the committee in accomplishing its objectives, keep thecommittee focused, ensure new members are well oriented, develop meeting agendas,assign tasks as required, work with executive sponsor to ensure objectives are met, developfinal reports, proposal, create supporting documentation, etc.Term: Appointed, 1 year renewable. Responsibilities of Social Media Governance Committee:  Administration of the Framework policies and standards.  Communication, marketing, awareness raising and promotion of the Social media Governance Framework.  Manage and maintain relevant policies.  The Social Media Governance Committee will meet Monthly to discuss revisions to policies, change requests, and to update the Social Media Governance Document when necessary.Responsibilities of Corporate Governance Committee:  Provide strategic direction setting for all strategic matters concerning the development of the Social Media Governance Framework.  Approval authority for policies where there is significant policy impact to the organization as a whole.  The Corporate Governance Committee will continue to meet Quarterly.4. Roles & ResponsibilitiesGovernance Committee ChairInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Guide the committee in accomplishing its objectives, keep thecommittee focused, ensure new members are well oriented, develop meeting agendas,assign tasks as required, work with executive sponsor to ensure objectives are met, developfinal reports, proposal, create supporting documentation, etc.Term: Appointed, 1 year renewable.

6. Governance Committee MembersMembership composition of the Social Media Governance Committee shall consist of aminimum of four members, including the Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.Current Members of the Social media Governance Committee are:  Insert Name Here  Insert Name Here  Insert Name Here  Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Develop, review and monitor the Social Media GovernanceDocument, benchmark best practices with regard to social media governance, retainoutside experts and specialists to advise the Social Media Governance Committee, respondto any matter that may be referred to the Social Media Governance Committee Chair,review the Social Media Governance Committees annual agenda of activities, etc.Term: Appointed, 1 year renewableChief Marketing Officer (or VP Marketing, VP Sales & Marketing)Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Align marketing objectives and programs to enterprise objectivesand strategies, define metrics based on overall business objectives, maximize the mix of inhouse versus agency services, establish strategic service provider partnerships, optimizeand design marketing processes, optimize costs of services through a mix of internal andexternal resources, etc. Governance Committee MembersMembership composition of the Social Media Governance Committee shall consist of aminimum of four members, including the Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee.Current Members of the Social media Governance Committee are:  Insert Name Here  Insert Name Here  Insert Name Here  Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Develop, review and monitor the Social Media GovernanceDocument, benchmark best practices with regard to social media governance, retainoutside experts and specialists to advise the Social Media Governance Committee, respondto any matter that may be referred to the Social Media Governance Committee Chair,review the Social Media Governance Committees annual agenda of activities, etc.Term: Appointed, 1 year renewableChief Marketing Officer (or VP Marketing, VP Sales & Marketing)Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Align marketing objectives and programs to enterprise objectivesand strategies, define metrics based on overall business objectives, maximize the mix of inhouse versus agency services, establish strategic service provider partnerships, optimizeand design marketing processes, optimize costs of services through a mix of internal andexternal resources, etc.

7. Executive Sponsor (Director of Marketing)Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Advocate & champion the social media program internally &externally, obtain budgets, accept responsibility for the social media program, support theprogram, lead generation, deepen product awareness, generate brand awareness, etc. Foradditional responsibilities & requirements, check out Demand Metric’s Director ofMarketing Job Description.Social Media Marketing ManagerInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Oversee social media project, set goals, objectives, and targets,monitor traffic, report to key stakeholders, manage integration, strategy, etc. For additionalresponsibilities & requirements, check out Demand Metric’s Social Media Manager JobDescription.Social Media SpecialistInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: managing content, overseeing and managing the contentpublishing model, establish relationships with the online community, identify keyinfluencers, educate & train employees and contractors, etc. For additional responsibilities& requirements, check out Demand Metric’s Social Media Specialist Job Description.Note: Your content publishing model might be different depending on your social mediamarketing goals. In this example, the content publishing model is broken down into thefollowing 3 categories: Executive Sponsor (Director of Marketing)Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Advocate & champion the social media program internally &externally, obtain budgets, accept responsibility for the social media program, support theprogram, lead generation, deepen product awareness, generate brand awareness, etc. Foradditional responsibilities & requirements, check out Demand Metric’s Director ofMarketing Job Description.Social Media Marketing ManagerInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Oversee social media project, set goals, objectives, and targets,monitor traffic, report to key stakeholders, manage integration, strategy, etc. For additionalresponsibilities & requirements, check out Demand Metric’s Social Media Manager JobDescription.Social Media SpecialistInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: managing content, overseeing and managing the contentpublishing model, establish relationships with the online community, identify keyinfluencers, educate & train employees and contractors, etc. For additional responsibilities& requirements, check out Demand Metric’s Social Media Specialist Job Description.Note: Your content publishing model might be different depending on your social mediamarketing goals. In this example, the content publishing model is broken down into thefollowing 3 categories:

8.  Internal Content: Content created from within your company. Examples include: Whitepapers, Video, Data Sheets, Case Studies, Webinars, etc.  External Content: Content that has been self-published on your social media properties by customers, prospects, competitors, partners, etc. Examples include: Analyst Reports, Facebook “Likes”, Blog Comments, Twitter “Re-Tweets”, etc.  Sponsored Content: Sponsors publish on your social media properties. Examples include: 3rd Party Blog Posts, 3rd Party Presentations, 3rd Party How-To Guides, etc.Social Media AdministratorInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Review & publish content (when necessary). The Webmaster canassume this role. This person is ultimately responsible for maintaining and updatingcontent across social media properties.Graphic DesignerInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Design look and feel of social media properties, work with HTMLtemplates and style sheets, outline page design, document and implement SEO procedures,etc.  Internal Content: Content created from within your company. Examples include: Whitepapers, Video, Data Sheets, Case Studies, Webinars, etc.  External Content: Content that has been self-published on your social media properties by customers, prospects, competitors, partners, etc. Examples include: Analyst Reports, Facebook “Likes”, Blog Comments, Twitter “Re-Tweets”, etc.  Sponsored Content: Sponsors publish on your social media properties. Examples include: 3rd Party Blog Posts, 3rd Party Presentations, 3rd Party How-To Guides, etc.Social Media AdministratorInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Review & publish content (when necessary). The Webmaster canassume this role. This person is ultimately responsible for maintaining and updatingcontent across social media properties.Graphic DesignerInsert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Design look and feel of social media properties, work with HTMLtemplates and style sheets, outline page design, document and implement SEO procedures,etc.

9. Departmental LiaisonsSales: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Owner of marketing generated leads, manages middle of salesfunnel, etc.Customer Service: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Increase customer engagement on LinkedIn, forums, messageboards, Twitter, Facebook, etc.Product: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Product feedback, product reviews, etc.Human Resources: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Helping to build policies that protect employees, contractors and“COMPANY XYZ”.IT: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Support & maintenance, organizing & mining data, etc.Legal: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Heading a pro-active approach to warding off potential legalproblems before it’s too late.5. Timeline“COMPANY XYZ’s” corporate social media program will be developed and maintained in a2 part approach. Some functionality will be phased in and other recurring activities will behappening in unison. Departmental LiaisonsSales: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Owner of marketing generated leads, manages middle of salesfunnel, etc.Customer Service: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Increase customer engagement on LinkedIn, forums, messageboards, Twitter, Facebook, etc.Product: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Product feedback, product reviews, etc.Human Resources: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Helping to build policies that protect employees, contractors and“COMPANY XYZ”.IT: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Support & maintenance, organizing & mining data, etc.Legal: Insert Name HereResponsibilities Include: Heading a pro-active approach to warding off potential legalproblems before it’s too late.5. Timeline“COMPANY XYZ’s” corporate social media program will be developed and maintained in a2 part approach. Some functionality will be phased in and other recurring activities will behappening in unison.

10. .  New Roles: Phased in as needed  Launch: On-Going  Maintenance: Weekly  Publication: On-Going  Integration: Complete6. Social Media TrainingConsult Demand Metric’s Social Media Policies and Guidelines Template.7. Social Media Funding ModelFunding for “COMPANY XYZ” corporate social media program will continue to be theresponsibility of “Enter Current Owner Here.”If the situation arises whereby “COMPANY XYZ’s” corporate social media program requiresadditional funding for development or redesign, “Enter Current Owner Here” will berequired to ensure the request for funds complies with this governance document.This will require signoff from the Governance Committee that the proposed social mediaprogram reflects the business priorities of “COMPANY XYZ” and that sufficient funding willbe made available to maintain the social media properties throughout their lifecycle.8. Social Media MetricsMeasurement should be a key component of your social media program. Demand Metric’sSocial Media Metrics Dashboard can be used to define, track, and report on your key socialmedia program metrics and key performance indicators. All the metrics can be easilycustomized to suit your organizations needs. Some examples include: Social NetworkReach, New Facebook Fans, New Twitter Followers, etc.

11. . 9. Continuous ImprovementIn addition to the KPIs outlined in your social media program metrics dashboard, thefollowing best practices for continuous improvement on your social media should befollowed and administered accordingly:Evaluate End User ValueDoes each part of your social media program provide value to the end user?Conduct Testing & Obtain FeedbackSurvey customers & users to obtain feedbackPerform Content MaintenanceIs older content still relevant?ProofreadingCopyeditingTestingA/B testing on pages where applicable