Social Media - Staying ethical, while having fun

Social Media Guidelines
Here are a few guidelines that you can follow to ensure you remain ethical in your use of social media.

Be transparent
If you have any business association with a brand or product, you should be upfront about who you are. This is so you can avoid any claims of dishonest or misleading advertising or deceptive practices.

Be accurate
Be sure to fact check for mistakes. All claims and criticism must be able to be substantiated for accuracy. admit to mistakes made promptly.

Be fair and respectful
Avoid posting: content that is obscene, defamatory, threatening or discriminatory to an individual, brand or entity. Misleading, malicious or unfair content about your organisation, colleagues, competitors or other stakeholders. comments that you would not say directly to another person and consider how other people might react before you post. Maintain professionalism when responding to published comments.

Be aware of confidentiality
Only reveal information that is publicly available or your company wishes it to be made publicly available. Be aware of clients or third party's similar desire for certain information to remain private.

Public vs Private
Be sure to only post content on social media that you would be happy for your employers or the general public to see.

Be professional
Maintain your cool and be polite when making posts online. Acting in a constructive manner ensures the best outcome for everyone. Remember that everyone has different opinions and points of view. Respect others rights to privacy.

Be careful
Do not post any trade marks, logos or materials that you have not been given expressed permission to post. Its best to assume that all content online is protected by some form of copyright. Be aware of current laws and legislation relating to copyright and IP.