Identifier	Spec 14
Author	Robertson, Elizabeth A., 1985-
Title	Social media policy development for New England law firm: an evaluative approach
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University;
Date of Publication	2011
Resource Type	Special Project
Abstract	Social media has become popular for both personal and business use. Employees are increasingly using blogs and social networking sites. Companies are utilizing social media for marketing and advertising as well as for connecting with their publics. The benefits of sites such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Flikr and blogs are increasing for businesses. However, so are the risks. The need for company social media policies has been documented. Alice Harrison of the Public Relations Society of America states that such a policy is crucial because a “well-constructed policy ensures that the organization is speaking with a unified voice” (Harrison, 2010, p.1). Because companies are using social media more often now to communicate with their publics, it is imperative that they recognize the risks. The issue is that there is little consensus about how these policies should be written, what they should include and what they should avoid. As social media is a new field, companies are having difficulty defining policies for employee use of social media because its “prevalence…can give rise to employer liability” (FindLaw, 2011, p.1). Businesses must focus on the development of an effective social media policy. The purpose of this special project is to use research on social media policies to evaluate one firm’s current policy and to develop for them a set of social media guidelines. The firm chosen is a New England law firm based. The guidelines will cover both work-related use of social media and off-site personal use of social media. Formative evaluation will be the methodology used to identify specific needs, as well as to develop a set of recommendations. Formative evaluation applies because the firm currently Running Head: Social Media Policy Development 3 has an electronic communication policy in place. The research will evaluate that policy against legal precedent and best practices. A communication plan for informing and training employees on this policy will also be developed. The firm must not only implement an effective social media policy but must also educate its employees of the policy and its limitations. Employees must be aware of the consequences their actions can potentially cause for the firm, as well as for them.
Subject	Social media
Department	Department of Communication
Advisor	Koteen, Lois
Type	Text;
Digital Format	application/pdf
Language	eng
OCLC number	804653160
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Social media policy development for New England law firm: an evaluative approach

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