With 2 billion monthly active users on Facebook and 317 million on Twitter discussing topics of all kinds for an average of 35 minutes per day,* SET SEG recognizes the vital importance of participating in these online conversations and is committed to ensuring we participate in social media the right way.

These social media guidelines were developed to help empower our employees to participate in this form of marketing and communications, represent our organization, and share the core values of our brand.

SET SEG’s vision to achieve sustainable growth online and offline is guided by certain shared characteristics that we operate by as an organization including:

• Trust: We’ve been doing this a long time and we’ve always done it well.
• Thought Leadership: We are your resource for industry knowledge and trends, whether you’re a member or prospect.
• Authenticity: We communicate clearly and honestly, even when the message is complicated.
• Professionalism: Our approach is rooted in deep history, research and strong, proven processes.
• Awareness: We understand that working through issues with SET SEG isn’t how our members would prefer to spend their time, but we know how to guide them and we have them covered.

These social media principles are intended to outline how our behaviors should be recognized in the social media space and to guide your participation in this area, both when you are participating personally, as well as when you are acting on behalf of SET SEG. The same rules that apply to our traditional media messaging and communications interactions apply in the online social media space. Participation in social media can be fast and easy, but that doesn’t mean that different rules apply. The best advice is to approach online worlds in the same way we do the physical one – by using sound judgement and common sense, by adhering to SET SEG’s expectations and by following the Code of Conduct and all other applicable policies.

*Spredfast’s 2018 Social Audience Guide

SET SEG Employees’ Social Media Activities

SET SEG respects the rights of its employees to use blogs and other social media tools not only as a form of self-expression, but also as a means to further the organization’s business. It is important that all employees are aware of the implications of engaging in forms of social media and online conversations that reference SET SEG and/or the employee’s relationship with SET SEG and its partners, and that employees recognize when SET SEG might be held responsible for their behavior.

Five Expectations for Employees’ Personal Behavior in Social Media

1. Adhere to SET SEG’s Code of Conduct and other applicable policies. All employees are subject to SET SEG’s code of Conduct in every public setting. In addition, other policies that govern employees’ behavior with respect to the disclosure of information are applicable to your personal activities online. Do not publish or disclose company confidential information either electronically or otherwise.
2. You are responsible for your actions. Anything you post that can potentially tarnish SET SEG’s reputation will ultimately be your responsibility. We do encourage you to participate in the social media space, but urge you to do so properly, exercising sound judgement and common sense. Avoid any defamatory, offensive or derogatory content that my be considered as a violation of our company’s anti-harassment policy, if directed toward colleagues, clients or partners. Posting or sharing such content could will lead to disciplinary action.
3. Be a “scout” for compliments and criticism. Even if you are not an official online spokesperson for SET SEG, you are one of our most vital assets for monitoring the social media landscape. If you come across positive or negative remarks about SET SEG or its brands online that you believe are important, consider sharing them by forwarding them to MarketingHelp@setseg.org.
4. Let the subject matter experts respond to comments. You may come across negative or disparaging posts about SET SEG or its members, or see third parties trying to spark negative conversations. Unless you are a designated spokesperson, do not respond to questions or comments posted on SET SEG’s social media networks. Designated employees within the Marketing & Sales Department will handle responses in a timely manner. If you see a comment or question, feel free to pass the post(s) – positive or negative – to our Marketing & Sales Department who are trained to address such comments, at MarketingHelp@setseg.org.
5. Be conscious when mixing your business and personal lives. Online, your personal and business personas are likely to intersect. SET SEG respects the free speech rights of all of its employees, but you must remember that members, colleagues and supervisors often have access to the online content you post. Keep this in mind when publishing information online that can be seen by more than friends and family and know that information originally intended just for friends and family can be forwarded on. Remember NEVER to disclose non-public information about SET SEG and be aware that taking public positions online that are counter to SET SEG’s interests might cause conflict.