pcsb social media guidelinessocialmediascholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/...using them...

(*For Educational Purposes Only)

!!

Social Media Guidelines for Communications Personnel

at Polk County Public Schools

!

!

!Social Media Guidelines for Communications Personnel at Polk County Public Schools


!Created by: Angela Cook

University of Florida

MMC 6936 Social Media Ethics

!


Organization Profile

Background and Mission

Polk County Public Schools is the eight largest school district in Florida with over 160

schools and more than 93,000 students. As Polk County’s largest employer, the district has over

13,000 employees who serve the county’s diverse student population (Polk County Public

Schools, 2012).

As stated on the district’s website (at www.polk-fl.net), “The mission of Polk County

Public Schools is to provide a high quality education for all students. In accomplishing this

mission, we envision that students in the Polk County Public Schools will effectively:

• read, write, compute, speak, listen, and use complex thinking skills to solve problems;

• be self-directed in creating personal purpose and vision, setting priorities, choosing

ethical action, and creating their own knowledge;

• cooperate and collaborate with others in working with and leading groups; interact

positively in diverse settings; recognize the value and contributions of all individuals; and

make positive contributions to their communities;

• understand and use social, organizational, and technological systems; design, monitor,

improve and correct performance within a system; and create viable products“ (Polk

County Public Schools, 2012).

!!!!


Social Media Usage (Current and Future Planned)

Polk County Public Schools cares about supporting its students not only in the classroom,

but also as part of its commitment to the community. To strengthen communications efforts, the

district has added a social media presence to its traditional methods of disseminating information

via written correspondence (letters and flyers), automated county-wide phone calls, as well as

other digital means including website updates, student and parent portals, and email lists.

Presently, the school board maintains profiles on Vimeo, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

• Vimeo Profile: https://vimeo.com/user15237509

This profile is currently used mainly for housing videos created by the Department of

Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships for distribution via other platforms and digital

channels such as Facebook, Twitter, email, the official website, and other digital

platforms for community, employee, student, and/or parent use.

• LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/polk-county-school-board

This profile currently serves as an informational placeholder.

• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/polkcountypublicschools

This page is used to share county-wide updates and information with Polk County’s

students, families, and members of the community. Other types of content include

(but are not limited to): Upcoming events and activities; educational websites,

materials, and opportunities; acknowledgements and recognitions; student and

school achievements; emergency updates and information; Official school board news;

Testing and curriculum information; Motivational content; general announcements;

and more.


• Twitter Profile: https://twitter.com/polkschoolsnews

This channel is used to distribute the same types of information shared on Facebook.

Currently, it is linked to the district’s Facebook page so that Facebook posts are also

tweeted automatically.

! In the future, Polk County Public Schools intends to continue its social media efforts on

these platforms. As (hypothetical) Director of Communications, I would implement a blog on

the district’s website for more helpful and engaging long-form content rather than limiting

messages to short-form only. I would also focus on building the school board’s presence on

LinkedIn to foster professional relationships with its 13,000+ employees, attract new talent, and

generate leads for strategic partnerships and funding. Lastly, I would endeavor to build

relationships and encourage two-way communication across social media platforms rather than

using them exclusively as a form of traditional, one-way, message-blasting tools. It is clear that

the district’s social media audience yearns for dialogue, (as will become evident through sample

posts provided in later sections). However, it seems that the social media team ignores many

community members’ communication efforts; especially when feedback is negative.

!Typical Negative Feedback Patterns

Regarding negative feedback, the social media profiles for Polk County Public Schools

do not host a great deal of conversation. Facebook fans make occasional positive comments

about the “good news” the district shares, but positive feedback comes mostly in the form of

likes and shares. “Bad news” is more likely to result in negative comments. Criticism usually


centers on testing issues, safety issues, negative news, unexpected circumstances, emergencies,

etc. Social media timelines do not reflect any attacks within the last six months on the quality of

educational opportunities provided by Polk County Public Schools. (Comments were not

analyzed further back than six months.)

Below are examples of some of the negative feedback posted on the Polk county Pubic

Schools Facebook page:

!


Notice that the negative feedback is not addressed. Guidelines for doing so are provided later in

the “Commenting and Engaging in Conversation” and “Crisis Prevention, Intervention, and

Management” sections of the next portion of this document.


Proposed Social Media Guidelines

*Please Note: Each guideline is indicated with a bullet point, and the rationales for the

guidelines are provided in italics throughout this section.

!Aesthetics and Presentation of Profiles

• All social media profiles should use the Polk County Public Schools official logo as their

profile images. Additionally, all profiles should display uniformed header images that

match those on the district’s official website. Social media header images should be

updated at the same time as those on the website.

These practices help to build trust through professionalism and consistency. Audiences will see

that all profiles are updated with the latest information at all times, and therefore will be able to

trust that, not only do they have access to the most up-to-date information, but also that school

board employees are consistently present on digital media. Lastly, this reinforces the image of

the Polk County Public Schools as the official authority on public education in our district.

• All profiles should clearly state days and hours of operation, as well as an expected

response time of “Within 24 hours on school days.” This information should be located

either in the header image or in the “About” section. It must be prominently visible on

each profile’s main page, (preferably above the scroll, when possible).

This helps to build trust with audiences and safeguard the organization’s reputation via

expectation management.

!!


The Voice of Polk County Public Schools

• All digital communications with the public should be consistent with the voice, ethics, and

mission of Polk County Public Schools. These communications include, but are not

limited to, the following: Direct / private messages on social media platforms, chat

conversations, content posts (text, image, video, link, and other shared content), comments

(both on-page and off-page), replies, profile copy, website copy, emails, blog posts, and

posts/comments on other websites. The official voice of Polk County Public Schools

maintains the following at all times: Professionalism, authority, knowledge, courtesy,

kindness, friendliness, care, honesty, responsibility, integrity, proper etiquette, and correct

grammar and language mechanics.

Maintaining consistency in this unified voice is important for building trust. It not only

reinforces the credibility and authority of the organization; but the character traits of kindness,

friendliness, and care also help to humanize it. This will foster relationships with members of the

community, our students, and their families through genuine expression along with integrity and

expertise. Adhering to these guidelines will also aid in managing the school board’s reputation.

!Privacy and “House Rules” for Communication

• When posting on social media, communications personnel, (and all other school board

employees), must ensure that content is in compliance with FERPA’s privacy guidelines

located at: http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

For a government organization, it is mandatory that the school board maintains the privacy of its

students and their families. This is not just a professional obligation, but also a legal one.


Strict adherence will also serve to maintain trust and uphold the reputation of Polk County

Public Schools.

• The school board’s privacy policy with respect to pubic records law and other aspects of

privacy must be posted on all platforms as well as on the official website. The current

“House Rules” post for Facebook follows:


This post is important for managing expectations. I do, however, suggest renaming this

document to “Community Guidelines” or something similar since the psychology behind rules is

that they are meant to be broken. I also recommend deleting the second-to-last line which states,

“This Facebook page is not intended to be a public forum.” By creating a social media profile,

the implied intent is just that- to create a “social” space for two-way communication. Fostering

the conversational environment native to social media would be a future goal for my team. The

goals of this would be to gain greater respect and the trust of the audience, safeguard the school

board’s reputation, and to ensure the public that we are listening and that we care. This decision

was easy to make after viewing Mr. Ogilvie’s concerned comment to these rules:

!!!!


Content Moderation

• Moderate content in accordance with the guidelines set forth by the “House Rules” posted

across digital media platforms. Delete those posts that violate them, but do not delete those

which comply before seeking approval from management. All deleted posts must first be

recorded and documented in accordance with public records laws.

This manages expectations and builds trust. If the school board deletes posts that it finds to be

unfavorable, but that do not violate community communication guidelines, then this could result

in negative backlash. It is best to simply address any unfavorable comments instead of hiding

them by means of deletion, unless the post is deemed to somehow potentially bring harm to an

individual or cause legal repercussion for Polk County Public Schools In such a case, deletion

is justifiable, but still must be recorded.

!Content

• All content must be compliant with FERPA and all other privacy guidelines set forth by

Polk County Public Schools.

As addressed above, privacy laws adherence is a critical component of school board

communications for professional, reputation management, and legal reasons.

• As stated previously, all content must be created in the voice and style of Polk County

Public Schools.

• All content must align with the purpose, mission, and vision of Polk County Public

Schools. All content must be developed to help, inform, and/or educate the students and

families in the communities we serve.


Offering helpful, relevant information consistent with the organization’s industry and goals is

what audiences find valuable. This builds trust, humanizes the organization, and establishes

authority.

• Do not post or share internal communications or other information intended to be kept

private within the school board. Although all school board communications are a matter of

public record, a process is in place for their release, and it does not involve social media

sharing.

• Do not make official statements on behalf of school board members, employees, affiliates,

or Polk County Public Schools, without the express consent and/or authorization to do so.

• Be mindful that the content you post directly reflects on Polk County Public Schools and

its 13,000+ employees; and sometimes even its students, affiliates, and Polk County

communities. All posts should, in some way, aid in creating a positive image of all.

• Respect copyright. Do not post or share material 1) For which you do not have express

consent to do so, 2) Which was not created for, or by, the Department of Public

Relationships and Strategic Partnerships, and/or 3) That does not fall under the doctrine of

Fair Use located at: http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html.

• Always ensure the accuracy of all content before posting. Do this by going directly to the

source of the information for verification. Also, double-check the the facts of updates and

events before releasing. When in doubt, do not post!

!


• Do not post content that is, or could be interpreted as; rude, obscene, sexist, racist,

discriminatory, defamatory, libelous, in support of illegal activity, harassing in nature,

abusive, profane, violent, politically or religiously partial, or otherwise inappropriate for an

educational organization to distribute.

Following these guidelines help to protect against negative reputation, legal, and/or financial

implications.

!Commenting and Engaging in Conversation

• Always make a reasonable effort to respond to individuals who comment on the school

board’s social media profiles and posts, and to do so “Within 24 hours on school days” as is

stated on each channel. This includes answering questions, assisting in locating pertinent

information for those who ask, directing individuals to proper channels of communication

when conversations warrant offline communication, and expressing appreciation for both

positive and negative feedback.

• When answering negative feedback, ensure that you are calm and that you have carefully

thought out your response. Follow these steps: 1) Thank the poster for sharing his or her

concerns, 2) Sincerely apologize and express empathy for the circumstances, 3) Assure

the individual that the matter is being addressed, 4) Offer a solution or share the resolution

as soon as possible, 5) While waiting, manage expectations by offering updates or an

expected timeline for resolution, 6) State the steps that will be implemented to avoid


reoccurrence of the issue in the future, and 7) Follow-up when applicable and appropriate.

Take this opportunity to rise above the situation and show the excellence and pride on

which Polk County Public Schools thrive.

• Never argue with anyone. If an issue continues to escalate, take the conversation offline,

(out of public view), by offering to contact the individual(s) via alternate forms of

communication; such as phone, email, chat, direct message, or even an in-person meeting

when appropriate.

• Always conduct yourself with the highest levels of professionalism, honesty, respect, and

integrity. Use commonsense and please remember that your actions reflect on us all.

All of these guidelines build trust and relationships through helpfulness, care, authority, and

listening. These efforts help to strengthen and safeguard the reputation of Polk County Public

Schools by creating advocates through excellent service and communication.

!Crisis Prevention, Intervention, and Management

• Listening tools including, but not limited to; Google Alerts, Social Mention, and options

through the school board’s social media management services (i.e. Hootsuite and/or Sprout

Social) should be implemented and monitored consistently.


This practice provides the opportunity to anticipate needs of the publics, problem-solve before

escalation of an issue, and identify warning signs of impending media crisis for faster

intervention. This is critical to reputation management.

• If a social media crisis does arise, adhere to the previously stated guidelines for replying to

negative feedback at both the individual and audience levels. Additionally, do the

following: 1) Reply to every negative comment, 2) Take responsibility for legitimate

mistakes and apologize, 3) Always be honest and as transparent as possible about the

situation, 4) Offer explanations where appropriate as well as courses of action, and 5)

Follow the school board’s internal alert / response protocol.

• If necessary, create a FAQ page on the official website and share links to it across all social

media platforms. Continue to respond to commenters and requests for information with

this link.

This will help to direct audiences to the official source and correct information. Keeping the

public informed with the facts can help to minimize speculation, gossip, and backlash.

Ultimately this is another opportunity to build trust and manage reputation.

!By following these guidelines for social media usage, communications personnel will be able to

effectively manage engagement and provide a relevant and valuable experience for our schools,

our students, and our communities.

!


References

About our District. (n.d.) Polk County Public Schools - About Our District. Retrieved March 25,

2015, from http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/default.htm

U.S. Copyright Office - Fair Use. (2012, June 1). Retrieved March 28, 2015, from

http://www.copyright.gov/fls/fl102.html

Facebook: Polk County Public Schools. (2009, January 1). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from

https://www.facebook.com/polkcountypublicschools

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). (n.d.). Retrieved March 28,

2015, from http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

LinkedIn: Polk County School Board. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from

https://www.linkedin.com/company/polk-county-school-board

House Rules. (2013, September 13). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from

https://www.facebook.com/notes/polk-county-public-schools/house-rules/627171270647100

Polk County Public Schools: Official Twitter Profile. (2009, July 1). Retrieved March 27, 2015,

from https://twitter.com/polkschoolsnews

Vimeo: Polk County Public Schools. (2009, January 1). Retrieved March 27, 2015, from https://

vimeo.com/user15237509

!!

pcsb social media guidelinessocialmediascholar.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/...using them...

Documents