Social MediaBest Practices

Helen Osman | September 24, 2010

Welcome!

The World of Web 2.0

Modern Social Networks

Computer-based Social Networks

Barry Wellman, An Electronic Group is Virtually a Social Network, 1997.Images: www.congregationalresources.org

Social media: is it a big deal?

Challenges for the churchOpportunities and

challenges

•Visibility•Community•Accountability

Visibility

More than 500 million active users50% of active users log on to Facebook in any given dayAverage user has 130 friends

Source: facebook.com

Community

Accountability

• Site administrators must be trusted adults• There should be at least two administrators for each site• Do not use personal sites for diocesan or parish programs• Register passwords and logins with central office• Train site administrators

Best Practices: Establishing a site

Best Practices: Guidelines

When developing guidelines:• Define appropriate boundaries• Require Codes of Conduct • Give specific instructions for first time users

of social media• Provide recommendations on how to deal

with difficult “fans” or “followers”• Provide trusted sites for reference, and

recommend that site administrators have a thorough knowledge of these sites.

• Remind site administrators they are posting for a broad audience.

Best Practices: Decision Tree

Best Practices: Rules of the Road

Practice what you preach. Identify yourself. Do not use pseudonyms or the name of

the parish, program, etc., as your identity, unless authorized to do so.

Abide by copyright, fair use, and IRS financial disclosure regulations.

Do not divulge confidential information about others. Nothing posted on the Internet is private.

Don’t cite others, post photos or videos of them, link to their material, etc., without their approval.

And again: Practice Christian charity.

Social Networking with Minors

• Diocesan child and youth protection policy

• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act: http://www.ftc.gov/privacy/privacyinitiatives/childrens.html

Mark Prensky, Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, 2001.

Personal sites

“The views expressed on this site are mine

alone and do not necessarily reflect the

views of my employer.”

Reporting and Monitoring

• Protect your ‘brand’ • Correct misinformation• Decide when and how to

respond to attacks

www.usccb.org/comm/social-media-

guidelines.shtml