Social media

OVERVIEW

This guide will serve as the primary resource on social media best practices for EO staff, member leaders, chapter staff, external agencies, contractors, and anyone else who creates, manages, or administers a social media account for an EO-branded region, chapter, product, or program.

This document will establish guidelines on how to communicate the EO brand on social media, ensuring that our brand alignment is strong and consistent across all channels.

This guide will serve as a reference for:

  • Brand alignment on all social channels
  • Visual guidelines
  • Voice and tone of messages
  • Spelling and grammar
  • Social media best practices

LANGUAGE AND PERSONAL CONDUCT

When posting to an EO branded social media channel, whether it be a chapter, region, or event page, you represent EO. It is essential to exercise freedom of speech responsibly on these platforms.

Be respectful, verify your facts, avoid copyright issues, be mindful of your public image, and use your best judgment.

Comments on EO’s official pages need to be monitored to ensure compliance with social networking guidelines. Inappropriate comments should be removed.

Content that should be deleted includes:

  • Any post that violates EO’s non-solicitation policy
  • Libelous, slanderous, inflammatory, or defamatory comments
  • Vulgar, racist, or sexist slurs
  • Obscenities
  • Comments promoting violence
  • Posts with incorrect spelling or misinformation
  • Information that violates EO member or staff privacy
  • Disrespectful comments
  • Off-topic comments
  • Posts that portray EO inappropriately
  • Misrepresentation by commenters
  • Dominating the conversation by a single person
  • Members or individuals violating EO’s non-solicitation policy

*If content is produced or distributed that violates EO’s non-solicitation policies or bylaws, alert the Governance Committee as soon as possible.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

Photo Guidelines

  • Be mindful of the types of photos you are posting. Refrain from images that could potentially misrepresent the organization.
  • You can post photos of public events on social networking sites as long as they’re appropriate. Avoid photos involving alcohol, nudity, and graphic scenes.
  • Ensure disclaimers are shared with event attendees when posting photos from EO events, indicating their image may be used publicly.
  • Do not post photos of children without documented consent from their parents, except for photos taken at public events.
  • Exercise discretion and remove a photo or post if a member or staffer expresses concern over it.
  • Always comply with image copyright rules. You must have permission and copyright ownership of images that you post on social media. If in doubt, purchase stock photography that aligns with EO’s brand or seek permission when reposting photos.
  • Purchase stock photography that accurately reflects EO’s brand. When buying stock photos, ensure the license you choose permits how you plan to use the image.
  • Avoid using low-resolution or blurry images in your graphics, as well as images that are distorted or aggressively cropped.

Branding Guidelines

  • Use a consistent color palette that adheres to EO’s official brand colors. For more information, visit brand.eonetwork.org.
  • Select imagery that represents EO’s brand; when in doubt, email [email protected].
  • Use EO’s official brand fonts in your graphics.
  • Double-check spelling and grammar for overlaid text on posted photos/graphics.

Editorial/Written Guidelines

  • Titles of social media pages should always follow EO naming conventions and be brand compliant.
  • Ensure correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling when posting social media graphics, photos, or videos that include text, as well as when developing written captions for social media posts. Pay special attention to the spelling of member names, locations, etc. Review all graphics and captions before posting to ensure accuracy.
  • Consider your target audience and include a call to action when writing captions for your social media posts.
  • Align with EO’s brand expression, tone, and style detailed in EO’s brand guidelines when writing in EO’s voice.

GUIDELINES FOR TAGGING AND HASHTAG USE

  • When creating content for EO Chapters, always tag EO’s main social media accounts. This allows the global social media team to enhance visibility, amplify your message, and reshare it through global channels.
  • Ensure to use the official hashtags that are relevant to your post. To maintain focus and clarity, limit your hashtags to only one per post.

ONLINE ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY MANAGEMENT

  • Engage in conversation with your audience. Respond to comments and messages in a timely and respectful manner, consistent with EO’s voice and tone.
  • Ensure a healthy discussion by moderating comments to avoid any form of harassment, bullying, or trolling.
  • Promote a sense of community by encouraging user-generated content, hosting live Q&A sessions, and creating polls or quizzes relevant to your audience.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF SOCIAL MEDIA TOOLS

  • Use social media scheduling tools to maintain consistency in your posts. Make sure to keep your audience engaged by planning ahead and maintaining a regular posting schedule.
  • Utilize social media analytics tools to understand what content resonates with your audience. Use this information to refine your social media strategy.

CONTENT DIVERSITY

  • Ensure a diverse mix of content types like images, videos, infographics, blog posts, etc., to cater to the varied preferences of your audience.
  • Use interactive content like quizzes, polls, or live videos to encourage audience engagement.

EXPANDING YOUR REACH

  • Utilize platform-specific features to expand your reach. For example, use Instagram Stories or Reels, create a LinkedIn Showcase page, or use Twitter threads to share more detailed information.
  • Host social media contests or challenges to encourage user participation and expand your audience. Ensure all activities align with EO’s brand and guidelines.
  • Promote your social media channels through other communication mediums such as email newsletters, website, and in-person events to increase visibility and followers.

MONITORING AND MEASUREMENT

  • Regularly track and analyze your social media performance. This should include metrics such as engagement rate, followers growth, reach, impressions, and click-through rates.
  • Use social media analytics insights to inform your content strategy and make necessary adjustments for improved engagement and reach.
  • Regularly report your performance to the EO global social media team, providing insights and learnings that could benefit other chapters or regions.

PAID SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGN GUIDELINES

  • All paid social media campaigns that will run on official EO pages must be coordinated with, and approved by, EO’s global social media team to ensure brand alignment and message consistency.
  • Understand your audience and target your ads appropriately. Paid advertisements must align with EO’s mission and values.
  • Ensure any external agencies engaged in social media promotion are thoroughly briefed on EO’s brand guidelines.
  • Track and analyze the results of your campaigns to measure their effectiveness. Provide these reports to the EO global social media team for review and future planning.

DATA PRIVACY AND SECURITY

  • Understand and comply with data privacy laws and regulations of the geographical regions you are operating in.
  • Do not disclose confidential or sensitive EO information on social media platforms.
  • Be cautious of phishing scams and other fraudulent activities. Always confirm the authenticity of any suspicious messages or requests you receive.

SOCIAL MEDIA CRISIS MANAGEMENT

  • Prepare a crisis management plan to address potential social media issues or crises. This plan should include guidelines on how to identify, assess, and respond to a crisis.
  • Should a crisis occur, coordinate with the EO’s Brand / global communications team and other relevant departments for prompt and appropriate action.
  • Avoid deleting negative comments or posts unless they violate EO’s social networking Instead, address them directly and professionally. If a public apology or statement is needed, coordinate with EO’s Brand / global communications team to ensure it aligns with EO’s voice and message.

CONCLUSION

Remember, our goal is to encourage healthy discussions, and create a sense of community among our members. The impact of our online presence can be significant, so let’s make sure it reflects the best of EO.

In conclusion, these guidelines aim to ensure the EO’s representation on social media is consistent, respectful, and aligns with our overall brand strategy. Social media is a powerful tool that, when used correctly, can significantly contribute to EO’s mission and objectives.

EO SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES

LinkedIn: @entrepreneursorg
Facebook: @entrepreneursorganization
Instagram: @entrepreneursorg
Twitter: @EntrepreneurOrg
Tiktok: @entrepreneursorg_

Download the PDF version here.