Social Media Policy: 'Just Be Smart'

IBM has its guidelines from Intel. Best part, they are written in plain English.

Considers this example:

“Did you screw up? If you make a mistake, admit it. Be upfront and be quick with your correction. If you’re posting to a blog, you may choose to modify an earlier post — just make it clear that you have done so.”

Then there’s Zappos. More than 400 of its 700-employees participate on Twitter.

Brian Kalma, head of user experience and Web strategy, Zappos, said the online retailer doesn’t have a policy for its employees, other than “just be smart.” (He made his remarks while speaking on the panel I moderated, “Managing Conversations and Reputations When the User Is In Control,” at Search Engine Strategies San Jose.)

It’s worth noting, Twitter offers training to its employees, giving its team the opportunity to get even smarter about this stuff.