School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University

ILRHR561: Designing and Implementing Effective Social Media Policy

Course Project

Instructions:

The project for this course focuses on Steps B, C and D of the ABCDEF process for social media policy planning that is described at the start of Module 2. This course project document will be submitted twice, as described below.

For successful completion of this course, you are also required to participate in at least two of the discussions, which focus on other aspects of the ABCDEF process.

Step B: Baseline the Current State

Instructions:

You will submit this course project document after you complete this part of the project.

Begin this exercise by reviewing the website for either:

1. Your own organization, or

2. Bentley Motors, a manufacturer and seller of luxury automobiles, at http://www.bentleymotors.com/.

Now select three social media platforms and enter them into the first column of the grid below (see the sample). For each of the five company areas in the grid, enter at least one area of risk for the company. When you have completed the grid, answer the two questions below.

Please refer to the course for instructions for submitting this assignment.

ILRHR561: Designing and Implementing Effective Social Media Policy

School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University

Platform / Product Development / Sales / Service / HR/Admin / Manufacturing /
Yelp / Exposure of company design secrets / Exposure of internal pricing information / Service issues raised that need to be responded to quickly but are not recognized / Staff who are not authorized to speak for the company making official-sounding posts / Incorrect information about car specifications being posted

ILRHR561: Designing and Implementing Effective Social Media Policy

School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University

ILRHR561: Designing and Implementing Effective Social Media Policy

School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Cornell University

Review the risks you have identified in the grid above and answer the following two questions:

1. Which three platform-area combinations do you think the organization should address first?

2. Why are these the most important three areas?

Step C: Create the Project Plan

If you haven’t already done so, download and print out the Social Media Policy Gap Assessment Chart that was provided on the “Tool: Social Media Project Plan” page.

In the chart, make some notes about your own organization. Then, in the space below, write a paragraph or two in which you summarize the gaps in your organization’s existing policies that elevate your risks.

Step D: Develop the Policies

Instructions:

For this part of the project, you rewrite an existing social media policy. You are then assigned policies written by two of your peers to provide feedback on using the Checklist for Effective Social Media Policy.

To complete this part of the project:

If you have not already done so, download the checklist tool provided from the Checklist for Effective Social Media Policy course page.

Locate an existing social media policy in need of improvement. You are encourage to select one from your organization, or locate a policy on the "Social Media Governance" site.
Use the Good Social Media Policy Checklist to assess the existing policy.

Now rewrite the policy so that it addresses thefour basics of any good policy and thetwelve criteria for good social media policy.

Please refer to the course for instructions for submitting this assignment. After you submit your rewritten policy, you will be assignedtwo policies to provide peer feedback on.

1. Paste the original policy here:

2. Enter your revised version here: