An example of how your company can put together a playbook to encourage your internal brand advocates to use social media productively.

1. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
1
Hobsons Social Media Handbook
Overview
Everything
we
do
online
can
be
traced
and
can
impact
our
company.
Hobsons
does
not
want
to
control
what
is
said
on
personal
social
networking
websites.
We
encourage
the
use
of
social
media
technologies
to
enhance
communication,
collaboration
and
information
exchange
in
support
of
Hobsons’
mission.
By
opening
sharing
knowledge,
best
practices
and
lessons
learned,
we
provide
more
effective
solutions
and
increase
our
visibility,
generate
leads
and
establish
thought
leadership.
We
do
want
to
remind
you,
however,
that
the
company
policies
on
Non-­‐Harassment
and
Conflict
of
Interest
/Code
of
Ethics
extend
to
all
forms
of
communication.

2. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
2
There
is
a
certain
etiquette
you
should
abide
by
when
participating
online,
especially
if
you’re
using
social
networks
for
any
business
purposes.
The
goal
of
this
document
is
not
to
be
restrictive,
but
to
provide
guidelines
on
proper
social
networking
etiquette
so
that
we
can
all
use
it
effectively
to
gain
value.
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Social
Media
Use
as
Part
of
Your
Job
Responsibilities
1. Can
I
use
social
tools
(both
Hobsons-­‐sponsored
such
as
blogs
and
third
party
sites
such
as
LinkedIn,
Facebook
or
twitter)
as
it
relates
to
my
job
and
job
function?
Answer:
You
may,
as
long
as
you
read
and
abide
by
the
Hobsons
Employee
Handbook
and
this
Social
Media
Guidelines
document.
You
must
include
the
following
disclaimer
on
your
non-­‐Hobsons
blog
posts.
“The
opinions
expressed
in
this
blog
are
my
own
views
and
not
those
of
Hobsons.”
If
you
are
using
a
3rd
party
blog
site
and
have
control
over
the
design,
you
may
place
the
previous
statement
in
a
permanent
and
prominent
space
on
the
blog,
such
as
in
the
header.
It
must
be
visible
for
every
piece
of
content
that
speaks
about
Hobsons,
Hobsons
products
or
any
aspect
of
Hobsons
business.
If
you
comment
on
any
aspect
of
Hobsons’
business
on
a
social
media
site,
you
must
identify
yourself
as
a
Hobsons’
employee
in
a
prominent
place
(bio,
profile,
etc.)
on
the
site.
Example
1:
If
you
are
using
other
social
media
channels
to
promote
Hobsons,
you
must
clearly
state
in
your
“bio”
or
twitter
handle
that
you
work
for
Hobsons.
• @HobsonsTom
• @TMartin-­‐
Sales
Manager
at
Hobsons.
2. What
is
my
responsibility
as
a
Hobsons
employee
when
I
participate
in
business-­‐related
social
networking
sites
externally?
Answer:
Your
conduct
online
reflects
upon
Hobsons.
Do
not
post
inappropriate,
disrespectful
comments
or
post
comments
that
are
intended
to
embarrass
Hobsons,
your
co-­‐workers
or
customers.
Protect
Hobsons’
business
performance,
clients,
business
partners
and
suppliers.
Do
not
post
confidential,
proprietary
or
other
sensitive
information.
ALWAYS
ACT
PROFESSIONAL
AT
ALL
TIMES.
Example
(Don’t):
@EDSuccess
I
hate
working
with
the
University
of
‘Z’.
Their
administration
is
a
joke!
If
you
witness
illegal,
unsafe
or
unethical
conduct
by
a
Hobsons
employee
or
vendor,
do
not
discuss
this
on
any
social
media
site.
Instead,
contact
Human
Resources
to
report
issues
such
as
the
following:
• Theft,
fraud
or
any
other
dishonest
conduct

3. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
3
• Discrimination
or
harassment
• Waste
or
abuse
of
Hobsons
resources
• Conflicts
of
interest
• Mismanagement
• Any
actions
that
violate
the
Hobsons
values,
Code
of
Conduct
and/or
Employee
Handbook
Personal
Social
Media
Guidelines
1. What
should
I
be
aware
of
before
posting
personal
information
about
myself
on
social
networking
sites?
Answer:
We
encourage
you
to
create
user
accounts
under
your
true
name.
Using
a
pseudonym
may
diminish
the
credibility
of
your
contributions
online.
Even
anonymous
comments
and
updates
can
be
traced
back
to
you
or
Hobsons
using
IP
addresses
and
other
tracking
technology.
Only
post
personal
information
that
you
want
the
public
to
view
on
the
social
Web
and
avoid
posting
information
that
would
make
you
vulnerable
to
identity
theft
or
may
compromise
your
safety.
Be
sure
to
review
the
privacy
policies
of
the
social
networking
sites
that
you
choose
to
join.
Be
aware
that
your
posts
may
be
viewed
beyond
your
intended
audience.
Example
(Don’t):
@HobsonsGirl:
Starting
tomorrow,
I’ll
be
travelling
abroad
for
the
next
two
weeks.
Example
(Don’t):
@FoodCritic1:
I’m
chowing
down
at
restaurant
‘Y’.
Hit
me
up
at
444-­‐444-­‐444
if
you’re
in
the
area.
2. Is
it
OK
to
use
my
own
personal
social
networking
login
account
(such
as
YouTube,
Flickr
or
other
social
media
sharing
site)
when
posting
Hobsons
content,
videos
or
photos
externally?
Answer:
No.
Do
not
use
your
personal
accounts
when
posting
Hobsons’
owned
videos
to
external
video
sharing
sites.
You
may,
however,
share
Hobsons’
owned
videos
found
on
the
Hobsons
YouTube
channel
by
linking
to
the
video.
Example
(Do):
Marcia
Smith:
Check
out
this
great
video
found
on
the
Hobsons
YouTube
Channel
http://bit.ly/ArQGHt.
Responding
to
Comments
on
Social
Networking
Sites
1. What
is
Hobsons’
policy
around
publishing
comments?
Answer:
We
do
not
promote
censorship
of
your
online
posting.
For
official
Hobsons
blogs
and
social
media
feeds,
both
internal
and
external,
it
is
our
practice
to
post
all
comments
except
those
that
may
be
off-­‐topic
or
may
create
liability
as
a
result
of
the
content.
We
do
have
the
right
to
remove
any
posted
comments,
video
and/or
photograph
that
is
not
appropriate
for
the
topic
discussed,
uses
inappropriate
language
or
spam.
Please
respect
copyright
and
fair
use
laws
by
obtaining
written
permission
for
videos
and
photographs
that
are
not
your
own.

4. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
4
Example
(Do
remove
or
block):
@OG111:
@hobsonsinc
Visit
my
site
to
get
your
free
iPad
http://www.og111.com.
2. If
I
receive
a
negative
comment
on
a
Hobsons-­‐sponsored
social
networking
site/blog,
how
should
I
respond?
Answer:
If
a
reader
leaves
a
negative
comment,
it
is
recommended
that
you
do
not
delete
the
comment
for
transparency
reasons.
If
the
comment
contains
disrespectful
or
derogatory
language
you
may
consider
NOT
posting
it.
We
do
encourage
you
to
publish
most
comments
because
it
encourages
people
with
different
viewpoints
and
opinions
to
join
the
conversation,
to
debate
and
to
discuss
their
side
of
a
specific
argument.
Receiving
a
negative
comment
about
a
Hobsons
product
or
service
ultimately
provides
an
opportunity
to
respond
to
the
negative
comment
and
reframe
it
in
a
positive
light.
Censoring
comments
discourages
participation
and
social
media
engagement.
Remember:
More
often
than
not,
the
negative
comments
are
trying
to
provoke
a
response.
Check
with
Corporate
Marketing
if
you
are
unsure
of
how
to
respond.
Example
(Don’t):
BlogManager:
To
EdDoctor15.
I
removed
your
comment
because
you
have
no
idea
what
you’re
talking
about
and
your
opinions
about
education
reform
completely
miss
the
mark!
Example
(Do):
BlogManager:
Thank
you
for
commenting
EdDoctor15.
Though,
I
differ
on
some
of
your
suggestions,
I
appreciate
the
opportunity
to
examine
another
point
of
view.
Keep
your
comments
coming!
Proprietary
and
Confidential
Information
1. How
do
I
determine
what
information
is
proprietary
or
confidential,
and
whether
or
not
it
is
OK
to
post
externally?
Answer:
Security
policies
and
practices
of
external
social
networking
tools
may
differ
from
Hobsons’
policies
and
requirements.
Always
assume
the
information
you
post
to
these
sites
is
not
secure
and
that
it
can
be
compromised
or
used
against
you
and/or
Hobsons.
Consult
with
Corporate
Marketing
and
Human
Resources
for
guidance
on
identifying
confidential
or
sensitive
content.
Do
not
post
internal
data
on
any
third
party
or
public
site.
Some
information
such
as
product
announcements,
new
hires,
etc.,
becomes
public
information
once
it
is
announced
by
Hobsons.
However,
do
not
post
such
information
to
external
sites
until
it
is
formally
announced
or
shared
with
the
public
by
Hobsons.
Disclosure
of
any
information
deemed
to
be
non-­‐public
material,
prematurely
and/or
selectively
may
violate
securities
law
and
may
subject
both
you
and
Hobsons
to
liability.
If
you
have
questions
about
posting
specific
content,
consult
with
Corporate
Marketing
and
Human
Resources.
Example
(Don’t):
Missy23:
Just
found
out
today
from
a
coworker
that
Hobsons
will
be
buying
‘Company
X’.
It’s
official
next
week.
Trademarks

5. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
5
1. What
should
I
be
aware
of
when
posting
the
Hobsons
logo
or
trademarks
to
social
networking
sites?
Answer:
Each
employee
is
responsible
for
protecting
and
appropriately
promoting
the
brand.
Do
not
share
Hobsons’
visual
assets
with
third
parties
such
as
Hobsons
fonts,
Hobsons
stock
photography,
Hobsons
logos
or
other
devices
that
are
reserved
solely
for
Hobsons.
Your
personal
social
networking
sites
may
not
include
Hobsons
logos
or
trademarks.
This
is
to
prevent
the
appearance
that
you
speak
for
or
represent
Hobsons
officially.
Do
not
post
the
Hobsons
corporate
logo
on
sites
external
to
Hobsons
for
use
by
non-­‐employees.
If
third
parties
request
use
of
the
Hobsons
corporate
logo
to
support
stories
or
commentary
about
Hobsons,
you
may
direct
them
to
Corporate
Marketing.
Lastly,
do
not
use
third
parties’
marks
or
logos
without
their
written
permission.
Example
(Don’t):
@JBarnes:
@k12Guide
View
this
link
to
attach
the
new
Hobsons
logo
to
your
institution’s
blog.
Example
(Don’t):
@ARadley
Just
posted
new
pics
to
my
Flickr
account.
Highlights
contemporary
black
and
white
photography
I
picked
up
on
Google.
Copyrights
1. What
are
the
copyright
guidelines
for
posting
content
that
is
not
mine?
Answer:
You
are
legally
and
financially
responsible
for
your
postings
and
may
be
subject
to
liability
for
postings,
which
include
copyrighted
information
such
as
music,
videos,
photographs,
etc.,
that
belong
to
third
parties
if
used
without
obtaining
written
permission.
Therefore,
when
posting
copyrighted
material
or
content,
always
cite
and
reference
the
original
source
in
a
prominent
and
visible
space
within
the
post.
Photos
or
Logos
1. Can
I
use
photos
from
the
Hobsons
Corporate
Marketing
Library
on
my
social
networking
site/blog?
Answer:
You
may
only
use
Hobsons
photography
in
a
Hobsons
blog.
Do
not
use
Hobsons
Stock
photography
(people,
scenic,
etc.)
in
a
personal
blog
or
on
a
third-­‐party
site.
When
You
Engage
Emerging
platforms
for
online
collaboration
are
fundamentally
changing
the
way
we
work,
offering
new
ways
to
engage
with
customers,
colleagues
and
the
world
at
large.
It
is
a
new
model
for
interaction
and
we
believe
social
computing
can
help
you
build
stronger,
more
successful
business
relationships.
Furthermore,
it
is
a
way
for
you
to
take
part
in
global
conversations
related
to
the
work
we
are
doing
at
Hobsons.
If
you
participate
in
social
media,
please
follow
these
guiding
principles:

6. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
6
• Stick
to
your
area
of
expertise
and
provide
unique,
individual
perspectives
on
what's
going
on
at
Hobsons
and
in
the
world.
• Post
meaningful,
respectful
comments—in
other
words,
no
spam
and
no
remarks
that
are
off-­‐
topic
or
offensive.
•
Always
pause
and
think
before
posting.
That
said,
reply
to
comments
in
a
timely
manner
when
a
response
is
appropriate.
•
Respect
proprietary
information
and
content,
and
confidentiality.
•
When
disagreeing
with
others'
opinions,
keep
it
appropriate
and
polite.
•
Know
and
follow
the
Hobsons
Code
of
Conduct
and
the
Hobsons
Privacy
Policy.
Rules
of
Engagement
Be
transparent.
Your
honesty—or
dishonesty—will
be
quickly
noticed
in
the
social
media
environment.
If
you
are
blogging
about
your
work
at
Hobsons,
use
your
real
name,
identify
that
you
work
for
Hobsons
and
be
clear
about
your
role.
If
you
have
a
vested
interest
in
something
you
are
discussing,
be
the
first
to
point
it
out.
Transparency
is
about
your
identity
and
relationship
to
Hobsons.
You
still
need
to
keep
confidentiality
around
proprietary
information
and
content.
Be
judicious.
Make
sure
your
efforts
to
be
transparent
do
not
violate
Hobsons’
privacy,
confidentiality
and
legal
guidelines.
Ask
permission
to
publish
or
report
on
conversations
that
are
meant
to
be
private
or
internal
to
Hobsons.
All
statements
must
be
true
and
not
misleading
and
all
claims
must
be
substantiated
and
approved.
If
you
wish
to
write
about
the
competition,
make
sure
it
is
factual
and
objective
and
that
you
have
the
appropriate
permission.
Also,
be
smart
about
protecting
yourself,
your
privacy
and
Hobsons’
confidential
information.
What
you
publish
is
widely
accessible
and
will
exist
for
a
considerable
amount
of
time,
so
consider
content
carefully.
Write
what
you
know.
Make
sure
you
write
and
post
about
your
areas
of
expertise,
especially
as
related
to
Hobsons
and
our
technology.
If
you
are
writing
about
a
topic
that
Hobsons
is
involved
with
but
you
are
not
the
Hobsons
expert
on
the
topic,
you
should
make
this
clear
to
your
readers.
Write
in
first
person.
If
you
publish
to
a
website
outside
Hobsons,
please
use
a
disclaimer
such
as:
"The
postings
on
this
site
are
my
own
and
don't
necessarily
represent
Hobsons'
positions,
strategies,
or
opinions."
Also,
please
respect
brand,
trademark,
copyright,
confidentiality
and
financial
disclosure
laws.
If
you
have
any
questions
about
these,
see
Human
Resources.
Remember,
you
may
be
personally
responsible
for
your
content.
Perception
is
reality.
In
online
social
networks,
the
lines
between
public
and
private,
personal
and
professional
are
blurred.
Just
by
identifying
yourself
as
a
Hobsons
employee,
you
are
creating
perceptions
about
your
expertise
and
about
Hobsons
by
customers,
the
general
public
and
colleagues.
Be
sure
that
all
content
associated
with
you
is
consistent
with
your
work
and
with
Hobsons'
values
and
professional
standards.
It's
a
conversation.
Talk
to
your
readers
like
you
would
talk
to
real
people
in
professional
situations.
In
other
words,
avoid
overly
pedantic
or
"composed"
language.
Do
not
be
afraid
to
bring
in
your
own
personality
and
say
what's
on
your
mind.
Consider
content
that
is
open-­‐ended
and
invites
response.
Encourage
comments.
You
can
also
broaden
the
conversation
by
citing
others
who
are
blogging
about
the
same
topic
and
by
allowing
your
content
to
be
shared
or
syndicated.

7. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
7
Are
you
adding
value?
There
are
millions
of
posts
added
to
the
social
media
sphere
everyday.
The
best
way
to
get
your
post/s
read
is
to
create
content
that
the
online
community
will
value.
Social
communication
from
Hobsons
should
help
our
customers,
partners
and
co-­‐workers.
It
should
be
thought
provoking
and
build
a
sense
of
community.
If
it
helps
others
improve
knowledge
or
skills,
build
their
businesses,
do
their
jobs,
solve
problems
or
understand
Hobsons
better—then
it's
adding
value.
Your
responsibility:
What
you
write
is
ultimately
your
responsibility.
Participation
in
social
computing
on
behalf
of
Hobsons
is
not
a
right
but
an
opportunity.
So,
please
treat
it
seriously
and
with
respect.
Please
know
and
follow
the
Hobsons
Code
of
Conduct.
Failure
to
abide
by
Hobsons’
Social
Media
Guidelines
and
the
Hobsons
Code
of
Conduct
could
put
your
participation
at
risk.
Create
some
excitement.
As
a
business
and
as
a
corporate
citizen,
Hobsons
is
making
important
contributions
to
the
world,
to
the
future
of
technology
and
to
public
dialogue
on
a
broad
range
of
issues.
Our
business
activities
are
increasingly
focused
on
high-­‐value
innovation.
Let's
share
with
the
world
the
exciting
things
we're
learning
and
doing—and
open
up
the
channels
to
learn
from
others.
Be
a
leader.
There
can
be
a
fine
line
between
healthy
debate
and
incendiary
reaction.
Do
not
denigrate
our
competitors
or
Hobsons.
Nor
do
you
need
to
respond
to
every
criticism
or
barb.
Try
to
frame
what
you
write
to
invite
differing
points
of
view
without
inflaming
others.
Some
topics—like
politics
or
religion—slide
more
easily
into
sensitive
territory.
Be
careful
and
considerate.
Once
an
inflammatory
discussion
begins,
it
is
hard
to
stop.
Did
you
make
a
mistake?
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.
If
it
gives
you
pause,
pause
.
.
.
If
you're
about
to
publish
something
that
makes
you
even
the
slightest
bit
uncomfortable,
don't
shrug
it
off
and
hit
'send.'
Take
a
minute
to
review
these
guidelines
and
try
to
figure
out
what's
bothering
you,
and
then
fix
it.
If
you're
still
unsure,
you
might
want
to
discuss
it
with
your
manager
or
Human
Resources.
Ultimately,
what
you
publish
is
yours—as
is
the
responsibility.
So
be
sure.

8. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
8
Procedures
If
you
would
like
to
share
Hobsons
content,
please
make
sure
you
have
your
department’s
support,
as
there
are
a
number
of
ways
to
share:
• Twitter
tweets,
retweets,
@replies,
mentions
and
favorites
• Facebook
status
updates,
comments
and
shares
• LinkedIn
status
updates,
comments
and
shares
• Slideshare
comments
and
shares
• Google
+
posts,
comments
and
shares
• YouTube
comments
and
shares
• Blogging
• Social
bookmarking
• Pinterest
pins
• Flickr
comments
and
shares
If
you
would
like
to
submit
any
Hobsons-­‐related
presentations,
photos,
videos
or
audio
for
upload
to
Hobsons’
social
media
channels,
please
complete
the
following
form
located
on
hiWire.
Hobsons
Social
Media
Style
Guide
This
social
media
style
guide
serves
as
a
framework
to
help
you
nurture
and
cultivate
an
engaged
social
media
community.
Corporate
Marketing’s
mission
is
to
ensure
that
the
seven
Hobsons
equities
are
upheld
and
that
your
goals
remain
aligned:
Partner,
Innovative,
Responsive,
Passionate,
Expert,
and
Visionary.
With
a
focus
on
defining
strategy
and
tactical
planning,
Corporate
Marketing
recommends
you
thoroughly
review
the
following
guiding
principles
to
help
grow
your
social
media
community
and
increase
engagement.
Strategy:
A
lack
of
growth
and
engagement
usually
means
one
thing,
a,
lack
of
planning.
Before
you
begin
tweeting
or
updating
your
Facebook
status,
clearly
define
your
strategy.
1. Examine
your
social
media
landscape.
Where
is
my
current
social
media
presence?
Which
social
accounts
do
I
want
to
keep?
Deactivate?
2. Identify
who
will
manage
each
social
media
account;
this
includes
monitoring,
posting
and
reporting.
3. Define
your
business
objectives
for
each
social
site?
List
3
business
objectives
for
each
social
site.
4. Identify
your
target
audience.
5. Determine
the
type
of
content
appropriate
for
each
social
account.
What
content
will
offer
the
most
value
to
my
target
audience
and
convey
my
social
media
“it”
factor?
6. Identify
metrics
for
measuring
success.

9. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
9
a. Transactional
(followers,
fans,
views),
Engagement
(shares,
Likes,
comments),
web
(referral
source
traffic,
bounce
rate,
CTR,
unique
visitors
to
site,
time
spent
on
site),
brand
sentiment,
#
of
customer
support
resolutions
&
leads
Content:
Content
is
king
but
parliament,
your
social
audience,
will
ultimately
decide
what
content
is
most
valuable
to
them.
1. Listen
and
learn
from
your
community.
Do
not
talk
about
the
company
in
every
post
or
focus
on
delivering
sales
pitches.
2. Promote
company-­‐centric
content
for
business
exposure,
lead
generation
and
thought
leadership,
but
try
to
keep
content
at
a
70/30
split:
70%
shared
content
(shares,
retweets,
links
to
interesting
articles)
and
30%
company-­‐centric
(event
promotion,
product
demos,
media
releases,
recruitment
listings,
white
papers,
infographics,
presentations,
etc.)
Shared
Company-­‐centric
3. Determine
who
and
how
unique
company-­‐centric
content
will
be
created.
4. Define
what
a
post
or
status
update
should
look
like.
Will
it
be
informative
like
a
news
headline,
a
question,
a
poll
or
conversational.
*A
good
rule
of
thumb
is
to
incorporate
a
call-­‐
to-­‐action
in
most
posts
to
encourage
engagement.
5. Choose
the
style
and
tone
of
your
tweets
and
status
updates.
What
style
and
tone
are
most
appropriate
for
your
audience?
i.e.
A
casual,
bubbly
tone
may
not
be
best
for
a
business
audience.
6. Construct
an
editorial
calendar
to
organize
posts
relevant
to
specific
marketing
campaigns
and/or
social
media
experiments.
*Note:
Your
calendar
is
meant
to
keep
you
organized.
As
social
media,
your
calendar
should
remain
flexible,
allowing
for
change
and
additions.
Need
ideas?
Check
out
this
tutorial
with
accompanying
template.

10. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
10
Frequency
and
Timing:
Creating
a
thriving
social
media
presence
and
influencing
community
behavior
is
more
than
opening
a
social
media
account
and
setting
up
the
profile.
Your
community
needs
and
demands
consistent,
quality
content.
1. Post
to
Twitter
daily.
2. Post
to
Facebook
3
times
per
week
but
no
more
than
3
times
per
day.
3. Post
to
LinkedIn
3
times
per
week.
4. Post
to
YouTube
at
least
once
a
month
and
include
a
full
description
and
tags.
5. Post
all
presentations
appropriate
for
an
EXTERNAL
audience
to
Slideshare
and
include
a
detailed
description.
*Note:
If
this
amount
of
post
frequency
seems
a
little
much,
then
return
to
your
business
objectives
and
decide
whether
these
social
sites
are
appropriate
channels
for
achieving
your
business
goals.
Monitoring:
Expanding
your
social
media
reach
can
be
a
full-­‐time
job.
You
will
need
to
monitor
the
web
for
social
mentions,
lead
generation
and
thought
leadership
opportunities,
customer
support
inquiries
and
to
prevent
crisis
situations
(i.e.
virality
of
confidential
information,
controversial
posts,
company
bashing)
1. Identify
industry
leaders,
blogs
and
media
sources
to
follow
and
share
content.
2. Identify
relevant
company-­‐related
keywords
and
keyword
phrases.
For
example:
Hobsons,
enrollment
management,
Naviance,
student
marketing,
college
readiness.
3. Create
alerts
[How
to
set
up
Google
Alerts]
for
each
keyword
or
keyword
phrase.
4. Use
free
tools
like
Social
Mention,
Twitter
Search
and
Tweet
Reach
to
discover
what
others
are
saying
about
the
company
online.
5. When
you
come
across
a
web
posting
or
comment
that
warrants
a
response,
follow
Corporate
Marketing’s
Hobsons
Social
Media
Response
Procedure.
6. Determine
the
timeliness
of
your
responses.
Corporate
Marketing
suggests
responding
to
all
web
postings
and
comments
within
24
hours.
7. Decide
if
you
will
respond
to
all
community
engagement
(‘Likes”
and
retweets)
or
just
comments.
*On
Twitter,
it
is
best
practice
to
respond
to
all
retweets
and
direct
mentions
to
acknowledge
your
followers.
8. Remember,
your
responses
should
be
transparent,
cite
relevant
sources,
informative
and
reflect
highly
on
the
company
mission.

11. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
11
Reporting:
Producing
monthly
reports
and
case
studies
are
necessary
for
measuring
the
success
of
your
social
media
accounts,
marketing
campaigns,
tactics
and
business
goals.
1. Create
a
spreadsheet
to
track
your
metrics
for
each
social
media
account.
Use
the
same
metrics
you
chose
when
developing
your
strategy.
Here
is
a
sample
spreadsheet
to
get
you
started.
2. Use
tools
like
Facebook
Insights,
LinkedIn’s
Page
Statistics,
Twitter
Counter,
Simply
Measured
and
Google
Analytics
for
reporting.
3. Use
charts
and
graphs
to
provide
a
visual
representation
of
your
success.
4. Create
case
studies
for
major
achievements
aligned
with
your
business
goals.
Here
is
an
example
of
Corporate
Marketing
case
study.
Hobsons
Blogging
Guidelines
The
guidelines
outlined
below
are
to
help
you
produce
a
comprehensive,
memorable
and
valuable
blog
post
to
establish
rapport
with
and
encourage
action
in
your
readership.
While
Corporate
Marketing
will
make
necessary
edits,
please
ensure
your
content
is
strong
and
of
the
best
quality.
Additionally,
all
topics
for
Hobsons’
corporate
blog
will
stem
from
the
Corporate
Blog
Content
Calendar
managed
by
Corporate
Marketing.
1.
Your
blog
title
should
be
no
longer
than
17
words
in
length,
relevant
to
your
content
and
offer
readers
the
complete
story
of
your
post.
This
will
pull
readers
into
the
remainder
of
your
copy.
2.
Your
post
should
be
300-­‐400
words
long
and
comprehensively
cover
your
topic.
Do
not
focus
on
writing
the
maximum
amount
of
words.
Focus
on
writing
quality
content
that
your
readers
will
value
and
remember.
3.
You
have
probably
heard
by
now
that
content
is
KING!
Create
content
that
is
useful,
unique
and
demonstrates
an
understanding
of
your
audience’s
needs
and
interests.
When
you
comprehensively
cover
your
topic
in
a
way
that
is
both
valuable
and
original,
your
readers
will
respond
by
commenting,
sharing
and
participating
in
your
conversation.
4.
Don’t
over
promote!
Your
readership
expects
more
than
just
a
sales
pitch.
They
want
quality
content
that
is
intriguing
and
offers
information
they
can
easily
apply
or
share.
When
blogging
about
the
company
or
our
products,
it’s
always
best
to
soft
sale.
5.
Support
your
claims
with
facts
and
acknowledge
your
sources
to
prevent
violating
copyright
law.
6.
Break
up
long
paragraphs.
Use
bolded
subheadings,
bulleted
lists,
blockquotes,
italics
&
short
paragraphs
to
summarize
the
most
relevant
points.
On
average,
only
16%
of
readers
will
read
a
post
word
for
word.
Therefore,
ensure
your
readership
gathers
the
most
important
information
by
making
posts
scannable.

12. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
12
7.
Use
specific
facts.
A
statement
such
as
"14,154
traffic
tickets
dismissed
since
2002"
is
more
believable
than
"thousands
of
traffic
tickets
dismissed
during
the
last
few
years."
8.
Write
your
post
in
the
first
person.
Your
copy
should
read
as
if
you're
having
a
one-­‐on-­‐one
conversation
with
a
colleague.
This
will
enable
brand
transparency,
thereby
increasing
brand
loyalty
and
establish
rapport
with
your
readers.
9.
Portray
enthusiasm
through
your
content
If
you’re
excited
about
your
topic,
your
readers
will
be
encouraged
to
take
action:
from
commenting
to
sharing
to
inquiring
about
a
product
or
service.
10.
Tell
your
readers
2-­‐3
times
within
your
post,
"what's
in
it
for
me.”
Ensure
your
readers
understand
the
value
of
your
post
by
frequently
building
on
the
big
benefit
stated
in
your
headline.
11.
Include
a
call
to
action
at
the
end
of
your
post.
Don’t
assume
your
readers
know
what
action
your
want
them
to
take.
Tell
your
readers
exactly
what
to
do
next
in
one
to
two
short
sentences.
A
call
to
action
encourages
reader
response.
Guide
to
Style
and
Writing:
Basic
Tenets
of
to
Writing
Well
The
following
checklist
can
serve
as
a
guide
to
writing
well.
1. Is
each
sentence
clear
and
complete?
2. Can
any
short,
choppy
sentences
be
improved
by
combining
them?
3. Can
any
wordy
sentences
be
made
more
concise?
4. Is
each
word
in
the
essay
appropriate
and
effective?
5. Is
each
word
spelled
correctly?
6. Check
the
Punctuation.
Pay
attention
to
capitalized
words,
missing
or
extra
commas,
periods
used
incorrectly
and
so
on.
7. Read
it
Backwards
to
spot
errors.
When
writing
we
usually
become
blind
to
our
own
mistakes.
In
order
to
break
this
pattern
you
can
read
the
text
backwards,
word
by
word.
8. Does
each
verb
agree
with
its
subject?
9. Are
all
verb
forms
correct
and
consistent?
10. Do
pronouns
refer
clearly
to
the
appropriate
nouns?
11. Do
all
modifying
words
and
phrases
refer
clearly
to
the
words
they
are
intended
to
modify?

13. Hobsons
Social
Media
Guidelines
13