The West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church

Online Social Media Guidelines

Introduction to Social Media

The West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church believes in the importance of social media as it allows us to be connected with the world and aware of cultural issues as we reach out as followers of Jesus Christ. Social media may include, but is not limited to, social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, blogging sites like WordPress or Tumblr, and photo and video sharing websites such as Flickr and YouTube. Whether you contribute to these social media outlets regularly or on occasion, it is important that you know and follow the basic procedures of the West Ohio Conference as a way to positively and accurately represent the West Ohio Conference, The United Methodist Church, and yourself. Employees of West Ohio are expected to act with honesty, professionalism, integrity and respect for the rights, privileges, privacy, sensibilities and property of others. In acting in this manner, individuals will be abiding by the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the denominations ethics statement and applicable laws. These basic guidelines provide safety and security for both you and the church whether you are directly promoting the West Ohio Conference, the United Methodist Church or using social media for personal purposes. They have been developed to help those associated with the West Ohio Conference better communicate through social media while representing the values and beliefs of the West Ohio Conference and The United Methodist Church.

Social Media Purpose and Commitment to the Four Areas of Ministry Focus
As United Methodists, we recognize the Four Areas of Ministry Focus and commit to making an impact on the world in the name of Jesus Christ. People of all backgrounds and cultural experiences are talking about issues that pertain to the life and function of the church and since the introduction of social media we have had the opportunity to respond in real time to dialogue happening across the globe. Social media gives conference leaders a tool to reach new audiences and engage in conversations related to the ministries of the church. Through social media, we, as the church, are able to build relationships with individuals and organizations that stand for the same principles and values as our own. Social media allows the church and its people to go beyond the church building and engage in meaningful two-way conversations with people of all backgrounds and cultures. The West Ohio Conference encourages the sharing of information through various social media networks. When you use social media, please adhere to the following policies of the West Ohio Conference. West Ohio Social Media for Business Use West Ohio staff and departments may use social networking websites for department, event, and initiative promotion with the approval of the West Ohio communication department and social media team. If authorized and in keeping with policy, you may post on a social network profile: your affiliation with West Ohio and your West Ohio email address or telephone number for contact purposes along with other pertinent information. All business related social networking should comply with West Ohio brand standards. Contact the West Ohio communication department should you need assistance or have questions on effective execution.

Social Networking Photo Privacy Guidelines Photos are a great way to illustrate events and share experiences with others. Many social networks allow users to share photos online but with this, it is necessary that you keep in mind the content and appropriateness of any photos that you post. Photos of children under the age of 18 should not be posted without verbal or written consent. Avoid posting photos that could possibly offend any one person or cultural group. Photos of yourself or of others should be appropriate and reflect the values of the West Ohio Conference and The United Methodist Church. Photos should not defame or violate the legal privacy rights of others. Photos should not be altered without a written disclaimer or falsely portray any one person. Appropriate photo credits should be given to the proper sources. Logos and Titles The look of your page should align with West Ohio Brand Standards as defined by the West Ohio Conference communications department. Use of logos and titles on social networking sites should accurately represent your position with the West Ohio Conference and The United Methodist Church and should not be used for malicious or ill intent. Facebook Page and Group Management Guidelines Facebook allows users to create personal profiles in order to connect with friends, family and organizations. Users have the ability to share multimedia including photos and videos and track upcoming events. Users can create and connect with other common interest groups and engage in conversations both publicly and privately with other Facebook users. Facebook currently has over 600 million active users and is growing worldwide. Many organizations and businesses have utilized Facebook to connect with members and customers through two-way conversation.

The following policies pertain to the group and page management system used by the West Ohio Conference social media team in relation to special interest groups throughout West Ohio districts and conference ministries.
There is to be only one official Facebook page representing the West Ohio Conference. (West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church) Other ministry areas and affliated groups may be branded as being associated with the West Ohio Conference. Pages must align with West Ohio band standards as defined by the West Ohio Conference communications department. Please contact the social media team or communications staff for further information Districts, local churches and other West Ohio related ministries should have pages only if there is enough content to justify regular updates and research has determined that there is potential for a substantial following. For groups with smaller followings and no physical location but with common characteristics and interests, organizers should consider developing a Facebook group instead of a page. The West Ohio communications department and social media team should have knowledge of and administrative access to all pages and West Ohio branded groups. If access is not provided, the group or page will not be branded according to West Ohio brand standards.

Groups vs. Pages Pages, rather than groups, are the preferred method of creating an organizational Facebook presence. Pages have more customizable features, are easier to brand, and appear in fans personal news feeds. Pages are designed for organizations and are the accepted means of Facebook communication for organizations. It is policy that staff members use Facebook groups for the exchange of more personal information. Twitter Guidelines This social media platform allows organizations to engage in real-time conversation with people worldwide and share resources and information with followers. Tweets are messages sent through this platform and are composed of 140 characters or less. Active Twitter users are most interested in real time conversation and follow certain people and organizations in order to learn from what they post. Followers have the ability to provide immediate feedback to posted content. There is only one official West Ohio Conference Twitter handle (@WestOhioUMC). For personal Twitter accounts, make clear your position with the West Ohio Conference by stating it in the bio. Retweet and follow other organizations with values that align with the West Ohio Conference. There is a difference between speaking on behalf of and speaking about West Ohio. Be conscious when mixing business and personal lives via Twitter. If departments have initiatives needing publicity through Twitter, please contact the communications department for consideration. YouTube Guidelines YouTube is a worldwide video community that allows people to watch and share videos of all qualities and styles. According to YouTube, the website provides a forum for people to connect, inform, and inspire others across the globe. YouTube currently attracts more than two billion views each day and more than 24 hours of video are uploaded every minute. Organizations and individuals have the ability to develop customized YouTube channels in order to post video content, attract subscribers and choose favorite videos that relate to videos posted by the organization directly. The official West Ohio Conference YouTube channel (WestOhioUMC) is maintained by the West Ohio Conference communications department and West Ohio social media team. If a department or conference leader wishes to have a video added to the official YouTube channel, please contact the West Ohio the communications department or a social media team member. Videos posted to the West Ohio YouTube channel are official videos approved by the West Ohio communications and social media team. Videos will be categorized under corresponding playlists within the channel. 1. Transparency. Avoid anonymity. Whenever possible, include your name and in some situations, it may even be necessary to include your title and connection with the United Methodist Church or the West Ohio Conference. With the difficulty of separation between professional and personal worlds, it is extremely important to completely identify yourself. If posting a blog, commenting on a message board or article posted by a news service or other blogger, identify your relationship with the church and make clear whether or not what you post directly represents the views of the church and the conference.

2. Respect opinions and works of others. It is important that while engaging in any online social media activity that you do so with an attitude of respect for others and the church as a whole. Remember the churchs position on inclusivity and please consider the diverse population of not only the church but also the world before using social media to convey any message. There may be times when not commenting is a better solution than adding to a controversial topic. If any content seems objectionable or fails to accurately represent the churchs position, please correct or immediately remove the content from your account, communicating any necessary information with West Ohio communications staff. If you believe material to be offensive and find that it is located on an official West Ohio account, please report this concern to West Ohio communications staff and social media team for immediate attention. 3. Confidentiality. Keep confidential informational confidential. As a congregation member, layperson, committee member, or staff within the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church, you may have access to information that could be considered confidential. It is your responsibility not to share this information with others in any way, online or in person. What you post online will be around for years to come and can be viewed and shared by millions of people. Know online privacy laws and obtain proper privacy protection permissions before posting information that could be considered personal. Remember copyright laws and understand the effects of your actions. 4. Stick to what you know. There are those who have more knowledge and capabilities when speaking on, or responding to questions on certain subjects. Unless you are an official representative of a certain department or ministry, please avoid speaking on anothers behalf. This does not mean that you cannot comment on or promote the work of others. This only means that you should not act as the official representative or take credit for things not done by you. Give credit and recognition where it is due. 5. Contribute to meaningful conversations. Social media is a great opportunity for conversation. Contribute to conversations by adding your individual voice. Display projects that you are working on and talk about what you have learned. Be a resource. The United Methodist Church is at work in this community and across the world. Share what the church is doing and what you are doing. Be a part of the conversation. This is your opportunity to share what it is you are passionate about. Dont just exist online. Contribute to the worldwide conversation and add what you know, answering questions and giving advice to others. If you publish content to any website outside the West Ohio Conference that has to do with the work you do or subjects associated with West Ohio and could be construed as implying support, endorsement or opposition of the conference or other ministry, include a disclaimer such as: These comments are my own. OR The contents, including all opinions and views expressed, in my profile (or blog) are my own and do not necessarily represent the opinions or views of anyone else, including other employees at the West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church. The West Ohio Conference of the United Methodist Church is not responsible for the material contained in this profile (or blog). 6. Consider Risks. The content you post online does not go away. If there is any chance of your post backfiring and hurting your own reputation or the reputation of the church, do not post it. Although something may interest or appeal to you, there could still be great risk in sharing that information. Always make sure information is accurate and that your personal security is protected online. Be aware

of security settings, rights and privileges. Monitor followers and what is being said about you as best as possible in order to maintain accurate representation of your personal and professional identity. 7. Keep social media interaction personal. You are online to network, to teach and to learn. Those objectives cannot be accomplished unless you are authentic and the others know exactly who you are and what you stand for. Dont try to be someone else just to get the most followers or the most views on your latest blog post. In order to identify your association with the West Ohio Conference, please include your official title in all social media profiles either in a bio or employment section. 8. Dont let personal social media interfere with professional projects. While we encourage interaction through social media and the promotion and sharing of your work across online social media platforms, there will be times when other work related tasks take precedence to social media. We understand the current social media environment and encourage you to find balance between your personal and professional social media activities. You should not distribute your West Ohio email address for personal social networking activity. Avoid use of personal time on social media if it compromises time spent on professional projects. 9. Admit mistakes. If you mess up, admit this. If you find that you have posted inaccurate information or information that is against policies of the United Methodist Church, do not merely delete this and pretend as if it never existed. Chances are, it was seen by someone. If a blog post is inaccurate, post a follow up or retraction. If you tweet something that you find to be false or misleading, tweet an apology. Take responsibility for your actions. Make corrections where they need made but always make it clear that they were made. 10. Dont handle what you cannot handle. There may be issues too tough to handle or you may not know how to approach a situation that arises online. Do not be afraid to ask questions or pass the problem on to someone who would know how to better handle the situation. Please contact the communications department at the West Ohio Conference office regarding anything that could be considered defamatory or crisis material. Please Note Should any concerns, complaints or information suggesting possible abuse of or inappropriate behavior in the use of social networks arise, members of the West Ohio Executive Team may review profiles or postings on social networking sites and use the information in informal or formal proceedings, including review for disciplinary action. In addition, West Ohio has no control over how other organizations or individuals may use information they find on social networking Web sites for personal matters.