Make
it
a policy
that media postings be
any
social professional
and respectful. No inappropriate or intemperate words, harsh words or crude comments should be allowed. Remember, you are trying to build a community with social media, not tear it apart.
Use privacy controls so that the board can control what is posted on the “wall” of any Facebook page the association may have. This does not leave people who want to comment on the association’s page without a voice. They can attend a meeting and provide their thoughts rather than have license to post them on the association’s Facebook page directly.
Does your association want a Facebook page? It’s your call. There are as many reasons to have one as there are reasons not to. The same goes with Twitter. I’ve found that Twitter is a great vehicle to spread encouragement as well as information. For those who have not driven this social media vehicle around the block, users can “follow” you and your tweets. I started two years ago and have 62,000 followers. Your association will have less—probably just the number of unit owners in your development. You can choose to provide information such as upcoming board meetings, special opportunities for members to serve and needs the association and its member may have. You can also provide inspiration and guidance to the members. It would probably be wise to spend less time reminding people of rules and more time inspiring people to act together for the benefit of the community - but these are among the decisions you can make when crafting your social media policies so they fit the objectives of your board.
While there are many areas for potential problems, probably the greatest liability exposure which your association is trying to avoid in its social media postings will have to do with making defamatory statements or disclosing private or inappropriate information.
Hundreds of lawsuits have been
filed against people involved in social media. In 2009 alone, over $17 million in judgments against bloggers occurred. That’s a big number and your association won’t want to contribute to it. The answer isn’t to avoid participating in social media; it is to do it wisely.
Keep in mind, this. Whatever you publish on social media can and will be passed along to others. Some of the people who will end up with your messages will be the intended recipients. Others won’t be. A recent California Court of appeals case ruled that there were no privacy protections applicable to the words of a blogger. What that means, is that if you say something defamatory in your social media outputs and it is passed along to third parties for publication, liability for any offensive or improper comments can follow its way back to the sender.
In summary, go ahead and develop a social media presence. Do it wisely and you will encourage and inform your members on important information in the life of your association while at the same time developing a greater sense of community. Do it with a well thought through social media policy in place and you will give a real boost to your entire community.
www.wscai.org
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