Social Media Policy

Purpose

This policy defines the governance of the use of social media by USA Powerlifting. The policy applies to corporate use of social media and social media use by elected, appointed, or official positions (referred to herein as Appointed Members) related to their affiliation with USA Powerlifting (USA Powerlifting).

The policy outlines key elements of the Social Media Program. To achieve the objectives outlined in this policy, the Executive Committee delegates oversight of the Social Media Strategy and Program to the Marketing Committee.

Definitions

Social media consists of many kinds of online sites that allow the user to post and share content, including comments, reviews, photographs, and videos. Examples of social media sites include, but are not limited to:

  1. Social networking sites, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Instagram.
  2. Video and photo sharing sites, such as Flickr and
  3. Micro-blogs, such as
  4. Weblogs, including corporate blogs, personal blogs or blogs hosted by media
  5. Forums and discussion boards, such as Yahoo Groups or Google Groups.
  6. Encyclopedias, such as
  7. Online

USA Powerlifting Social Media Strategy

USA Powerlifting will participate in social media monitoring, posting and engagement activities that benefit organizational objectives and meet the following criteria, as further described herein:

  1. The privacy and confidentiality of USA Powerlifting corporate and member information are adequately protected, pursuant to established policies and standards.
  2. Appointed Members granted access  to  authorized  sites  require  such  access  to  conduct  USA Powerlifting
  3. Only appointed member positions specifically designated by the President are allowed to speak, write, or post on behalf of, or as a representative of USA Powerlifting.
  4. Appointed Members designated to access authorized social media sites on behalf of USA Powerlifting are appropriately trained and agree to abide by company policies and standards for social media
  5. Maintains that social media outlets are not official methods of communications from USA Powerlifting. All official methods of communication will be located on the official website (www.usapowerlifting.com)

Social Media Standards and Policies

In addition to this policy, the following policies impact member use of social media:

  1. Appointed Member Use of Social Media (signed by all appointed, elected or official positions).
  2. Code of Conduct Policy.
  3. Corporate Logo Use

Legitimate Business Value

The following criteria will be used to determine legitimate business value before a social media site is made available for Appointed Member use:

  1. Site includes appropriate content that is aligned with the USA Powerlifting brand image.
  2. Participation will benefit a specific business function, such as:
    • Member
    • Brand image
    • Member training.
    • Data gathering.
    • Member
    • Vendor relations.
    • Professional networking with industry
  3. Site usage can be centrally monitored for compliance with applicable standards.

Appointed Member Authorized to Use Social Media

Appointed Member positions authorized to have access to social media must be approved by the President.

Appointed Member positions approved for social media site access will be documented by the USA Powerlifting National Office.

Monitoring of and Corporate Responses to Social Media Posts

Online mentions of USA Powerlifting by the public, Appointed Members, or others will be monitored by USA Powerlifting members(s) designated by the President.  A methodology for assessing USA Powerlifting’s response to online posts will be developed and approved by the same for use in determining if a response is warranted, how the response will be communicated, and who the designated respondent will be. In addition, online mentions that have a potential material impact on the business or reputation of the organization will be documented and categorized for reporting to the executive committee so that opportunities and risks can be properly addressed.

Corporate Use of Social Media

USA Powerlifting Appointed Members, upon approval of the President, may develop branded social media sites. These sites will:

  1. Be monitored and managed by USA Powerlifting Appointed Members.
  2. Be developed and maintained based on the goals, mission statement and reputation of the
  3. Be clearly branded as USA Powerlifting and adhere to USA Powerlifting standards for communications quality and member service.
  4. Comply with all applicable regulations and accepted social media standards.
  5. Direct members to the Official USA Powerlifting website for official communications from the organization.

Failure to Comply with Social Media Policy

Failure to comply with the Social Media Policy includes, but are not limited to:

  1. Airing grievance.
  2. Bringing the organization or any of its members’ reputation into disrepute.
  3. Personal agenda’s to discredit the organization or any of its members (i.e., raw vs. equipped lifting)
  4. Personal attacks by any Appointed Member to another on social medial in any form.

Failure to comply with this policy may lead to disciplinary action up to removal from the appointed/elected office and loss of USA Powerlifting membership.

USA Powerlifting Social Media Policy (PDF) – Appointed Members to sign and return to the National Office