SOCIAL MEDIA USE AND PUBLIC OUTREACH OPERATIONAL AND USE GUIDELINES STANDARDS The City of Avalon s Social Media Use and Pubic Outreach Policy establishes guidelines for the use of technology intended to connect people. In accordance with point 8 of the General Policy Guidelines section: 8. For each social media site approved for use by the City Manager or his or her designee, the following documentation will be developed and adopted: a. Operational and use guidelines i. The City will develop Standards for each social media site which will include the Purpose and Content Standards as well as any other details specific to the use of the site. In addition to each sites Standards established by the City and in accordance with point 8 of the Content Guidelines section: 8. Any employee authorized to post items on any of the City s social media sites shall review, be familiar with, and comply with the particular social media site s use policies and terms and conditions. The following social media sites and public outreach tools have been approved for use by the City and have an established Standard for use: Facebook Twitter Vine SendHub Livestream Digital Signage Qnotify City Email
CITY OF AVALON FACEBOOK STANDARD Purpose Facebook is a social networking site. Businesses and governments have joined individuals in using Facebook to promote activities, programs, projects and events. This standard is designed for City departments looking to drive traffic to department web pages at www.cityofavalon.com and to inform a greater number of people about City activities. These standards should be used in conjunction with the City's social media use policy. As Facebook changes these standards may be updated as needed. Establishing a page The City Manager or his or her designee will create the boilerplate business pages for the City s pages. Individual Departments may establish their own page and will use Content Standards as a guideline and with approval from the City Manager or his/her designee may create content to meet their branding needs. All City provided branding images must meet City branding standards. Content 1. The City and departments will create 'pages' in Facebook, not 'groups.' Facebook 'pages' offer distinct advantages including greater visibility, customization and measurability. 2. Boilerplate a. For 'type' description, choose 'government.' a. The City Manager or his or her designee will standardize and provide the Facebook page's image, consisting of a picture and the City's logo. b. The City will include a mission introduction on the Wall Page and send users first to the Wall to connect them to the freshest content. Boilerplate policy text regarding public disclosure and comments will be created using the FBML static page application. The message contained in Subsection 2 of the Comments Guidelines section of the City s social media use policy required to be posted on the City social media site s primary page shall follow the specific department/program description, in addition to the contact information and links thereto also required in that Subsection. 3. If comments are turned on, the Wall page should include a link to a Comment Policy tab with the message set forth in Subsections 3 and 4 of the Comments Guidelines section of the City s social media use policy. 4. Link to the City
a. A link to www.cityofavalon.com will be included on the Info page. 5. Account Administrators a. A successful page requires "babysitting." The City Manager shall designate an Account Administrator, who will be responsible for monitoring the Facebook page. Posts should be approved by the Department Director or his or her designee. b. The Account Administrator is responsible for making sure content is not stale. 6. Comments, Discussion Boards, Notes, and Chats 7. Style a. Comments to the Wall generally will be turned off but may be allowed on a page-by-page basis pending approval from the City Manager or his or her designee. Discussion Boards shall be turned off. a. City Facebook pages will be based on a template that includes consistent City branding. b. City Facebook pages will contain proper grammar, avoiding jargon and abbreviations. Facebook is more casual than most other communication tools but still represents the City at all times. 8. Applications Archive a. There are thousands of Facebook applications. Common applications can allow users to stream video and music, post photos, and view and subscribe to RSS feeds. While some may be useful to the City s mission, they can cause clutter and security risks. b. An application should not be used unless it serves a business purpose, adds to the user experience, comes from a trusted source and is approved by the City Manager or his or her designee. c. An application may be removed at any time if there is significant reason to think it is causing a security breach or spreading viruses. 1. Each Facebook page will be set up in conjunction with a designated City e-mail account. 2. The City Clerk shall be responsible for archiving all Facebook content for the purposes of public records retention.
CITY OF AVALON TWITTER STANDARD Purpose Twitter is a micro blogging tool that allows account holders to tweet up to 140 characters of information to followers. By procuring and maintaining Twitter accounts, the City will communicate information directly to their Twitter followers, alerting them to news and directing them to ci.colton.ca.us for more information. These standards should be used in conjunction with the City's Social Media Use Policy. Content 1. Account administrators, designated by the City Manager or his or her designee, shall hold and maintain City Twitter accounts. 2. Account information, including usernames and passwords, shall be registered with the City Manager or his or her designee. 3. The City s Twitter bio will read: The City of Avalon s official account for news, events and updates. Est. 1913 RT and mentions are not endorsements. 4. Twitter accounts shall serve three primary purposes: a. Get emergency information out quickly b. Promote City-sponsored events c. Refer followers to content hosted at www.cityofavalon.com 5. Information posted on Twitter shall conform to all City policies and procedures. Tweets shall be relevant, timely and informative. 6. Twitter content shall mirror information presented in existing City information dissemination mechanisms. Account administrators shall ensure that information is posted correctly the first time. Twitter does not allow for content editing. Archive 1. The City Clerk shall be responsible for archiving all Twitter posts, including @reply messages, for the purposes of public records retention. The City s Twitter archives will not be visible to the public, but will be accessible for public document retention purposes.
2. Account administrators shall be responsive to those constituents who communicate via Twitter's @reply or direct message functions. Communication with followers will be timely and consistent with existing protocols.
CITY OF AVALON VINE STANDARD Purpose Vine is a micro blogging tool that allows account holders to post six (6) seconds of video which can be viewed on their website https://vine.co/, to followers and can be uploaded to other social media platforms. By procuring and maintaining Vine accounts, the City will communicate information directly to their Vine followers, alerting them to news and directing them to www.cityofavalon.com for more information. These standards should be used in conjunction with the City's Social Media Use Policy. Content 1. Account administrators, designated by the City Manager or his or her designee, shall hold and maintain City Vine accounts. 2. Account information, including usernames and passwords, shall be registered with the City Manager or his or her designee. 3. The Recreation Department s Vine bio will read: rec-re-a-tion: n. refreshment of one s mind or body after work through activity that amuses or stimulates; play. Official City of Avalon Recreation Dept account 4. Vine accounts shall serve three primary purposes: a. Promote City-sponsored events b. Get emergency information out quickly c. Refer followers to content hosted at www.cityofavalon.com 5. Information posted on Vine shall conform to all City policies and procedures. Vines shall be relevant, timely and informative. 6. Vine content shall mirror information presented in existing City information dissemination mechanisms. Account administrators shall ensure that information is posted correctly the first time. Vine does not allow for content editing. Archive 3. The City Clerk shall be responsible for archiving all Vine posts, including comments, for the purposes of public records retention. The City s Vine archives will not be visible to the public, but will be accessible for public document retention purposes.
4. Account administrators shall be responsive to those constituents who communicate via Twitter's @reply or direct message functions. Communication with followers will be timely and consistent with existing protocols.
CITY OF COLTON LIVESTREAM STANDARD Purpose Livestream is a networking site that allows people to post, watch, share, and comment on originally created videos. The following standards should be used in conjunction with the City's social media use policy. As Livestream evolves, these standards may be updated as needed. Content 1. Account administrators designated by the City Manager shall hold and maintain the City Livestream account. 2. Account information, including usernames and passwords, shall be registered with the City Manager or his or her designee. 3. Livestream accounts shall serve two primary purposes: a. Live broadcast City events, specifically Avalon City Council Meetings and Avalon Planning Commission. b. Host archived events for on demand viewings. 4. Any videos posted on Livestream shall conform to all City policies and procedures. Archive 1. The City Clerk shall be responsible for archiving all Livestream videos, including comments, for the purposes of public records retention. 2. Account administrators shall be responsive to those constituents who communicate via Livestream s comment functions. Communication with followers will be timely and consistent with existing protocols.