SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Introduction
The purpose of the Management Association of Private Photogrammetric Surveyors (MAPPS) Social Media Policy is to provide MAPPS designated social media staff and MAPPS volunteer leadership guidelines for maintaining a cohesive social media presence which promotes MAPPS’s mission of being dedicated to all the business aspects, networking, technical and professional education, geospatial policy and legislation that private practitioners and the geospatial community will always need.

Some examples of how MAPPS’s social media presence will directly help to fulfil its mission:

Educate/Develop – MAPPS will use social media to share articles, events, webinars, and discussions that help to educate professionals in its network, while also promoting conversation and interaction. By providing a tangible, easily accessible network of peers and mentors, MAPPS’s social media presence will support MAPPS members and others within the geospatial community by providing them with help, encouragement and education to facilitate growth and professional development.

Network – MAPPS’s social media platforms will provide its followers/group members with additional opportunities to connect and maintain dialogue between our scheduled in-person conferences and events.

Attract – The social nature of social media will provide MAPPS with exposure to potential members and event attendees/sponsors, by conveying the value of MAPPS’s membership and events. MAPPS will also occasionally promote events of related organizations in order to provide further opportunities for the community to connect and facilitate business growth and educational opportunities.

Retain – MAPPS will use its social media platforms as another way to offer incredible service its members and event attendees by offering quick, helpful and positive responses to questions, discussions and feedback (both positive and negative). MAPPS will also show its appreciation for its members and community by sharing their achievements, when appropriate.

MAPPS’s mission and goals will be at the forefront of every interaction occurring over social media on behalf of the organization. All MAPPS staff, and especially those designated as social media staff,  are expected to adhere to the guidelines provided in this policy in order to provide a positive experience to all MAPPS current and prospective members and sponsors, as well as the mapping and geospatial community at large. Any questions about any topics not covered in this policy shall be directed to the MAPPS association management staff or any member of the Board of Directors.

Audience
MAPPS’s social media community includes MAPPS Members, non-Members, sponsors, potential sponsors, and other professionals in the industry and related areas.

MAPPS Social Media Platforms
MAPPS uses LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook or similar as its social media platforms, which may change from time-to-time as approved by the MAPPS President.

No additional social media accounts, groups, subgroups, or events may be created for MAPPS without expressed, written permission from the MAPPS President.

Social Media Roles

  • All MAPPS accounts will be managed/moderated by designated social media staff (herein referred to as media staff) and MAPPS member volunteer leaders.
  • Media Staff members have the right to moderate MAPPS social media content, delete inappropriate postings, and/or suspend members from posting content that is deemed inappropriate and created by MAPPS members or volunteer leaders, as well as any group members/followers which are in violation of the guidelines outlined in this policy, or which detract from MAPPS’s social media goals and mission.
  • Media staff will act/respond on behalf of MAPPS across all its social media platforms.

Posting Guidelines
Personal vs. Professional:

All MAPPS posts must be professional in nature.

  • Media staff members or MAPPS volunteer leaders responding to a post or discussion as themselves either in LinkedIn or from their personal Twitter or Facebook account, must be clear when they are representing their own ideas and not those of MAPPS. These individuals should recognize, however, that their behavior will always reflect back to the association that they represent.
  • Acceptable types of posts/goals:
    • Event promotion / increase awareness of MAPPS event offerings/upcoming events and educational opportunities
    • Sponsorship Opportunities / increase sponsorship through increased awareness of available opportunities
    • Membership benefits / increase membership enrollment/retention through increased awareness of available benefits and community
    • Professional event photos / increase membership/exposure/engagement
    • Congratulations for MAPPS members’ professional achievements / show support for MAPPS members’ professional development
    • Relevant industry articles

Posts unacceptable for MAPPS social media accounts

Personal posts and opinions:
Posts that contain purely personal information or that serve only a self-interest of an individual or company are discouraged. Examples include:

  • Personal information and opinions (not related to MAPPS’s mission)
  • Announcements of personal life events – marriage, birthdays, awards not related to profession
  • Personal opinions when posting/commenting as MAPPS – both signed and unsigned
  • Photos which would reflect poorly on MAPPS or its members
  • Political topics unrelated to the industry/association and its mission
  • Derogatory posts aimed at competing organizations
  • Topics or posts that are offensive, threatening, illegal, or inflammatory, defamatory, or hostile

Frequency
To keep the group/account engaging, at least one posting per week is the goal on each platform.

Post Monitoring Guidelines
LinkedIn

  • Postings or comments on a discussion that only promote an individual or business are considered personal posts and may be deleted.
  • Conversations should run their course and resolve naturally - deleting will be reserved for special circumstances.
  • Repeat offenders are to be removed from the group or set to require moderation for all comments and activity in the group, at the Media staff discretion.

Twitter

  • Tweets from others cannot be monitored or controlled on Twitter; however, followers will only see the posts/discussions of the accounts and hashtags they are following. Discussions/replies must remain professional and positive.
  • If an individual is tagging the MAPPS account to make negative comments, they will be messaged privately to resolve the issue.If the problem persists despite reasonable attempts at resolution, the individual will be blocked and/or reported to Twitter for harassment.

Facebook

  • Any individual/company promotions posted to the page shall be deleted.
  • Comments on a post that promotes an individual or business shall be deleted.
  • It is understood that when MAPPS or an individual posts a topic to the page, individuals will comment with their own opinions. If individuals disagree, MAPPS media staff will not mediate unless the conversation becomes hostile or unprofessional. In such a case, the media staff will comment reminding the individuals to be professional and warn them their comments or post will be deleted if the problem continues, or delete the comments or post at the media staff’s discretion.
  • It is best to let a conversation run its course and resolve naturally - deleting should be reserved for special circumstances.
  • Repeat offenders may be banned from the page (removing their permission to comment/post), at the moderator’s discretion.

Other Forms of Digital Communication

  • Email: Mass emails (except for listserv messages) are sent through Magnet Mail, a marketing automation platform used to design and send mass email messages. All emails will contain an unsubscribe link.
  • Surveys: MAPPS may ask members and/or meeting attendees to complete surveys to provide feedback to the association on a variety of topics. The surveys are created through Survey Monkey or similar, using an online survey builder. The specific identity of any survey respondent generally will not be disclosed by MAPPS without the respondent’s consent; however, it is understood that all survey responses in whole or in part, including respondent identity are not collected or maintained by MAPPS using any strict standards of confidentiality. The surveys may be sent via email through Survey Monkey or a Magnet Mail email message.
  • Press Releases: Association news may be distributed to members and media outlets through digital press releases sent via email. Press releases may also be posted to the association website and social media outlets. All press releases must be approved by the MAPPS President.
  • Text Messaging – Phone numbers may be collected from meeting registrants to be used for individual or mass messages in the event of an emergency.

Legal Considerations

Copyright and Attribution

  • Posters must not post anything on any platform that is not their original thought.
  • When sharing an article or story, a link will be posted or shared directly from the creator’s social media page, directing the reader back to the original source.
  • When quoting a speaker, posters wills use quotation marks or a colon indicating the quote was said by the speaker, and list the speakers name, as well as the name of their presentation, and a link or tag to their corresponding social media account where available (Facebook page, Twitter account, LinkedIn page, etc.)
  • If for any reason, full credit cannot be given to the individual for their idea or material, it will not be shared. 

Group Rules and Disclaimers

  • LinkedIn allows Group Rules. The group rules include the types of posts and comments/discussions that are allowed and prohibited; a general reminder to keep conversations civil and helpful; and a disclaimer that states that any postings to the group do not necessarily represent the views of the MAPPS. The group rules are emailed to every new member, as well as pinned to the top of the page in the Manager’s Choice section.
  • Posted LinkedIn Rules:
    • Welcome to the MAPPS LinkedIn Group. These group rules are designed to ensure the group remains professional, interesting, and useful for all group members. The MAPPS Media staff reserve the right to delete any postings or comments that they deem unbeneficial to the group. Members are also encouraged to help the moderators in this process by flagging inappropriate content.
    • FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE RULES OR ANY OF LINKEDIN’S TERMS OF USE MAY LEAD TO MEMBER REMOVAL. Members who break the MAPPS Group Rules or the LinkedIn Users Agreement, may receive a reminder or may be removed and/or blocked without additional notice.
    • All discussions and shared links must clearly relate to mission of MAPPS to support and advance its members as the choice for real estate solutions and uphold professional credentials, standards of professional practice and ethics consistent with the public good.
    • Be professional and polite to other members.
    • All discussions should invite dialogue. When posting discussions or sharing links, pose questions or explain why you are sharing to encourage quality conversation.
    • Promotions of products and/or services are not allowed in the discussion area or comments.
    • Job recruitment and/or resume postings are not allowed in this group.
    • Spam messages and postings are prohibited. Violations will result in the member being removed and blocked from the group. Spam includes:
      • Sending unsolicited messages to group members
      • Posting the same discussion repeatedly
      • Posting promotional comments
      • Posting comments on one’s own discussion to make it more visible
    • Thank you for reviewing the MAPPS LinkedIn Group rules, and helping us to keep the group useful and interactive for all members.

Conclusion

Any questions about the topics or guidelines covered in this policy, or additional topics not covered in this policy, should be directed to MAPPS media staff.