Social Media Etiquette

While you are apart of the RGC family. I want to give you all a few tips on the various social media outlets. Too many times I see things that would be detrimental to any sponsor or future sponsor.


1.  RGCers are personally responsible for the content they publish on blogs, wikis, twitter or any other form of user-generated media. Be mindful that what you publish will be public for a long time—protect your privacy.

2.  Identify yourself—name and, when relevant, role in RGC—when you discuss RGC or RGC-related matters. And write in the first person. You must make it clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of RGC or its affiliates.

3.   If you publish content to any website outside of RGC and it has something to do with work you do or subjects associated with RGC, use a disclaimer such as this: “The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent RGC or its affiliates positions, strategies or opinions.”

4.  Don’t provide RGC’s or another’s confidential or other proprietary information. Ask permission to publish or report on conversations that are meant to be private or internal to RGC.

5.  Respect your audience. Don’t use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable in RGC. You should also show proper consideration for others’ privacy and for topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory—such as politics and religion.

6.   Be aware of your association with RGC in online social networks. If you identify yourself as an RGC member, ensure your profile and related content is consistent with how you wish to present yourself with colleagues and clients.

7.  Don’t pick fights, be the first to correct your own mistakes, and don’t alter previous posts without indicating that you have done so.

8.  Try to add value. Provide worthwhile information and perspective. RGC’s brand is best represented by its people and what you publish may reflect on RGC’s community.

9.  If you do find yourself in a situation, please take it out of the public's eye. You are constantly being watched and those kinds of problems will be scrutinized by future sponsors.

10. Respect the Community- This might be the most important rule of social media etiquette. Show respect to the community. It’s not that hard to do. Just make sure you don’t step out of line, and always treat everyone the way you want to be treated. These are simple social skills you should already be following in real life; now, you just have to follow them online too.

*a special thanks to IBM for the format for this document