USA POWERLIFTING 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 (USAPL.)

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 Executive Director.

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, Instagram, Linkedln, and TikTok.

  2. Video and photo sharing sites, such as Flickr and YouTube.

  3. Micro-blogs, such as Twitter.

  4. Weblogs, including corporate blogs, personal blogs or blogs hosted by              media outlets.

  5. Forums and discussion boards, such as Yahoo Groups or Google Groups.

  6. Encyclopedias, such as Wikipedia.

USA Powerlifting Social Media Strategy

USAPL 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 USAPL 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 USAPL business.

3. Only appointed member positions specifically designated by the Executive Director or Executive Committee are allowed to speak, write, or post on behalf of, or as a representative of USAPL.

4. Appointed Members designated to access authorized social media sites on behalf of USAPL are appropriately trained and agree to abide by company policies and standards for social media interaction.

5. Maintains that social media outlets are not official methods of communications from USAPL. All official methods of communication will be located on the official website (www.usapowerlifting.com) and Official Instagram page. 

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 Policy.

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 USAPL brand image.

 

2. Participation will benefit a specific business function, such as:

a. Sales.

b. Marketing.

c. Referrals.

d. Member engagement.

e. Brand image building.

f. Member training.

g. Data gathering.

h. Member recruiting.

i.Vendor relations.

j. Professional networking with industry groups.

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 Executive Director.

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

Monitoring of and Corporate Responses to Social Media Posts

Online mentions of USAPL by the public, Appointed Members, or others will be monitored by USAPL members(s) designated by the Executive Director. A methodology for assessing USAPL'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

USAPL Appointed Members, upon approval of the Executive Director, may develop branded social media sites. These sites will:

1. Be monitored and managed by USAPL Appointed Members.

2. Be developed and maintained based on the goals, mission statement and reputation of the organization.

3.Be clearly branded as USAPL and adhere to USAPL standards for communications quality and member service.

4. Comply with all applicable regulations and accepted social media standards.

5. Direct members to the Official USAPL 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 USAPL membership.