Given the “wild and wooly” evolution of social media, a lot of folks don’t think in terms of ethics per se, but most of us have a general sense of right and wrong, and that carries over into the world of social media.
The Social Media Club is taking things several steps further with a very well thought-out code of ethics for social media professionals. In several respects, it bears similarities to the Public Relations Society of America’s code, which makes sense, given that both are aimed at communicators. Among other things, the SMC says social media pros should:
- Be honest and authentic in all communications.
- Respect confidential information.
- Disclose potential conflicts of interest.
- Make it clear who’s paying for the communications.
There’s a lot of good stuff here that I strongly recommend not only for social media professionals, but to anybody who communicates for a a living.