Social media is no different to any other area of a NSOs business or communications function – it requires consideration, investment and strategy to fully optimise its use.

Social media management can be a time-consuming task when an athlete or organisation has a large following and high levels of engagement. To effectively manage social media, the NSO should consider how coordination and responsibility between different areas of the business will operate. The NSO should consider its social media strategy, not only to effectively use social media but also to ensure the NSO is across any compliance obligations, including in relation to defamation and workplace health and safety issues where an online presence is part of an employee's job description. NSOs should also implement appropriate monitoring of social media in conjunction with their wider communications strategy.

Monitoring does not imply scrutiny at all times over content. Rather it is about engagement with other social media users and being able to engage in conversations and/or respond to arbitrary/inappropriate/spam messages. It is ensuring processes and systems are in place for social media content both outwardly (publishing of content) as well as inwardly (responding to content, be it genuine enquiry or inappropriate material).

Go to the strategy and responsibility guideline

Due to the unique nature of sport and NSOs, the boundaries between work, volunteer time and social life can often be blurred. It is therefore essential that social media users make a clear distinction between the actions they take in a professional capacity and the actions they take or the things they say in a personal capacity.

NSOs should consider the development of guidelines or processes to help athletes and staff manage social media for their personal and professional benefit, and to avoid putting themselves in situations which could ultimately bring themselves or the NSO into disrepute. The guidelines should assist athletes, coaches and staff to understand their obligations under the NSO’s Social Media Policy and help ensure healthy use of social media and reduce the risk of misuse.

Go to the digital health and wellbeing guideline

It is important that NSOs consider implementing procedures for the identification and proportionate management of contraventions of the NSOs social media policies and for responding to inappropriate content and cyber bullying. NSO procedures in this regard should consider both internal management procedures, as well as how and when matters should be referred to external processes.

This is also important to ensure the NSO minimises its risk arising from any inappropriate or defamatory content that is posted on its social media by third parties.

Go to the responding and reporting guideline

NSOs should invest in social media education programs. Many athletes, coaches and staff will already know how to use technical features of social media but may lack an understanding of the ‘effective’ use of social media including digital wellbeing, healthy habits, digital reputation management and digital relationships.

Social media education should focus on highlighting the expected standards for social media use within the NSO and best practices, and provide reminders about accessing support for issues (e.g. eSafety Office resources). Education and training is particularly important where employees of the NSO have social media roles within their job description.

Go to the education guideline

To maintain good governance, it is important to implement a social media policy to ensure athletes and staff are provided guidance on how to use social media without breaching the rules of the organisation.

A quality social media policy provides athletes and staff with clear rules of engagement that are acceptable both internally and externally. NSOs should have in place a Social Media Policy, and other accompanying policies and/or rules, that work together to integrate areas such as:

• Codes of Conduct or disciplinary rules and processes
• Anti-Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying Policy
• Acceptable IT Use (including email) Policy
• Member Protection Policy (MPP)
• Child Protection Policy
• Privacy Policy, including data protection
• Photography and Image Policy
• Critical Incident Communications Plan
• Whistleblower Policy
• Any International Federation or IOC, etc, requirements for social media.

NSOs should have formal investigation and disciplinary processes applicable to social media policy breaches by athletes and staff (for example, under the organisation’s Code of Conduct).

Adopting and implementing appropriate policies and procedures is important for an NSO to ensure it is complying with its ongoing workplace health and safety obligations.

For those NSOs who need assistance in developing a Social Media Policy, The AIS has developed a template Social Media Policy. The Policy was developed in conjunction with expert legal advice. Please email  conductandprofessionalism@ausport.gov.au for a copy of the template.