Social Media Policy

1. Purpose

This Social Media Policy establishes guidelines for the creation, management, and use of social media by the Lark Street Business Improvement District (the “BID”). The goal is to ensure that social media activities support the BID’s mission, promote the district positively, encourage community engagement, and protect the BID’s reputation while respecting legal, ethical, and operational obligations.

2. Scope

This policy applies to:

All official BID social media accounts (including but not limited to Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, and future platforms).
All BID employees, contractors, interns, board members, and volunteers (“Representatives”) who create, post, manage, or contribute content on behalf of the BID.
Personal social media use when a Representative is clearly identified as speaking on behalf of the BID.

3. Objectives of BID Social Media

BID social media accounts are intended to:

Promote businesses, events, and amenities within the district.
Communicate BID programs, services, and initiatives.
Share public safety, sanitation, transportation, and quality-of-life updates, when appropriate.
Encourage positive engagement with residents, visitors, businesses, and stakeholders.
Provide timely, accurate, and accessible information.

4. Governance and Authorization

The BID President (or designee) is the owner of all official BID social media accounts.
Only authorized staff or contractors may create or post content on official BID accounts.
Account login credentials must be stored securely and updated when staff or contractors change.
New social media accounts may not be created without written approval from the Executive Director.
All official organization social media accounts must have two-factor authentication (2FA) enabled at all times to ensure enhanced security and protection against unauthorized access.

5. Content Standards

All content posted on BID social media must:

Align with the BID’s mission, values, and strategic goals.
Be accurate, clear, and respectful.
Comply with all applicable local, state, and federal laws, including copyright, trademark, privacy, and accessibility requirements.
Use inclusive, professional, and non-discriminatory language.

The BID will not post content that:

Is defamatory, harassing, threatening, or discriminatory.
Endorses or opposes political candidates, ballot measures, or partisan causes, except where legally permitted and explicitly authorized.
Promotes illegal activity.
Discloses confidential, proprietary, or personal information.

6. Tone and Voice

The BID’s tone should be welcoming, professional, and community-oriented.
Posts should reflect the diversity and character of the urban district.
Humor and informal language may be used when appropriate, but sarcasm or inflammatory language is not permitted.

7. Community Engagement and Comments

The BID encourages constructive dialogue and community engagement.
Responses to any comments or questions sent via social media platforms are subject to a turnaround time of up to five (5) business days.
Comments and messages will be monitored during normal business hours.
The BID reserves the right to hide, delete, or report comments that:

Contain hate speech, personal attacks, or profanity.
Are spam, advertisements, or repetitive off-topic posts.
Include misinformation that could cause harm or confusion.
Violate platform rules or applicable laws.

Where feasible, the BID should document removed content (e.g., screenshots) for recordkeeping purposes.

8. Public Records and Retention

Social media content may be considered public records.
Posts, comments, and direct messages related to BID business must be retained in accordance with applicable public records and retention laws.
Deleting content does not eliminate recordkeeping obligations.

9. Accessibility

The BID will strive to make social media content accessible whenever possible, including:

Using alt text for images when available.
Captioning videos when available.
Avoiding excessive use of emojis or all-caps text.

10. Crisis and Emergency Communications

In emergencies or sensitive situations (e.g., public safety incidents, service disruptions), only designated spokespersons may post updates.
Information must be verified before posting.
Speculation, rumors, or unconfirmed reports must not be shared.

11. Use of Personal Social Media

Representatives may maintain personal social media accounts.
When speaking about BID-related matters on personal accounts, Representatives should clarify that opinions are their own and not official BID positions.
Representatives must not use personal accounts to disclose confidential information or engage in conduct that could harm the BID’s reputation.
All representatives are responsible for maintaining the security of their personal social media accounts and must notify the Social Media Management Team immediately if they suspect or become aware of any unauthorized access or hacking.
When using personal social media accounts, board members must not reference their position, title, or affiliation with the organization to promote personal services, solicit business, or seek individual professional gain.

12. Branding and Intellectual Property

Official logos, photos, and branding assets may only be used in accordance with BID brand guidelines.
Proper credit must be given for third-party content when required.
Permission must be obtained before posting identifiable images of individuals when legally required.
By participating in collaborative social media posts, partners confirm they have obtained all necessary rights, licenses, and permissions for any content or assets provided, and acknowledge that the BID assumes no responsibility or liability for any legal issues arising from such materials.

13. Enforcement

Violations of this policy may result in corrective action, including revocation of posting privileges, disciplinary action, or termination of contracts, consistent with BID policies and applicable law.

14. Policy Review and Updates

This policy will be reviewed periodically and updated as needed to reflect changes in law, technology, or BID operations.

15. Original Lark Street BID Content Creation

Businesses featured in original content produced by the Lark Street BID are selected through a random number generator process. A response deadline will be provided when the BID initiates outreach to coordinate content creation. If coordination attempts are not acknowledged by the stated deadline, the BID reserves the right to proceed with an alternate business.
District businesses may request consideration for inclusion in BID-produced content at any time. All inquiries regarding original content shoots should be directed to socials@larkstreet.org.
No prior approval is required from participating businesses for the BID to publish original content.

16. Tagging

Tagged posts must be approved by the BID before sharing. Approved tagged content will be reshared at the BID’s discretion via Instagram and/or Facebook Stories.

17. Collaboration Process

The BID will not accept collaboration requests on social media posts unless such collaboration has been coordinated in advance.
The BID reserves the right to decline any collaboration request for posts that did not include the BID in the content planning and design process. All collaboration inquiries must be directed to socials@larkstreet.org.
Accepted collaboration projects are subject to a turnaround time of up to seven (7) business days.

Lark Street BID Social Media Contacts

‍Erin Harkes
Social Media Management Coordinator, Lark Street BID
socials@larkstreet.org

Version 1A. Adopted by the Board of Directors on March 10, 2026.

The Lark Street Area District Management Association, Inc. Social Media Policy