Your employees might just be inadvertently representing your agency while bouncing around on any of several social networks (LinkedIn, MySpace, etc.). Does your insurance agency need a policy regarding blogging, ‘Facebooking’ or Tweeting on Twitter? The New York Times seems to think they need one, and here it is:

• Don’t specify your political views. This includes joining online groups that would make your political views known.
• Don’t write anything you wouldn’t write in The Times on your profiles, a blog, or as commentary on content you share.
• Be careful who you ‘friend’. Since this is a tricky subject, The Times suggests that its reports “imagine whether public disclosure of a ‘friend’ could somehow turn out to be an embarrassment that casts doubt on our impartiality.”
• Using email addresses found on social networks to contact individuals is fine but the standard rules apply: treat the person fairly and openly and don’t “inquire pointlessly into someone’s personal life.”
• The Standards Editor must be consulted before contact is made with a minor.

A complete article about the NY Times and their social networking policy can be found at Econsultancy (head up courtesy of WOMMA).