Social Media Policy & Kindness Campaign

Like many other organizations, the City of Red Deer faced growing anger and abuse on its social media during the COVID-19 pandemic. The City’s posts and channels were quickly shifting to toxic environments where any user could expect insult or scrutiny if they chose to engage in a public way. Community members were facing online abuse, and City staff were commonly the subject of harassment. Additionally, the mental health of those managing the City’s social media was taking a toll, with many social managers facing burnout and other repercussions.

It was clear a change was needed. As an internal consultant, Melissa led a team of consultants to do the research and evaluation necessary to build an informed approach. With the data to support her claims, she developed an administrative policy that would enable social media managers to confidently address inappropriate comments and messages and take steps to reverse the negative shift on the City’s social media. Terms of engagement were developed, posted to the City website and linked on all social media platforms to ensure users understood the City’s approach to managing inappropriate or hurtful engagement (toward the City or toward other users) on its social media.

A social media campaign was developed to share the new terms of engagement and to publicly launch a fight for more positive community behaviour on social media.

Approach

Data, transparency and advocacy were key drivers throughout the project. In developing the administrative policy, data was used to develop a thoughtful and strategic approach to managing abusive behaviours on social media. The policy, though internal, was formally approved by the City Manager to provide backing and legitimacy to staff as they made tough decisions to moderate content on the City’s social media. Public terms of engagement were launched to provide clear expectations to all those engaging on City social media; abusive behaviour would no longer be tolerated.

A strong, yet emotional campaign was developed to define the City’s stance while appealing to the kindness of the community. Custom graphics were developed to demonstrate the impacts of abusive behaviour, and strong language was used in all content to demonstrate the importance of the need for change. Campaign content was shared directly with community partners, including media, organisations and prominent figures, who were encouraged to share content and encourage positive behaviour online.

Deliverables

This project included the following deliverables:

  • An administrative policy to guide staff in managing abusive content on City social media platforms.
  • Terms of Engagement to demonstrate appropriate behaviour when engaging on City social media and identify the City’s approach to managing abusive engagement on its social media content.
  • A social media campaign including custom graphics to raise awareness of the issue and clarify the City’s approach to abusive behaviours moving forward.

Challenges faced

  • Staff fatigue and burnout: the City’s team of social media managers were feeling the effects of months of online abuse. Mental health impacts were affecting staff capacity to manage social media and staff were feeling hesitant to step in when abusive comments or arguments arose. Incorporating those same staff into the process to develop a policy to manage these issues was both challenging and beneficial – staff had limited capacity (mental and time) to contribute, however they had the experience and vested interest to ensure the policy would be beneficial.
  • Capacity and competing priorities: Due to the evolving and shifting nature of the pandemic, staff (and myself) were commonly engaged in other projects which often took priority. Schedules, milestones and deadlines were set to keep the project team on track, and regular check-ins with social media managers served to ensure they were supported and had the tools, resources and knowledge they needed.

Outcomes

The project was a success. The policy was backed by the City Manager and gave social media managers the confidence and process to manage abusive behaviour in a fair and consistent manner. The terms of engagement provided clarity and guidance to those engaging on City social media and was used as an example by other organizations and municipalities facing similar issues.

The social media campaign was met with overwhelmingly positive response. Abusive behaviour dropped significantly following launch of the campaign, and numerous community members and organizations shared their support and personal connection to the campaign. The community came together to create a more positive online experience.

Samples

The following images demonstrate content developed for this campaign, including messaging and approach, as well as custom graphics created with support of a graphic designer.

A screenshot of a City of Red Deer Instagram post featuring an illustrated graphic on a light blue background. The illustration shows a person seated at a laptop, with floating social media reaction icons such as thumbs‑up and smiling faces near the screen. White text reads, “Help us make social media a safe space again. Let’s be kind to one another.” The City of Red Deer logo appears in the bottom right corner. The post caption beside the image discusses encouraging positive engagement and kindness on social media.
A screenshot of a City of Red Deer Instagram post showing an illustrated graphic on a muted green background. The illustration depicts a person seated at a laptop with hands raised in a conversational gesture. White text reads, “We all have different perspectives. It’s okay to disagree, but we need to be respectful toward one another.” The City of Red Deer logo appears in the lower right corner. The caption beside the image discusses welcoming discussion while not tolerating abusive behaviour.
A screenshot of a City of Red Deer Instagram post featuring an illustrated graphic on a mustard‑yellow background. The illustration shows a person seated at a laptop, with reaction icons and comment symbols hovering near the screen. Large white text reads, “If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, please don’t say it online.” The City of Red Deer logo appears in the bottom right corner. The post caption references the importance of respectful language and outlines moderation guidelines.
A screenshot of a City of Red Deer Instagram post with an illustrated graphic on a red‑to‑pink gradient background. The illustration depicts a person seated at a computer, with multiple comment bubbles and negative reaction icons displayed on the screen and nearby. White text reads, “There is a person behind every screen. Let’s get back to being kind to one another.” The City of Red Deer logo appears in the lower right corner. The accompanying caption outlines expectations for respectful discussion and moderation on the City’s social media channels.