Etsy: An Ethical Guide for Social Media
Here at Etsy we strive to keep commerce human. We are a global marketplace for one-of-a-kind, unique, and handcrafted goods. We provide our community of sellers a platform to start and grow their own businesses and a place for others to search for inspired products. Our platform hosts over 3.5 million active sellers and 69.6 million active buyers, with over 81 million products for sale. To say the least, we are committed to keeping the human element of connection within our platform of commerce.
This set of guidelines is a resource for employees to acknowledge and uphold Etsy’s core policies and ethical standards when representing and interacting with consumers on our social media sites. Social media communications include the use of Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube.
CORE ETHICAL EXPECTATIONS
- Be informed and accountable. All employees must adhere to the company’s Code of Business Conduct and standards of ethics as outlined. Report any suspicion or clear violations of Etsy’s ethical standards.
- Embrace differences. We welcome people of all backgrounds and identities. Diversity and cultural inclusiveness leads to better decisions and products. The workplace environment should be free of bias and fully inclusive.
- Maintain brand standards. Each employee is a representative of the company and should be committed to working collaboratively to lead with optimism, explore best solutions, and continually excel.
- Understand our impact. All employees should understand the company’s economic, ecological, and social impact as we strive for positive change and minimize waste.
ETHICAL EXPECTATIONS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
- Be Transparent and Disclose Vital Information: Disclose any paid endorsements and sponsorships for products and services given out on social media; in accordance with FTC guidelines. Transparency is key to promote trust between the company and our community. All vital information in relation to transparency must be disclosed. Any conflicts of interest, as it pertains to our community of sellers, must be vetted appropriately and disclosed.
- Copyrights and Permissions: Respect the laws associated with copyrights. We utilize user-generated content on our social media platforms often to spotlight our Etsy sellers; it is necessary to request permission from the original source of the content before posting. In addition, user-generated content must have the original source tagged or given proper attribution. Do not post content that isn’t developed in-house without proper permission and credit.
- Respect Privacy: We take the privacy of our community of sellers and buyers very seriously and do everything we can to respect their rights to keeping their information secure and private. Confidential and private information shall be upheld according to our Privacy Policy.
- Be Mindful and Use Common Sense: Social media has become an integrated part of the way we communicate with our customers and promote individual Etsy sellers. Therefore, it is important to communicate with our customers with respect and professionalism. Communicate kindly and thoughtfully, with intent to avoid possible miscommunications. Use common sense when replying to comments on social media and de-escalate conflicts by directing concerns offline or through private messages.
In the event of an external social media crisis:
- Utilize social listening to gather all relevant information pertaining to crisis. Establish an understanding of the cause of the event.
- Temporarily pause all outgoing social media posts until further notice.
- Initiate a plan of action to mitigate crisis. Firmly acknowledge the issue at hand and create a template response, to change as needed, for relevant comments and concerns on social media platforms.
- Follow through with plan of action to address the crisis. Respond to related matter on social media when necessary. Remember to take all complex issues off of social media platforms and to a private form of communication like email or direct messages.
- Consult all relevant departments for further action and assessment. Together, any crisis can be managed effectively and learned from.
We take pride in connecting millions of small business owners to buyers from around the world. When you are an employee of Etsy, you are dedicated to continually learning and growing to create a bigger impact on our community. Uphold these guidelines and help us create change.
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