Olivia Hartsfield

11/2/15
Marketing

Lexus Social Media Policy

Introduction
Social media has become a critical component of effective marketing. To engage
current and future Lexus customers, we must interact consistently and efficiently on
our various social media accounts, so as to create a reliable and trustworthy brand
and social media presence. This document contains the guidelines and policies for
Lexus interaction on social media, specifically Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Employees are responsible for knowing and abiding by these principles; if they do
not abide by them, the consequences stated in this policy will be implemented.

Lexus Voice

When interacting with current and potential customers on social media, we expect
Lexus employees to maintain a consistent tone. The standards for our tone is
defined in the following list:
Professional, but not snobby- We will use proper grammar in our posts
and responses; we will not use slang or acronyms (e.g. use by the way, not
btw). To avoid sounding snobby, refrain from curt or one-word responses.
Friendly, but not casual- We will engage our customers by interacting with
them and responding to their comments, but we will keep our professional
tone. Avoid words and phrases such as lol, hey, no problem, sure, etc. Refrain
from using smiley faces or multiple exclamation points.

Who Will Post

Lexus has a specific list of who can post on our social media sites. If your job
description does not fall under any of these, you should not be posting from Lexus
social media accounts.
Social Media Coordinator (SMC)- There will be one SMC who is responsible
for overseeing and maintaining Lexus social media accounts. He or she will
ultimately be in charge of delegating specific responsibilities to various
members of the Marketing Team. The SMC has the authority to approve or
reject submitted content as he or she sees fit.
Marketing Team- Because of their experience and expertise in analyzing
user needs and preferences, the Marketing Team members will be responsible
for posting content and interacting with users on Lexus Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram, and other social media sites. They will complete tasks as assigned
by the SMC.

What to Post

What we post will depend on each social media site, but there will often be overlap.
This section provides a general overview of the content we will post on our three
main accounts.

Olivia Hartsfield
11/2/15
Marketing
Facebook:
Pictures of various Lexus cars, advertising new and classic models. The
make and details about the car should be included in the pictures
description, as well as if its a limited edition vehicle.
Links to our website and/or articles regarding our products
Recent commercials and advertisements
Interactive activities, such as our recent event that allowed individuals
to submit an original design for a Lexus car
Promotional graphics that advertise current sales and discounts
Twitter:

Pictures of our various cars, advertising new and classic models

Brief versions of Facebook posts that link to our Facebook page
Retweets of celebrities and event that we support, such as Tiger
Woods and NYC Fashion Week. (For a complete list of individuals and
events that we promote, see People and Events That Are Affiliated
with Lexus.)

Instagram
Pictures of our newest cars
Pictures of concept cars
Pictures that emphasize the interior of our cars
The link to our website should be in our profiles description.
Note: All Instagram and Twitter posts should hashtag lexususa and
pursueperfection; furthermore, each picture should include a hashtag of the
specific model, as well as any other hashtags we are using at the time.

When to Post
The frequency of posts will be very different from site to site. These guidelines
encompass how often to post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, as well as when
the best times to post are.
Facebook:
1-2 times a day, between 1pm-4pm
Twitter:

At least 7 times a day, but no more than 15, between 5pm-9pm

Instagram:

Once every 3-4 days, between 8pm-11pm

Responding

How we respond to comments and posts is critical to our social media effectiveness.
To prove to our customers that we care about them, we will respond to as many
comments as we can, especially the negative ones. We will spend most of our time
responding on Facebook and Twitter, but must not neglect Instagram.

Olivia Hartsfield
11/2/15
Marketing
Negative Comments
When customers post negative comments:
Address customers by their names when possible.
Never reply with frustration or annoyance.
Never favorite or like negative posts.
Keep a professional and friendly tone, always aiming to please the customer.
Always start with an apology.
End with expressing the desire to talk further, offering a phone number or
alternative form of contact.
Below are some possible scenarios regarding negative comments.
Customer: Ive been a Lexus supporter for 20 years, but not anymore. I
recently had some issues with my tail lights, and Lexus has been anything
but helpful. Ive called numerous locations, and they still refuse to fix my
lights without charging me an arm and a leg, even though its their own fault
for making a poor-quality car.
Lexus: Peter, we apologize for any lack of assistance on our part. We want to
change that. Please private message us more details about your situation or
call 443-957-0987.

Customer: Buying a Lexus was the worst decision I ever made. Constant
mechanical issues, and theyre not even covered with my insurance package.
Dont buy a Lexus.
Lexus: Brooke, were sorry that you feel that way. We want to help however
we can. Please call 443-957-0987 or send us a private message to talk to a
local representative.

Customer: Yesterday I broke down on the side of the road, called the Lexus
hotline number right away, only to be put on hold for 20 minutes. I hung up,
tried again, and was sent to a voicemail. Youve lost a loyal supporter, Lexus.
Lexus: Mark, we apologize for the neglect you received; we want to fix that
right away. Please private message us more details about your situation or
call 443-957-0987 so we can give you the service you deserve.

Positive Comments
When customers post positive comments:
Address customers by their names when possible.
On Twitter or Facebook, favorite or like the comment.
If its a separate post on Facebook, reply with a thank you comment.
Dont reply to every positive comment on our own pictures.
Like and comment on any pictures of Lexus cars that Lexus is tagged in.
Below are some possible responses for positive comments.
Sarah, thank you for your loyalty and support. We value customers like you.
Great picture, thanks for sharing!
We are glad you are so satisfied with Lexus. Thank you for your loyalty.

Olivia Hartsfield
11/2/15
Marketing

Personal Posting

All Lexus employees will be held responsible for what they post on personal social
media accounts. Even when they are not on the clock, employees represent our
company and brand. While personal social media accounts are not strictly
monitored, they will be checked randomly.
Here are some guidelines for personal posting:
Do not promote or endorse competitors or their cars (BMW, Mercedes, etc.).
Do not post inappropriate or illegal content.
Do not complain about your job or Lexus employees.

Consequences
The following section describes the levels of consequences that could be enforced if
Lexus employees fail to abide by these principles in corporate or personal social
media posting.
Level One- An employee who receives a Level One consequence will be required to
attend a 2-hour training session that provides an in-depth description of the
principles outlined in this document. They will take a short quiz at the end of the
training to ensure they understand the contents. An employee could reach Level
One if he or she:
Posts from a Lexus social media count without permission
Fails to consistently reflect Lexuss tone
Posts mildly inappropriate content or negative comments about Lexus on a
personal social media account
Level Two- An employee who receives a Level Two consequence will have social
media privileges revoked for a temporary or permanent period of time.
An employee could reach Level Two if he or she:
Repeats any Level One offenses
Fails to respond to enough posts during his or her work shift
Responds harshly or disrespectfully to any customer
Level Three- An employee who receives a Level Three consequence will be in
danger of losing his or job with Lexus.
An employee could reach Level Three if he or she:
Repeats any Level Two offenses
Posts any inappropriate or illegal content from Lexus social media accounts
Threatens any customer or calls them names

Conclusion

Lexus strives to have an effective and engaging social media presence. We

ultimately desire to increase overall sales and customer satisfaction by presenting
Lexus as an approachable, trustworthy company on social media. As mentioned
before, all Lexus employees are responsible for knowing and abiding by these set
policies and procedures. Failure to follow these standards will result in

Olivia Hartsfield
11/2/15
Marketing
consequences and possible termination. Please direct any questions or concerns to
John Cline.