www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 1

THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles

This handbook outlines the Marine Corps’ social media 

principles – to empower Marines to participate with our 

social media community. The intent is to engage in greater 

discussion as even better communicators and improved 

representatives of our Corps. 

www.marines.mil
Commandant of the Marine Corps

Gen. Joseph F. Dunford

Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps

Sgt. Maj. Ronald L. Green

Social Media Team

Staff Sgt. Mark Fayloga

Sgt. Larry Babilya

Sgt. Lisette Leyva

Sgt. Ally Beiswanger

Cpl. Clayton Filipowicz

Lance Cpl. Julia Dagostino

Lance Cpl. Remington Hall

Cpl. Kathy Nunez

Publication Design

Bates Creative Group, LLC

Marine Corps Social Media

usmcsocialmedia@gmail.com

Marine Corps Cyber Security

HQMC_C4_SNS@usmc.mil

THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Marine Corps social media principles.................................................................................. 2

Social media for leaders .......................................................................................................... 3

To follow or not to follow?...................................................................................................................4

Additional guidance for leaders .........................................................................................................5

Personal behavior – What the Corps asks of you...............................................................6

What can I say online?..........................................................................................................................7

Be safe out there! ......................................................................................................................9

Reminders for your online behavior ...............................................................................................10

Understanding Facebook tracking and how to set privacy........................................................12

You’re the social media Marine – now what?.................................................................... 15

Professional behavior - guidance for official posts.......................................................... 16

What to consider BEFORE you become a social media site owner.........................................18

Unit social media site registration...................................................................................................19

Eight steps to setting up your official social media site............................................................. 20

Social media measurement and metrics.........................................................................................21

Set up ground rules for your fans – and for you............................................................... 22

It’s about the community...................................................................................................................23

Maintaining operations security......................................................................................... 25

Operations security policy.................................................................................................................25

Checklist for official, unclassified, publicly-available websites................................................26

Using social media for crisis communications.................................................................. 27

Social jargon .........................................................................................................................................29

Social media and families .......................................................................................................31

What can families post? ..................................................................................................................... 31

Keeping our Marines – and ourselves safe .................................................................................... 31

Operations security – isn’t this a military-only thing?................................................................32

What you can do to protect operations security ..........................................................................33

Getting personal updates about injured Marines ........................................................................35

eMarine – Family Readiness Portal.................................................................................................36

Blogging ....................................................................................................................................38

Sample Types of Blog Posts ..............................................................................................................38

Setting Up a Marine Corps Blog ......................................................................................................39

Blogging Tips .......................................................................................................................................39

15 tips to stay safe and out of trouble online.....................................................................40

Frequently asked questions..................................................................................................43

References................................................................................................................................45

TABLE OF CONTENTS

2-12

15-23

25-29

31-36

38-39

40-45
2 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 3

Throughout the Marine Corps’ history, people have discussed, debated and embraced the United States 

Marine Corps and our Marines. These discussions continue today through online conversations and 

social networks. The Corps recognizes the importance of participating in these conversations and has 

a basic set of social media principles to help empower Marines and our community to participate in the 

discussion as better communicators and improved representatives of our Corps. 

The Marine Corps must continuously innovate to communicate in media-intensive environments, to remain the nation’s force in readiness. This mission is based on the Marine Corps Vision and Strategy 2025 

and the public affairs tasks outlined in the Marine Corps Service Campaign Plan for 2009-2015. 

While building and launching a social media program or accessing a favorite social media site can sometimes be fast, easy, and inexpensive, existing rules for public affairs as well as personal conduct still apply.

The Marine Corps encourages Marines to explore and engage in social media communities at a level they 

feel comfortable with. The best advice is to approach online communication in the same way we communicate in person — by using sound judgment and common sense, adhering to the Marine Corps’ core 

values of honor, courage and commitment, following established policy, and abiding by the Uniform Code 

of Military Justice (UCMJ).

The social media principles provided in this handbook are intended to outline how our core values 

should be demonstrated, to guide Marines through the use of social media whether personally involved 

or when acting on behalf of the Marine Corps.

Marine Corps

Social Media Principles

Core values in the social media community

Achieving sustainable credibility online is guided by accepted standards that we 

live by as American service members. These values should guide participation in 

the social media process and strengthen organizational credibility.

The Marine Corps strongly adheres to our core values in the online social 

media community, and we expect the same commitment from all Marine Corps 

representatives – from Public Affairs and Marine spokespersons to the individual 

Marine. Deviation from these commitments may be subject to disciplinary review 

or other appropriate action. 
4 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Social Media for Leaders

While some may assert that social media has improved the way we connect and communicate as a 

culture, it presents dilemmas for Marine Corps leaders, ranging from being a social media “friend” of a 

subordinate to “following” those you lead. 

The point to consider, though, is that social media is about connecting. Just as Marine Corps leaders may 

interact and function in their local community alongside their Marines, similar conduct holds true for 

interacting in the same social media spaces as their subordinates. It is “how” the connections and interactions take place with subordinates that sets the tone for communication. Simply put, online Marine Corps 

relationships should function in the same manner as any professional relationship would. 

With social communication, you essentially provide a permanent record of what you say — if you 

wouldn’t say it in front of a formation, don’t say it online. If you come across evidence of a Marine violating command policy or the Uniform Code of Military Justice on social media platforms, you should 

respond in the same manner you would if you witnessed the infraction in any other environment. 

When using social media tools and platforms, everything you say and do as a leader is more visible and 

taken more seriously. As such, you have a greater responsibility to speak respectfully and intelligently 

about issues. Remember, when making statements online, you are being viewed as the authority on that 

topic and may appear to be speaking on behalf of the entire command or even as a spokesperson for the 

Corps – depending on the audience or venue. 

To follow or not to follow?

The decision of whether to “follow”or “friend” Marines under their charge on social channels 

is up to the discretion of individual Marine Corps leaders. Ultimately, it depends on how that 

leader uses social media. If the leader is using social media as a way to communicate command and unit 

information, then following members in a leader’s command is appropriate. But if the leader is using 

social media as a way to keep in touch with family and friends, it may not entirely make sense to follow 

people in their chain of command.

Self Promotion 

Using your rank, job, or responsibilities to promote yourself online, for personal 

or financial gain, is not appropriate. Such actions can damage the image of the 

Marine Corps, diminish morale, and reduce unit effectiveness. 

Paid Submissions

It is against Marine Corps regulations to accept compensation for writing official 

Marine Corps blogs. Treat requests from nongovernmental blogs for a blog post 

as a media request and coordinate with your public affairs officer.
www.MarinES.Mil THE U.S.M.C. SoCial MEdia PrinCiPlES 5

AddiTionAl guidAnce for leAders:

Listen to active audiences to determine how to best engage. The paradigm of telling everyone what they 

need to know no longer carries significant weight when communicating via social media channels — 

social media requires, and begins with, listening. If you don’t know and understand the audiences you are 

communicating with, then the interaction will be of limited value. Listening to the online community and 

complying with Department of Defense policies is paramount to communication success. 

You are key to uniting the voice of all Marines using social media speaking on behalf of your command. 

These Marines must have an accurate understanding of the information that should be communicated to 

the public in order to ensure accuracy, preserve safety, assure security, and establish credibility. 

The Corps’ actions are legitimate and, the assumption is, an informed public will agree with this principle. To strengthen this position, the Freedom of Information Act emphasizes the importance of transparency in military activities. We do not “spin” information or stories and do not condone manipulating the 

social media flow by creating posts designed to mislead followers or control a conversation. Every Web 

site, “fan page,” or other online destination managed by Marines must make that fact known to users. 

Marines and staff moderating and managing Marine Corps online presences must be authorized to track 

and monitor the activity that takes place there. Just as you grant release authority for information by 

public affairs or unit information Marines, the same authority is applicable for command personnel representing your unit through social media.

Timeliness is defined in terms of the information interests and demands of the public. Empower your 

Marines to anticipate these interests and effectively balance the timing of communications. The basic 

guidance for this concept applies: maximum disclosure, minimum delay. 

Security of operations, personnel, equipment, information, and facilities must be anticipated and evaluated before information is communicated to the public, such as: preventing the premature disclosure 

of dates, times and locations of deployments or deployed locations, and homecomings to and from the 

continental United States or ports of call. For additional details regarding making posts online about 

the Marine Corps, refer to MARADMIN 365/10 or visit the online resource “Social Media Guidance for 

Unofficial Posts” at http://www.marines.mil/omg

Privacy of individual service members must be protected. The Privacy Act of 1974 set this principle into 

law. Marines must remain conscientious with regard to any personally identifiable information that we 

collect, including how we collect, store, use, or share that information; all which should be done pursuant 

to applicable privacy policy, laws and information technology rules. 

The Marine Corps respects the rights of its Marines to use blogs and other social media tools as a form of 

self-expression, and also as a means to further explain the Marine Corps’ story. 

http://www.marines.mil/News/SocialMedia/Guidance.aspx
6 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Personal behavior – 

Whatthe Corps asks of you 

Marines are encouraged to responsibly engage in unofficial Internet posting about the Marine Corps 

and Marine Corps-related topics. The Marine Corps performs a valuable service around the world 

every day and you are often in the best position to share the Marine Corps story with people we rely on 

for mission success.

Any content about the Marine Corps or related to the Marine Corps that you personally post on any 

Internet site is considered an “unofficial internet post.” Considerations for what you post includes, but 

is not limited to, your personal comments, photographs, video, and graphics. The locations where you 

post the content can be any Internet site, to include social networking sites, blogs, forums, photo and 

video-sharing sites, and any other online locations (whether or not they are operated or controlled by the 

Marine Corps or Department of Defense).

Are you Unofficial or Official?

When you post online content that is not reviewed by any official Marine Corps 

approval process, you are making an unofficial Internet post. On the flip side, 

official Internet posts include content that is released by public affairs Marines, 

Marine Corps Community Services marketing directors, or commander’s 

designated release authorities.
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 7

What can I say online?

When expressing personal opinions, you must make clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on 

behalf of the Marine Corps. Plus, making sure the information you post about the Corps is accurate and 

appropriate isn’t enough, you should carefully consider the non-Marine related content you post, since 

the lines between your personal and professional life are easily crossed when communicating online.

Avoid offensive and inappropriate behavior that could bring discredit upon yourself and the Marine 

Corps. This means that you shouldn’t post anything that is defamatory, libelous, obscene, abusive, threatening, racially or ethnically hateful, or otherwise offensive or illegal information or material. 

Use your best judgment at all times and keep in mind how the content of your posts will reflect upon you, 

your unit, and the Marine Corps. Be aware that you lose control over basically everything you post online 

and that many social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have policies that give them ownership of all content and information posted or stored on their systems. You may have said it, but they own 

it. What happens online, stays online – and everywhere else.

You are encouraged to professionally and respectfully correct errors and misrepresentations, made by 

others, about the Marine Corps. However, remember to respond and act with your perspective, not your 

emotions, when posting content. Refer to your chain of command or public affairs for guidance if you’re 

uncertain about the need for or appropriateness of a response. 

If you decide to identify yourself as a Marine, don’t disguise, impersonate or otherwise misrepresent 

your identity or affiliation with the Marine Corps. Stating your rank or grade, billet, military occupational 

specialty or occupational series, and status (active, 

reserve, civilian, contractor) is acceptable as well. 

Posting or disclosing internal Marine Corps documents or information that the Marine Corps has not 

officially released to the public is prohibited — period. 

This policy applies no matter how a Marine comes 

into possession of a document. Some examples of 

this information are: memos, e-mails, meeting notes, 

message traffic, white papers, public affairs guidance, 

pre-decisional materials, investigatory information, and, most importantly, classified information. You 

are also prohibited from releasing Marine Corps e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, or fax numbers 

not already authorized for public release. 

Being a Marine, you are no stranger to rules and regulations. This applies to your conduct online as 

well. When making personal posts or comments, you must continue to comply with regulations and 

policies related to personal standards of conduct, operations security (OPSEC), information assurance, 

personally identifiable information (PII), Joint Ethics Regulations, foreign disclosure regulations, and 

the release of information to the public. Violations of regulations or policies may result in disciplinary 

action in accordance with the UCMJ. A list of references to polices and regulations are included at the 

end of this handbook.

Posting Tip:

You should only discuss 

Marine Corps issues related 

to your professional expertise, 

personal experiences, or 

personal knowledge. 
8 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

The Headquarters Marine Corps, Division of Public Affairs 

Trademark and Licensing office can give you more 

clarification about proper use of Marine Corps logos.

THE EAGLE, GLOBE AND ANCHOR

You may use the Eagle, Globe and Anchor; coat of arms (EGA in the center, encircled with words “United 

States – Marine Corps”); and other symbols in unofficial posts so long as the symbols are used in a manner that does not bring discredit upon the Corps, does not result in personal financial gain, or does not 

give the impression of official or implied endorsement. You can also contact your local base legal office 

for an ethics determination, if need be. Marines who violate the Marine Corps’ symbols (EGA and/or 

coat of arms) are potentially subject to legal proceedings. Along these same lines, unless you have permission from the owners, you cannot use any other organization’s words, logos or other marks that infringe 

their trademark, service mark, certification mark, or other intellectual property rights.

It’s Political

The Marine Corps encourages Marines to carry out their obligations as citizens – this includes politics. 

However, there are limitations to your political activity. You can express your political views on public issues or political candidates online, but not as part of an organized communication campaign. If your communication identifies you as a Marine you should clearly state the opinions are yours. You cannot solicit 

votes for or against a party, candidate or cause. In addition, you cannot participate in any interview or 

discussion as an advocate for or against a party, candidate or cause. You must adhere to policy in Department of Defense Directive 1344.10 when posting any political content. 

It’s against federal law for commissioned officers to communicate contemptuous words against the 

President, Vice President, Secretary of Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, or 

Governor and Legislature of any state in which he or she is located or performing duty in.

For additional guidance and information on political items of interest, review Department of Defense 

Directive 1344.10, Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces. http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134410p.pdf
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 9

Be Safe Out There!

You should always configure your privacy settings on social networking sites so only people you deem 

appropriate can view your personal information and photos. Remember, what happens online is available to everyone, everywhere. There is no assumption of privacy for you online. It doesn’t end with 

making sure you understand your basic settings. Online applications you use often have, and share, access to your personal information too: Farmville, Mafia Wars, CityVille, Pandora, SlideShare, DailyMile, 

Groupon, the Game Center, Foursquare, TweetDeck, TwitPic, the list goes on and on. Although many 

are good utilities or games, some can load viruses or even use you as an agent to gain access to your 

friends’ and family’s accounts. 

Recognize a scam when you see one. Getting fooled online happens to thousands of people every day. To 

avoid being one of those statistics, avoid anything that doesn’t initially look legit or just ‘shows up’ out of 

context. There are fake sites, inviting posts, passionate comments, and fake fan pages. You might see links 

or “Likes” of celebrity videos that, when clicked on, claim they are adding something useful to your profile page. There are myriad scams that come in the form of surveys - and the scam creator gets paid if you 

partake. If it sounds too good to be true, or simply too amazing – it probably is. Scammers know the best 

way into your profile is playing on your curiosity, emotions, or fears. To stay on top of avoiding the pitfalls 

of scammers or guarding against them, many social sites provide advice. For example, Facebook has an 

extensive library of questions and answers regarding third party applications. Searching for “Application 

security on Facebook” will yield a helpful set of detailed information.

Be extremely careful when disclosing personal details and don’t release personally identifiable information 

such as your social security number, home address or driver’s license number. Even providing your birthday 

and birthplace can give identity thieves or criminals easier access to you and your friends and family. 

Criminals use the Internet to gain information for unscrupulous activities. By piecing together information 

you provide on different websites, they can use that information to impersonate you, steal your passwords, 

steal your identity, and bring harm to you, your fellow Marines or family members. It’s your identity – 

protect it.

You should also guard against cyber criminals and attackers by following sound security procedures. Do 

not click links or open attachments unless the source can be trusted. Oftentimes, cyber criminals pretend to 

be people they are not in order to deceive you into performing actions that launch cyber attacks, download 

viruses, and install malware and spyware onto computers. Aside from damaging your personal equipment, 

consider the risk to Marine Corps missions and safety if you are responsible for allowing criminal or enemy 

access to Marine Corps computers or the Corps’ network. If you have any questions regarding online security 

issues, you can contact HQMC C4 cyber security personnel.
10 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

BE SAFE OUT THERE CONTINUED...

Consider carefully who you allow access to your social media profiles and personal information. This means, 

people you allow to be a “friend” on Facebook or add to your friends list on Foursquare, for example. This 

can also extend to who’s in your network on LinkedIn or who you follow (or follows you) on Twitter. Social 

network “friends” and “followers” may potentially constitute relationships that could affect the outcome 

of background investigations and periodic reinvestigations associated with your security clearance. Not 

everyone you know and meet is a good candidate for an online associate. 

The best way to secure your stuff is to lock the door. The same holds true to securing access to your accounts 

by always using strong passwords. To protect your online and social media accounts from getting hacked you 

should set a good, strong password that has at least 14 characters comprised of lower and upper-case letters, 

numbers, and symbols. As an added protective measure you should also frequently change your passwords. 

Social media, marketers, businesses – and the bad guys are all interested in where you are. Because of this, 

you must be aware of using the Global Positioning System and geotagging features of your devices and social 

accounts. For example, in some situations when you geotag photos and use location-based social networking 

applications (like Foursquare) the geographical location information you disclose can be devastating to 

Marine Corps operations. You should avoid tagging photos with geographical location when loading to 

photo sharing sites like Flickr and Picasa. When you’re deployed or in an operational setting or training 

location, turn off the GPS features of your electronic devices and don’t report location in social media or 

social sharing applications. Failure to do so could result in mission failure, harm to you or other Marines, 

and can put family and friends at risk.

Reminders for your online behavior

Remember, there’s a big difference between speaking “on behalf of the Marine Corps” and speaking “about” 

the Marine Corps. For every Marine, pay close attention to the following guidelines. 

There are rules

All Marines, from officers to enlisted, must adhere to Department of Defense policy, Secretary of the Navy 

Instructions, and Marine Corps Orders and Directives related to online media in every public setting. A 

guide to the most applicable references is provided at the end of this handbook.

You are responsible for your actions. 

Anything you post that can potentially tarnish the Marine Corps’ image is your responsibility. The Marine 

Corps encourages you to participate in social media, but urges you to exercise sound judgment and common 

sense. Don’t let a careless mistake or ill thought, comment, or post hamper your career or the Corps’ history 

and traditions. 

Let subject matter experts respond to negative posts. 

You may come across negative or disparaging posts about the Marine Corps or see others trying to spark 

negative conversations. Unless you are a trained and official Marine Corps online spokesperson avoid the 

temptation to react. Refer the posts or links to the conversation to your public affairs office.

12 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Protect Your Facebook Account

The best way to protect your privacy and prevent 

Internet related crimes like identity theft on Facebook 

is by maintaining your privacy settings.

Ways Facebook Can Track You

With the use of the social networking site’s social plug-ins, 

Facebook learns what websites you visit while you’re logged 

into Facebook. Additionally, Facebook, as with other websites 

that employ the use of “cookies” can also continue to keep a 

record of your activity even after you are logged out while you 

are offline.

Social plug-ins, that allow you to see which of your friends have 

also visited the same website, create what Facebook hopes will 

be a more socially interactive and personalized experience 

for their users. Although you may have been informed about 

this type of data collection up front, you might not have paid 

attention to the fine print and are unaware you’re being tracked.

One third of Facebook’s traffic is created by mobile users. With 

that in mind, Facebook launched a GPS-based application called 

Facebook “Places” that allows users to virtually “check in” to 

various locations like restaurants, shops, or other venues via a 

mobile phone.

Facebook Places is potentially dangerous since any “Friends” can 

check anyone else into a location — unless the setting is disabled.

To disable the “check-in” setting:

• Log into your Facebook account and click on the drop down 

arrow located on the upper right hand corner of your screen.

• Drop down on the list and click “Privacy Settings.” 

• Under the “How Tags Work” section, click “Edit Settings” 

and then turn off the link that states “Friends Can Check You 

Into Places.” A new pop-up page will appear. 

• Choose the drop down selection item for “Disabled” next to 

the text that states “Friends can check you in using the old 

mobile places app.”

• Click the “Okay” button to apply.

To disable Facebook Places on your mobile device to prevent 

people from checking into your personal locations, navigate to 

the options setting on your cell phone and uncheck “Share my 

location with Facebook.”

Controlling Privacy While Using Apps, 

games and websites

By way of apps, games and web surfing, third parties can 

access information about Facebook users. In the past, these 

third parties had the ability to collect any information that 

users granted them access to in their profiles. More recently, 

however, Facebook has added a feature in which third-party 

developers can also access users’ contact information (including 

current addresses and mobile phone numbers), a power not 

previously granted. Facebook users may unknowingly opt-in to 

this feature when they allow apps to access their information 

via the Request for Permission window.

To protect your privacy while using apps, games and other 

websites, follow these steps:

1. Log into your Facebook account and click on the drop down 

arrow located on the upper right hand corner of your screen.

2. Click “Account Settings.” 

3. Select the “Apps” item from the left hand column on the page. 

The “App Settings” page should be shown on the right. By default, 

applications on Facebook have access to your friends list and any 

other information you have chosen to share with everyone. On 

this page, you’ll want to make some significant changes.

4. The page shows all the apps you have authorized to interact 

with your Facebook account. Click the “x” on the right side of your 

screen to delete any unwanted apps that you may no longer use. 

Click “Remove” on the popup window that appears to apply. If a 

second pop-up window appears to confirm, click “Okay.” Continue 

this step for all other apps that you want to delete. Tip: Facebook 

does not actually guarantee that information you’ve already shared 

with a third party will be deleted. Instead, they recommend that users 

contact the application developers directly.

5. For the apps you want to keep and to choose who can see your 

app posts and activity click the “Edit” link next to each app. A 

list of profile information that the app has access to appears. 

You will notice that most apps have access to a tremendous 

Understanding Facebook Tracking and How to Set Privacy
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 13

amount of your information. If you are uncomfortable with 

these settings, click “Remove app” at the top of this list, click 

“Remove” on the pop-up window, and then click “Okay” to 

confirm. Otherwise, look for the label “App activity privacy.” 

6. Next to the activity privacy label choose the drop down list 

and select the level of privacy you want. The most restrictive 

default level is “Friends except acquaintances” the least 

is “public” which shares your app activity with anyone on 

Facebook. If you want to remove all app activity view options, 

choose the “custom” list item then select “Only Me” from the 

list of people to make the app visible to.

7. Once you’ve completed all the app settings, click “Close” to 

return to the full app list. Continue this step for all other apps 

that you want to examine.

8. After completing the account settings for apps, navigate to 

your privacy settings and select the link for “Apps and Websites” 

and click on “Edit Settings.”

9. From here, there are more options to control your privacy, 

the first of which is “How people bring your info to apps they 

use.” Click on the “Edit Settings” button. 

10. On the resulting pop up window you can determine what 

information of yours your friends can also share. This means 

that if you share something on Facebook, anyone who can see it 

can share it with others, including the games, applications, and 

websites they use. You can find out more detailed information 

on the categories of shareable information at http://www.

facebook.com/about/privacy/your-info-on-other#friendsapps

11. After making your category choices, click on “Save Changes” 

then “Okay.”

12. Last but not least, under the “Public search” section, click 

“Edit settings” on the right side of your screen. A new page will 

open. Uncheck “Enable public search” to keep your profile out 

of Facebook’s search engine.

13. Click “Back to apps” to return to the previous page.

Changing the past

If you have ever shared something with all your friends, then 

later wished you could limit who could see it, Facebook also 

provides an option to change the audience for something after 

you post it, much the same way as the settings occur as with 

apps outlined above.

To enable this feature, navigate to your privacy settings and 

choose the option to “Limit the Audience for Past Posts” by 

clicking on the link labeled “Manage Past Post Visibility.” This 

will turn the option on for all your previous posts and allow you 

to custom select the type of audience (Friends, Friends except 

acquaintances, etc.) for each.

Reviewing your photo tags

From the “How Tags Work” section within your privacy 

settings you can turn on (or off ) the “Tag Review” option. 

Turning this option on allows you to review tags friends add to 

your content before the tags appear on Facebook. Plus, when 

someone who you’re not friends with adds a tag to one of your 

posts you’ll always be asked to review it. When you approve a 

tag, the person that is tagged and their friends can see your post.

------------------------

Remember: It’s important to check your privacy settings for 

apps, games and websites fairly often, as you may grant access 

to your information to new applications without even realizing 

it. There is also the potential for Facebook to change your 

settings back to the default for privacy or security when they 

add new security features.

Some excerpts provided by 2011 Guide to Facebook Privacy, http://

www.myid.com
14 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 15

You’rethe Social Media

Marine – nowwhat? 

If you hold a public affairs occupational specialty or are assigned to official unit information duties, you 

are usually the “go-to expert” when it comes to social media. Personnel assigned to Marine Corps Community Service organizations play an important role in social media production as well. Regardless of 

how you were chosen, what your background is, or even how much you know about the field of social 

media, everyone who represents the Corps in social communications has a unique opportunity to provide 

an inside perspective to the Marine Corps’ reputation online and to engage in potentially thousands of 

online conversations about the Marine Corps every day. It truly is a great opportunity and puts you at the 

forefront of telling the Corps’ interesting story.

With the assignment to managing and conducting social media on behalf of the Marine Corps, you must 

remember: everything you do balances on public trust — this is the foundation upon which the success of 

public affairs and social media is built. Trust must be given freely, it cannot be mandated. 

As part of your duties, you will actively engage the public, ensuring that you consider and promote unity 

of voice, freedom of information, timeliness, and accuracy while maintaining security, and privacy. 
16 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Professional Behavior - 

Guidancefor Official Posts

Marine Corps units and organizations, Commanders, Public Affairs Marines, subject matter experts, 

and individual Marines engaging social media should use their best judgment when posting and responding to topics on social media sites. To help outline that judgment, keep in mind some basic pointers when interacting online:

• You are the Marine Corps. As a Marine, it is important that official posts convey the same journalistic excellence the Marine Corps instills in all of its communicators and public affairs professionals. 

Be respectful of all individuals, races, religions and cultures; your conduct is a direct reflection on the 

Marine Corps. When you are communicating on behalf of the Corps to the recipient, you embody what 

the Marine Corps is all about. 

• Get approved. Have a method in place to ensure there is a thorough content review before posting – 

conduct a security review, being mindful of OPSEC and foreign disclosure directives, for official use 

only information, and content subject to the Freedom Of Information Act. All your posts and comments 

should still follow the basic guidelines for information release: all content protects security, is accurate, 

is proper, and complies with all applicable policy. Nobody is perfect - making sure the content workflow 

or review process is in place up front reduces the chance of errors or faulty posts down the road.

• Provide meaningful content. If your complete thought, along with its context, cannot be squeezed into 

a character-restricted space (such as Twitter), then provide a link to an online location where you can 

express it completely and accurately. If you loose the reader through confusing communication, you’ll 

never be able to explain a thought or concept about the Marine Corps or the Corps’ position on a topic. 

• Respond to all necessary topics and comments. This is an opportunity to leverage social tools for 

what they are – a means of communication. Avoid the tendency to defend and protect every comment 

made, though. Given time, social networks normally self-correct negative comments, posts or misinformation. If an official position or expert opinion is required – that’s your cue to join in. Replace errors or 

misrepresentations of the Corps with fact, not argument.

• What happens online... is permanent. This may be nice if leaving your memoirs for posterity, but it 

is more ominous than that — anything you write online will never disappear. Take great care in what 

you do or say online. Aside from being published, and essentially part of a permanent record — even 

if you “remove” or “delete” it later or attempt to make it anonymous, the information is released and 

distributed at high velocity. Information, pictures or details you post, a reposting of your comments, or 

information about the Marine Corps posted by others is also permanent and most likely forever beyond 

your control to remove.

• Negative comments will happen. An open forum comes with certain risk of negativity and to shy from 

it may tarnish your credibility. Don’t join in with an emotional or passionate rant or response, though. 

What you say and how you respond should be reviewed and approved to ensure you accurately express 

the Corps’ position without editorializing or straying from the facts. 
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 17

• Allow your fans to fight for what they believe in. Fans are not the official Corps’ responders. However, they carry with them a different level of credibility and garner trust from the community in their 

own right. Let them respond, vent, praise, pontificate, comment and discuss. This is what social media 

does best – it connects people and ideas. 

• Give fans and followers consideration. You should only delete or block comments, or ban users 

when there is a clear pattern of malicious, derogatory behavior or when those users are in violation of 

the terms of participation and use of your site. Hate speech, online attacks, bullying, and inappropriate 

behavior should be spelled out in your terms of use. Most social users understand the rules of the road. 

Generally speaking, the fan base is looking to you to make sure everyone behaves. If they aren’t breaking 

the rules, let them communicate. 

• Stay in your lane. Do not comment on what you do not know. Always gather the facts, know the rules, 

understand the audience, and be familiar with the medium through which you are communicating.

• Keep records. If you manage a Marine Corps social media presence, then you need to keep records of 

your online interactions and conversations. Official Marine Corps statements may be held to the same 

legal standards as traditional media communications. The types of records to keep include any direct, 

online dialogue FROM the Marine Corps. You don’t need to capture all the inbound or user generated 

content, but you should be keeping track of what you say and produce. Your Twitter feed, Facebook 

posts, replies to comments, blog posts, and responses to queries are all examples of communications to 

keep on file.

• Don’t violate others. DO NOT claim to have authored something that is not yours. If you are using or 

referring to someone else’s content, credit them for it in your post and ask them if you can use their content. Do not use copyrights, trademarks, publicity rights, or other rights of others without the necessary 

permissions from the owners.

• Don’t overdo it. Closely monitor all your discussion threads or comment responses but don’t 

over moderate. 

• Play by the rules. Follow all applicable Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, and Marine 

Corps rules and regulations with regard to social media, OPSEC, PII, information release, information 

assurance, foreign disclosure, internet use, ethics, freedom of information, politics and public affairs.
18 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

What to consider BEFORE you become 

a social media site owner

How are you going to pull this off? 

Identify who will be your social media managers, who will post, who will moderate, who will manage the 

community, what metrics to track, how often and when to post, the types of content you plan to share, 

etc. Make sure you have contingency plans in place to allow for others to cover established duties. There 

are myriad resources online that offer advice on this topic. A lot can be done with very few staff – as long 

as you plan adequately.

Why are you doing this? 

What do you want to achieve? What do you plan to communicate? Are you planning on distributing 

command information, connecting to a community, building esprit de corps? The list will depend on 

your circumstances but you should define the goals up front so you have a road map to follow – or at 

least start with.

Who are you talking with? 

Identify the audience you intend to communicate with. This can include Marines, Marine Corps families, 

Veterans, civilians, and the general public. Don’t forget, your audience will still touch those you may not 

have specifically planned on such as your stakeholders, elected officials, community leaders, and adversaries or enemies. 

You have to review the policy – really. 

Before you get started with social media, it’s important to understand Marine Corps social media policy. 

Marine Corps social media resources can be found at: http://www.marines.mil/socialmedia. 

Pick and choose where to post, wisely. 

Identify the social media platforms that will be best suited for the needs of your organization. Not all platforms will work for some, so make sure you understand what can be achieved with each. Look at what 

other organizations are doing to get ideas. You don’t necessarily have to be on Facebook AND Twitter 

AND YouTube. Where you decide to communicate is a function of whom you’re talking with and how 

many you have to accomplish your plan.

Draft your content strategy. 

After identifying your audiences and selecting the platforms, draft a posting strategy. This helps refine 

your organization’s social media goals. 

Develop your own rules and training. 

You and your team will be responsible for developing organization-specific social media policies or procedures, such as additional posting and commenting policies. Also make sure to develop training materials to help educate and train individuals in your command about social media, online protection, and the 

proper use of the social space. 

20 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Eight steps to setting up your official 

social media site: 

1. Approval from you Commanding Officer or Public Affairs Officer. The release authority must approve 

an official social media site before it can be registered. 

2. Be an authentic military source. The point of contact setting up and registering the site must have a 

valid “.mil” email address when submitting for approval. 

3. Your social media site must relate to an official Marine Corps website. Social media communications 

are based on an official military reference. This should be your command’s website, your higher headquarters site, or Marines.mil if your organization does not have a website.

4. Posted disclaimers. The disclaimer identifies the page as an official Marine Corps social media presence and disclaims any endorsement. This keeps everything above board for your community, you, 

and your social media host. 

Sample Disclaimer: This is an official Marine Corps page. However, the 

appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. Marine 

Corps. The U.S. Marine Corps does not exercise any editorial control over 

the information you may find at linked locations. 

5. Identify your site as “official.” One of the keys to social media is transparency – to build trust and let 

your fans know with whom they are dealing. If you’re a site that represents recruiting efforts, for 

example, identify the site as such. You also need to let the fans know that the site is official, so they 

understand that what you post there is done with an assumption of authority. A convenient place for 

one of the official markings is on the left hand info icon (tab) in Facebook or directly in your profile 

description on Twitter. 

6. Official sites should be open to the public. “Private” Facebook groups won’t be considered for listing 

on the Marine Corps’s social media directory. 

7. Sites should be labeled on Facebook as “Organization-Government.” The use of any category or type 

other than a Government Fan page violates the government’s terms of service agreement with Facebook. Make sure YouTube channels are set up as a government presence as well.

8. Set the default view of your Facebook wall to show only posts from your organization. Setting the 

default to show only your posts does not limit fan activity, rather it helps guide the conversation. Fans 

can still see their Friends activity or all posts on the fan site by choosing the related links for those 

items from the Facebook wall.
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 21

Social Media Measurement and Metrics 

Social media measurement is about more than just numbers. It’s about trends and human feedback. Sites 

like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube allow for administrators to track views, impressions, and 

comments. Many social sites provide their own analytics as well. And, there are third party vendors that 

offer metrics and social media monitoring tools. 

By using all the data these various options offer, in conjunction with comments and reader feedback, it’s 

easier to determine how organizational messages are received and how the community is responding to 

the content. Using the analytics tools of each platform can help a unit demonstrate the usefulness of a 

social media platform, and even highlight the success of a specific social media campaign. 

There are a few Corps wide agreements, and other military services using various monitoring applications that you may be eligible to use or integrate with. To find out more, visit the Marine Corps’ Social 

Media page (http://www.marines.mil/socialmedia) or contact the Marine Corps Production Directorate, 

Social Media team for more details (marines@afn.dma.mil).

Facebook Insights: measurements of details that give Facebook site owners and 

administrators the ability to understand and analyze trends for their user growth and 

demographics, consumption of content, community involvement, and creation of content 

so they are better equipped to improve and manage the online community.

Feedback percentage: a measurement of Facebook comments and likes, computed as: 

(comments + likes)/Impressions. It does not account for other user actions such as video 

plays and link clicks. This is one method of determining what types of posts and content 

Facebook fans find useful.

Facebook Interactions: a collection of specific trends available on Facebook Insights 

that includes measurement of your comments, wall posts, and likes. The totals provided 

through interactions helps you to understand how effective your posts and content are, 

in engaging your audience.

YouTube: Channel views and Upload views: Chanel views represent the volume of visits to 

a specific YouTube channel page (i.e. http://YouTube.com/Marines). Upload views is the 

actual total number of views for all uploaded videos by a user or account. For example, 

the Marines channel video “Making Marines - A Drill Instructor Story” has more than 

200,000 upload views.)

Unique page view: commonly tracked statistic to log the number of different visitors a 

website receives in a given time period.
22 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Set up ground rules for

your fans – and for you

If you are going to hold fans accountable for their actions, you need to spell out what your expectations 

are and how you intend to interact as well. A good way to do this is posting a policy statement on any social networking sites where you host content. To be considered an official Marine Corps social media site, 

you must post the following terms of use on each social media site you establish. 

Terms of use for Marine Corps social media Websites

It is the Marine Corps’ goal to provide information and news about the Corps as well as an open forum for 

discussion about Marine Corps related topics. 

Opinions and feedback on social media sites are welcome so long as they are presented in an objective and 

respectful way that allows for a continued information relationship.

While these sites provide an open forum, they are intended to maintain respect for those who participate (i.e. 

family-friendly). Please keep your comments clean. 

Participants are asked to follow our posting guidelines below. Violation of the guidelines below may result in 

your post being removed.

Posting Guidelines

• We do not under any circumstance allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racial comments or submissions nor 

do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization. 

• We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, 

commercial or non-governmental agency. Similarly, we do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any 

financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. 

• We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity. 

• The appearance of external links on the site does not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. 

Marine Corps or Department of Defense.

• Participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any 

information provided. 

Make sure you understand, abide by, and monitor your site for compliance with the items listed above. It 

is a great way to ensure a solid standard of conduct for you and your users. Keep in mind that your users 

and fans won’t be taking a break for the weekend. Weekend activity on Facebook is sometimes busier 

than during weekdays, so monitor your wall every day, even after hours on weekends and holidays.

Aside from removing posts or users who violate the rules, by keeping an eye on your wall, comments, or 

feedback gives you a good gauge for what your online community wants to hear about. 
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 23

It’s about the community

The temptation is to send out command messages and organizational information, but it’s also good to 

keep the page entertaining enough for people to want to follow it. Don’t fall into the trap of talking at 

your audience. This type of communication is a conversation, not a speech.

Ask your audience for feedback and suggestions; then act on that feedback. Being social accomplishes 

little if your audience is not interested in what’s being said. Listening to your audience can mean the 

difference between maintaining a successful social media presence or an irrelevant one. Take the time to 

respond to questions; your community will value the interaction. 

A static social media presence is ineffective. Static pages are boring and visitors to the page lose interest 

quickly. People won’t continue to visit a rarely updated page. 

Keep in mind, a large social media following doesn’t happen overnight, so relax and execute your social 

media strategy. The better you are at providing good information and engaging your audience, the faster 

your following will grow.

Tell people that you’re out there. Attach links to your social media sites at the 

bottom of your press releases, in the signature block of your official emails, on 

your business cards, and so on. Good, old-fashioned content promotion helps 

spread the word about what you have to offer – and helps your community grow. 

Connections: When someone expresses an interest in your online presence, then take the next 

step to have a relationship where they can be part of the conversation, they are counted as a 

connection. Some examples of typical social networking connections are:

 Subscribers – those who sign up for your channel on YouTube

 Fans – people who opt to join your community on Facebook

 Followers – community of users who decide to keep track of your presence on Twitter

Likes: When “Liking” a page on Facebook you decide to connect to that page. The benefit from 

liking a page allows you to have news provided from the page into your Facebook News Feed – it 

also allows your friends on Facebook to see that you are a fan of that page or site. On the other 

hand, when you click the (Insert the “Like” button icon graphic here) button on a piece of content, 

you are that specific post, comment or topics as something you are interested in. You can “like” 

content without leaving a comment.

Retweet: Information on Twitter that people find interesting generates buzz. One of the ways 

Twitter users share content they find useful is by resending Tweets others have posted. Re-sending 

a Tweets is called Retweet. This process also increases other’s awareness of different communities, 

interests and popular trends online or in the news. Being retweeted or reciprocating other fellow 

Twitter user’s Tweets is one of the most important ways to achieve value on Twitter.
24 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 25

Maintaining Operations

Security

Social media is a quickly evolving means of distributing information. Exploiting communications is a 

relatively inexpensive and largely effective way for our enemy to take advantage of any chance they have 

to do harm, wreak havoc, infiltrate systems, and so on. Because of this, it is vital that you understand what 

“critical information” is and how it can lead our adversaries on a path to their target. You, your fellow Marines, civilian Marines, and family members must understand the risks involved with sharing personally 

identifiable information, unit locations, deployment dates, or equipment specifications and capabilities. 

Just sharing what you might consider to be trivial information on Facebook, Twitter, discussion threads, 

or blogs can be pieced together by America’s enemies who scour social outlets. Keep in mind, sharing 

seemingly harmless information online can be dangerous to loved ones and your fellow Marines — and 

may even get them killed.

Our adversaries - Al Qaeda, domestic terrorists, and criminals for instance - have made it clear they are 

looking at our content. It is everyone’s responsibility to understand, share, and communicate the risks 

associated with the improper use of online communications or social media outlets.

Operations Security Policy

In order to abide by the rules, you have to understand what and why they were written. In this case, the 

best way to stay safe and know how to protect operations security is to review the Marine Corps Operations Security Program. 

For Marine Corps online content, paragraph 6 of Marine Corps Order 3070.2 (the Marine Corps Operations Security Program), provides guidance regarding unclassified, publicly available websites. The Order 

also defines, in great detail, what the Operations Security (OPSEC) process is and outlines a great collection of what constitutes critical information. 

Through the information you distribute online, you can pave the quickest way for the bad guys to do their job. 

To set up some basic online protection, use the following checklist to get a handle on OPSEC.

The Social Side of OPSEC

Connect: www.facebook.com/NavalOPSEC

Stay Informed: twitter.com/#!/navalOPSEC

Get Trained: cdsetrain.dtic.mil/opsec, and www.iad.gov/ioss

Make a Plan – Army OPSEC Planner’s Course: www.1stiocmd.army.mil/Home/iotraining
26 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Checklist for Official Unclassified, Publicly 

Available Websites:

 Designate members of your unit to be responsible for posting content to your official unclassified, 

publicly available websites include your YouTube, Flickr and Blog sites. Make certain all of those assigned 

received OPSEC training.

 Your command has someone assigned as the OPSEC Officer. Ensure the OPSEC Officer reviews your 

command’s Web site to ensure no critical information is published through the information, graphics, or 

photographs you post.

 Make sure all content for your site is approved by your commander or your release authority (Public 

Affairs Officer, Unit Information Officer, etc). This includes making sure all content is posted in accordance with Public Affairs guidance and the OPSEC program.

 Monitor your Facebook wall and comments posted to your YouTube, Flickr and Blog presences. Make 

sure external social media users are not posting sensitive information on your official presence. Remove all 

posts that contain sensitive or critical information or break the published rules for posting on your platform.

 Screen official unclassified, publicly available websites and make sure to remove family member information from online biographies.

 Ensure the only type of contact information listed is in the form of organizational charts, directories, 

or general telephone numbers for commonly requested resources, services and contacts — without individual’s names shown. DO NOT POST DUTY ROSTERS OR DETAILED ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS 

WITH NAMES, EMAILS, PERSONAL PHONE NUMBERS, ETC. The only names, phone numbers, or 

personalized, official e-mail addresses that can be shown are for command or unit public affairs personnel and those designated by the commander as command spokespersons.

 All biographies published on publicly accessible websites must be screened to make sure they don’t 

contain any date of birth, current residential location, or any information about family members.

 Produce training materials and conduct regular social media OPSEC training within your unit and 

other units in your organization.

 Provide social media OPSEC training to the families of your Marines. It’s important to keep them just 

as informed and up-to-date as the Marines in your unit. 

 Be vigilant. Continuously review your social media and websites for OPSEC indicators or violations. 
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 27

Using Social Media

for Crisis Communications

Communicating during a crisis is one of the most important things Public Affairs Marines can do to 

ensure public awareness and to be able to coordinate the proper resources to help with the crisis. Social 

media channels are an excellent capability due to their speed, reach, and direct access to all the audiences 

involved. Your social channels and those used by others can help distribute relevant command information to key audiences and the media while also providing a means for dialogue among the affected and 

interested parties. Public Affairs and Command designated personnel are the de facto lead when it comes 

to establishing valid crisis communication efforts. Facilitating this flow of information through social 

channels will help avoid erroneous, misleading or misguided content.

The time to set up the communication network, however, is not during the crisis or time of need. Plan 

ahead and be consistent during the crisis. Some suggestions are provided below to keep you on track:

be the trusted source.

The best course of action is to leverage already existing online communication channels and social networks. It is important to send the most current, official Marine Corps updates to key audiences before a 

crisis hits so people know where to find you online, and trust the information they receive. 

Monitor content posted by users 

Regularly monitor social media sites so that you understand what information the audience or community is asking for. Answer their questions as often and as best as possible, with timely responses to ensure 

the audience knows they are being heard and that the Corps is working to ensure they are kept in the loop 

during the crisis. You should also use search engines and other monitoring tools to track discussion on 

the topic. Keeping yourself and your community up to date goes a long way in ensuring you can rapidly 

respond where and when needed the most.

Post cleared information as it comes in 

When a crisis hits, there’s no need to wait for a formal press release. When you have solid information 

that the audience needs to know, post it. Playing it too cautious and waiting for everything to play out 

could damage your unit’s credibility. 

Stay mobile 

Keep social media content up to date by using mobile devices. A crisis can occur at any time, so be prepared. Coordinate with your information technology personnel to ensure you are able to access social 

media sites through your (issued) mobile device. You should also have a commercially available back-up 

prepared, such as a midi or other wireless access device. Keep your social media account access information on hand. Also ensure you have all the cords, connectors, and power solutions you’ll need to operate 

from remote or on-scene locations. 
28 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

CRISIS COMMUNICATIONS CONTINUED...

Share information 

Share critical information with a network of trusted social media sites, such as the Marine Corps’ official 

Facebook page ( http//www.facebook.com/Marines) and other Marine Corps command, government, 

and official nongovernmental sites, like the American Red Cross. The social media community is large 

and it’s possible to reach a lot of people through an extended network in the social media space. 

Promote social media presences. 

Make sure to promote your social media presences on all your outgoing press releases, e-mail signatures, 

links on your Command and unit Web pages, and in conversations with reporters. Your social media 

presence isn’t helpful if people don’t know about it. Make sure the public knows that your social media 

presences are a good and trustworthy resource for information. 

Encourage people on the scene to send info 

Let people on the scene know they can help. They can do so by using their personal accounts to 

communicate the command information or feed you information to post on official command sites. 

No matter how the information is submitted, the command site should always promote this timely 

content, when appropriate.

Analyze results 

Once the crisis is over, analyze what happened. Evaluate metrics and track user feedback. It’s important to evaluate how your social media capabilities perform during a crisis so adjustments can be made 

for the future. 

What to do

OPSEC breach, spill or compromise: If you think operations security is in danger or at 

risk, call your OPSEC program manager, local Security Manager or Command Operations 

Center. Any military installation security management office should be able to direct your 

inquiry, in the case of serious security issues or concerns.

Crisis Situation:

If the potential crisis is a local issue, contact the local authorities. For military concerns, 

contact the nearest operations center or public affairs office. There’s also the option to 

leverage social media to make notification as well – through the local unit Facebook page, 

Twitter or Official Marine Corps Facebook page.

Public Affairs Directory: www.marines.mil/publicaffairs

Marines Official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Marines
Social Jargon

What is...

Crowdsourcing: The practice whereby an organization motivates a variety of freelancers, paid 

or unpaid, to work on a specific task or problem. Closer to home, crowdsourcing has been used 

to identify counter-measures for enemy weapons, locate defective batches of ammunition, or 

even by search giant Google to help solve complex updates for a portion of its search algorithm. 

Metadata: Information that supports or describes a particular item or topic. This information 

(data) can include titles, descriptions, tags, and captions that describe a media item such as a 

document, file, video, photo, or blog post. For example, metadata on a document might be the 

title, subject, and author whereas descriptive metadata on a computer file can include file size, 

the date it was created, and file type. 

Hash tag: The # symbol plus a string of text, used to mark keywords or topics in a Tweet. Twitter 

users created the tag option as a way to categorize messages. For example, people often use a 

hashtag like #MilitaryMonday to aggregate, organize and discover relevant posts that pay tribute 

to our troops each week on Twitter. Clicking on a hashtagged word in any message shows you all 

other Tweets in that category. Try it out on Twitter using the tag #Marines 

Podcast: A digital file (usually audio, but sometimes video) made available for download to a 

portable device or personal computer for playback. This can also represent a topic or syndicated 

show that comprises several episodes. A podcast uses a “feed” that lets you subscribe. When a 

new audio clip is published online you are notified, or your device that is set up to subscribe to 

the feed is updated. The Marine Corps maintains video and audio news, and content podcasts 

-- available free for download on iTunes.

RSS feed: RSS (Really Simple Syndication), sometimes called web feeds, is a standardized method 

to deliver online content. Feeds are offered from a variety of sources such as blog entries, news 

stories, headlines, or images enabling readers to stay current with favorite or required updates, 

without having to browse or directly visit a Web site. There are many feeds available for those 

interested in the Marine Corps, ranging from news and video to MARADMIN messages and policy 

directives, magazine articles, and blog posts. To subscribe to a Marine Corps RSS feed, visit http://

www.marines.mil/feeds.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The process of arranging your website to give it the best 

chance of appearing near the top of search engine rankings. As an Internet marketing strategy, 

SEO considers how search engines work and what people search for. 

Tweet up: An organized or impromptu gathering of people who use Twitter. Users often include 

a hashtag, such as #tweetup or #sftweetup, when publicizing a local tweetup event. NASA, 

for example, uses periodic Tweetups to provide their followers an opportunity to go behindthe-scenes at NASA facilities and events, and speak with scientists, engineers, astronauts and 

managers. Their Tweetups range from two hours to two days in length and include a “meet and 

greet” session for participants to mingle with other interested Twitter users and the people behind 

NASA’s Twitter feeds.

Web analytics: The measurement, collection, analysis and reporting of Internet data for the 

purpose of understanding who your visitors are and optimizing your website.
30 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 31

Social Media and Families

Social media is an important tool that can keep families and Marines connected. Family Readiness Offices 

currently offer a wide variety of information for families. Ultimately, social media is helping to keep families connected; this is vitally important to unit well being. 

What can families post? 

• Pride and support for service, units, specialties, and service members

• Generalizations about service or duty 

• General status of the location of a unit (“operating in southern Afghanistan” as opposed to 

“operating in the village of Hajano Kali in Arghandab district in southern Afghanistan”) 

• Links to published articles about the unit or service member 

• Information in the public domain so long as it doesn’t violate privacy of others or doesn’t 

compromise operations security.

Keeping our Marines – and ourselves safe

There are terrific opportunities in online communities to connect with Marines who are deployed, communicate about Marines who are fighting for our Nation, and express pride in loved ones who are serving 

in the Corps. The downside is that there are now more opportunities than ever to unknowingly put ourselves and our Marines in harm’s way through what might seem to be innocent discussions on Facebook 

or other online social outlets.

Facebook brings command information to the family through a medium that they already use - which 

is why it works so well. On that particular platform, you can see your grandma’s updates, your sister-inlaw’s kid’s pictures, and get an update on how your son is doing while deployed with the Marine Expeditionary Unit, all in one place. The trouble is, others can gain access to this same content – all in one place 

too. Those “others” aren’t looking to join in the discussion, though, they are looking for ways to compromise Marines and detract or destroy military success. One way they do this is by harming those that the 

Marines rely on – their families. They may also use the information you post to locate and injure Marines. 

Other nefarious uses include stealing your identity, using the information to infiltrate government networks, or other forms of illegal or dangerous actions.

Facebook is not considered a family readiness tool for Family Readiness Officers or unit personnel. The 

platform is a good way to communicate and hold open discussions, but it is far too open a forum to share 

and discuss specific details about where Marines are located, who they are, who their family members 

are, when and where a unit will be pulling into port, when Marines are returning from deployment, etc. 

This platform is however, one you can leverage for outreach to the community of family and friends interested in your unit.

Pay close attention to what is being talked about and avoid restating what looks 

like it might be unsafe for families or Marines. If someone appears to be talking 

about topics that shouldn’t be shared, a courteous post reminding them of 

operations security might serve as a helpful reminder to them and for others to 

remember safety considerations.
32 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

Operations Security for Marines or families – 

isn’t this a military-only thing?

The Marine Corps could not do our jobs without the support and concern of family members and the 

military community. You may not know it, but you also play a crucial role in ensuring your loved ones’ 

safety just by what you know of the military’s day-to-day operations. You can protect your loved ones 

by protecting the information that you know. This is known in the military as, “Operations Security,” 

or OPSEC. 

What is OPSEC? 

OPSEC is keeping potential adversaries from discovering critical Department Of Defense information. 

As the name suggests, it protects US operations - planned, in progress, and those completed. Success 

depends on secrecy and surprise, so the military can accomplish the mission more quickly and with less 

risk. Enemies of freedom want this information, and they are not just after the military member to get it. 

They want you, the family member. 

Unofficial Websites 

The posting of pictures and information that is pertinent to your loved one’s military unit to personal or family websites has the potential to jeopardize their safety and that of the entire unit. 

Coordinate with your unit’s Family Readiness Officer to have pictures screened so they can be posted to 

the “Official” unit Family Readiness website. This will ensure that you contribute to OPSEC and keep the 

force safe.

What Information is Sensitive?

The following list provides examples of sensitive or critical information that may help you in defining 

how to communicate safely. There are many more examples, but the list below gives a good baseline of 

what to avoid posting:

• Detailed information about the mission of assigned units.

• Details concerning locations and times of unit deployments.

• Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (e.g., pay information, power of attorney, wills, or 

deployment information).

• References to trends in unit morale or personnel problems.

• Details concerning security procedures.

Talking about or sharing minor or casual details of unit or Marine information may seem insignificant. 

However, to a trained adversary, this information contains small pieces of a puzzle that highlight what 

U.S. forces are doing and planning. Remember, the elements of security and surprise are vital to the protection of Department of Defense personnel, and to the accomplishment of U.S. goals.

Where and how you discuss sensitive information is just as important as with whom you discuss it. An 

adversary’s agents tasked with collecting information will frequently visit some of the same stores, clubs, 

recreational areas, or places of worship that you do. They can also easily collect data from cordless and cellular phones and even baby monitors using inexpensive receivers available from local electronics stores.

If anyone, especially a foreign national, persistently seeks information from you, notify your military sponsor immediately.
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 33

What you can do to protect operations security

There are many countries, organizations, and individuals that would like to harm Americans and degrade 

U.S. influence in the world. It is possible for spouses and family members of U.S. military personnel to be 

targeted by these entities for intelligence collection. This is true in the United States, and especially true 

overseas. To stay safe from wrongdoers, keep in mind some of the following tips: 

Be Alert

Foreign Governments and organizations can collect significant amounts of useful information by using spies. 

A foreign agent may use a variety of approaches to befriend someone and get sensitive information. This sensitive information can be critical to the success of a terrorist or spy, and consequently deadly to Americans.

Be Careful

There may be times when Marines cannot talk about the specifics of their jobs. It is very important to 

conceal and protect certain information such as flight schedules, ship movements, temporary duty locations 

and installation activities, just to name a few. Something as simple as a phone discussion concerning where 

a Marine is going on temporary duty or deploying to can be very useful to adversaries. Do not post details 

about troop movement, missions, logistics, numbers, locations, or homecoming dates whether or not your 

Marine is deployed. Also, avoid posting specific details about your Marine’s job or occupational specialty.

Protect Critical Information

Even though some information you discuss may not be secret, it may be what the Department of Defense 

calls “critical information.” Critical information deals with specific facts about military intentions, capabilities, operations, or activities. If an adversary knows this detailed information, U.S. mission accomplishment 

and personnel safety can be jeopardized. Information must be protected to ensure an adversary doesn’t gain 

a significant advantage. By being a member of the military family, you will often know some critical information. Do not discuss these details outside of your immediate family and especially not over the telephone.

Protect Privacy

Posting personal information about Marines or recruits should be avoided. This includes but not limited to 

identifying information such as last names, email addresses, phone numbers (office, cell, or personal), birthdates 

and addresses. Always use discretion when posting any personal information. Please respect the privacy of your 

Marine. Posting detailed personal information about other Marine family members should be avoided as well. 

Photos are important

There is a review and release process associated with all official military photographs. Even what might 

seem to be simple photos can disclose troop locations, equipment, tactical unit details, numbers of personnel, and much more. As a result, if you receive an image or locate a photograph of Marines involved in 

any military operation or exercise, you should not post the photograph unless it has been released by the 

Marine Corps or Department of Defense. You should also never share photographs of Marines in a deployed, operational location. A better way to connect others to Marine Corps photos is to link to images 

on official Marine Corps or DoD web sites.

Protecting privacy extends to everyone. Social venues provide an easy forum 

to intentionally or accidentally violate privacy, including: intrusion (physical or 

electronic intrusion into one’s private quarters), public disclosure of embarrassing 

facts (the dissemination of truthful private information which a reasonable person 

would find objectionable), casting someone in false light (the publication of facts 

which place a person in a false light, even though the facts themselves may not be 

defamatory) and appropriation (the unauthorized use of a person’s name or likeness 

to obtain some benefits). Aside from violating others, you could be breaking the 

law. Be mindful and report violations to your Marine’s chain of command.
34 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

What you can do CONTINUED...

Taking Action

What should you do if you become aware that information is being posted online which could compromise unit operational security:

• Notify your sponsor, Family Readiness Office, or the unit operations security manager immediately.

• Contact the site administrator to notify them of the issue and ask that the post or comments be removed. 

• Post reminders to the community about the importance or OPSEC and point out the dangers associated 

with sharing critical or sensitive information.

• Remember: If you aren’t comfortable placing the same information on a sign in your front yard, don’t 

put it in an email or share online. This is not intended to limit your free speech, the purpose is to protect 

lives and safety.

• Marines, families and the Marine Corps depends on you to maintain OPSEC. If you’re uncertain 

as to what you can or can’t share online or in email conversations, please contact your Family 

Readiness Office.

Tips for making safer social media posts: 

Example post: Change to:

My Marine is in Afghanistan at Camp Xyz. My Marine is deployed to Afghanistan.

My Marine will be leaving Kuwait and heading to 

Afghanistan in three days. 

My Marine deployed this week. 

My Marine is coming back at 1130 am on the 15th of 

July. 

My Marine will be home this summer. 

My family is back in Jacksonville, NC. I’m from the East Coast.

Are you telling everyone where you are?

Location-Based Services are used more and more by social networking sites that find the geographical 

location of a mobile device, tablet, or other communication method through GPS or Wi-Fi to provide offers or services based on this information. This might be helpful to alert you to a great sale or deal from a 

nearby vendor. It might also be an interesting challenge or habit to check in to a location on services like 

Foursquare or Facebook Places. There are dangers associated with this capability, however. For a detailed 

description on how to check some of these settings, please see the previous inset regarding Facebook Places.

There are no current, immediate Marine Corps-related benefits to Marines or family members by using 

location-based social media.

36 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

eMarine – a safer way for families to connect online

The eMarine website, part of the Commandant of the Marine Corps initiative to improve organizational communication, is the Corps’ safe, secure, portal for dissemination of official family readiness 

information. The system is available only to Marines and their Family Members. 

Similar to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr the eMarine portal provides its members a tool 

to access documents, view photos and videos, participate in forums, and gain important information 

about their Marine’s Unit from anywhere in the world. 

Each eMarine site offers an online community that can be customized for each Marine Corps Unit 

and is maintained by the Unit Commander and Family Readiness Officer. System content is assessed 

by command personnel who are obligated to ensure they look out for the Marine Corps’ and your best 

interests when it comes Operations Security – adding even more safety to your communications.

How to Get Started

For Marines - Keep your family informed about your unit by registering yourself in eMarine. After 

you’re signed up, you can sponsor up to five family members. Anyone you sponsor is automatically approved for your Unit’s eMarine site. You can also manage your sponsor list online, anytime.

Your process is simple:

• Register for your unit’s eMarine site.

• Log in to eMarine at http://www.emarine.org

• Select Getting Started > Invite Family Members.

• Enter the names and email addresses for your family members and choose your Unit to join them. 

They will be added to your family member list and an invitation email will be sent for them to register.

• Once they register, they’re automatically approved for your Unit’s site.

For Family Members – Ask your Marine to send you an invitation to eMarine.

Then follow the instructions to subscribe.

• Or, you can visit http://www.emarine.org

• Select the “Find a Unit Site” button.

• Click “Sponsor Search.”

• Enter your Marine’s first name, last name and date of birth then click “search.”

• Choose your Marine’s unit and follow the instructions to subscribe as a Family Member.

Anyone a Marine lists an as a family member in the Family Readiness module of Marine On Line 

(MOL) can subscribe to eMarine. In this case, no invitation is necessary, the family member will 

be able to request access as long as they know their Marine’s first name, last name and date of birth. 

Unit Family Readiness Officers will validate the request against data saved in Marine On Line before 

granting access.
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 37
38 THE U.S.M.C. SoCial MEdia PrinCiPlES THE SOCIAL CORPS

BLOGGiNG 

To Blog or noT To Blog?

There are many reasons to deliver your message or content through a blog: a need to provide commentary, 

news, personal accounts or editorial perspectives, or more informal (and perhaps brief ) topics of discussion.

One of the most significant benefits of offering a blog is providing a place to build a community where 

your readers can interact, comment and discuss topics that are relevant and important to your organization, unit or Command. If you are not prepared or not interested in accepting comments, you may 

want to reconsider if a blog is really the most appropriate tool for your communications objective.

Before you commit, keep in mind there are considerable resources involved in managing a blog. A 

successful blog needs dedicated resources, time, and staff to moderate comments and make it an 

effective communication tool. It also requires content and posting commitment. Irregular and infrequent blogging eventually fails.

Considerations BEFORE you decide to establish a blog:

• You must consistently write and publish content often enough to keep an audience informed and 

interested. Do not use press releases as a substitute for actually writing a post that will engage your 

audience. Aim to average at least one posting per week.

• Must have the available staff or time to review blog posts for typos, grammatical errors, and content 

clearance. Staff must manage the blog, including writing and reviewing blog entries, moderating all 

comments in a timely fashion, monitor blog metrics, and promote the blog posts and topics.

• Be prepared to moderate and review comments to:

• prevent spammers from posting harmful links to sites that might contain malware.

• filter for personal attacks and offensive content.

• Have the ability or aptitude to manage the blog design and technical details ranging from layout to 

plug-ins, and various media tools.

sAmPle TyPes of Blog PosTs

• Explanatory – Tell a story as an engaging way of explaining a complex process or concept.

• Interview – Interview an expert, leader, or newsmaker. Interview posts are a way to share the expertise or opinion from a credible source that may not have time to write for your blog.

Example: http://marinesmagazine.dodlive.mil/2010/06/28/sgt-majbradley-a-kasal/

• Profile – Focus on a particular case study, organization or interesting personality and the characteristics that have lead to success. 

Example: http://marinesmagazine.dodlive.mil/2011/11/21/war-pig-homes-cramming-comfort-intolife-on-the-road/

• Informational – Share articles, Websites, postings, etc. that relate to your topic by summarizing, 

interpreting, or linking to other content on the Web. 

Example: http://marines.dodlive.mil/2011/11/16/marines-strengthen-aussie-alliance/

http://marines.dodlive.mil/2013/10/25/marine-beats-breast-cancer-gets-into-best-shape-of-her-life/
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 39

• Contrasting Perspectives – Outline both sides of a perspective, project, service or approach.

Example: http://marines.dodlive.mil/2011/05/07/becoming-a-marine-mom/

• Success Stories – Tell a story of success or paint a picture of what could be. These posts can be inspirational and motivational. Your audience can share ideas, resources, or stories on similar experiences.

• Event Blog- Information about a progressing current event over the course of several weeks or even 

several hours. 

• Solicit Ideas- Ask your audience for input on a future project or feedback on a project as it progresses.

Example: http://marines.dodlive.mil/2010/12/28/where-real-marines-are-made/

Setting Up a Marine Corps Blog

If your unit, organization or command decides to establish a blog, you may be eligible to for a blog site 

on the Department of Defense blog platform (DoDLive) through the Defense Media Activity.

To get started, download and complete the blog request form and Memorandum of Agreement and 

email them to Marines@dma.mil. 

The Marine Corps social media staff will review the agreement and verify your eligibility.

Once the review is complete, your agreement will be forwarded to the Public Web office for site creation and follow-on instructions (i.e. setting up your administrator account and providing guidance 

on design and theme options for your blog).

Download the documents from: http://marines.dodlive.mil/2011/11/29/setting-up-a-marine-corps-blog/ 

Blogging Tips

• Write simply, concisely, and conversationally. 

• Avoid acronyms, slang and jargon, unless you provide definitions.

• Limit the length of your post (typically less than 600 words.)

• Post titles should follow guidelines similar to those for headlines.

• Use categories, tags, and archives to organize your content.

• Include images in your posts (one lead image at a minimum.)

• Links within the blog are encouraged, but if linking to sites external to the Department of Defense, 

an external link disclaimer must be provided on the blog site or within the footer of the post.

• Avoid overwhelming the reader with facts and figures. Keep it simple and link to more details.

• Engage your readers and be responsive to their comments.

• Be committed to reading every comment received, even if you do not post a response.
40 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

1. Post appropriate content.

• You are personally responsible for your 

actions.

• Ensure any Marine Corps content you post 

is accurate and appropriate.

• Remember: you lose control over content 

once it’s posted. 

• Always use your best judgment and keep in 

mind how the content of posts will reflect 

upon yourself, your command, and the Marine Corps – now and in the future!

2. Don’t break the law.

• Adhere to Federal law, as well as Department of Defense, Department of Navy, and 

Marine Corps regulations and policies.

• Don’t use any words, logos or other marks 

in your posts if it will infringe upon the 

trademark, service mark, certification 

mark, or other intellectual property rights 

of the owners.

• If you violate Federal law, regulations or 

policies, you are subject to disciplinary 

action under the Uniform Code of Military 

Justice (UCMJ)

3. Understand the guidelines when making unofficial posts about the Corps.

• If appropriate, identify yourself as a Marine 

or your affiliation with the Marine Corps, to 

include your rank, billet, military occupational specialty or occupational series, and 

status (active, reserve, civilian, contractor).

• If you decide not to identify your affiliation 

with the Corps, you should not disguise, 

impersonate, or otherwise misrepresent 

your identity.

• You can use Department of the Navy and 

Marine Corps symbols in unofficial posts 

so long as the symbols are used in a manner 

that does not bring discredit upon the Services, does not result in personal financial 

gain, or does not give the impression of 

official or implied endorsement.

4. If you wouldn’t say it to your grandma, 

don’t post it.

Don’t say/post anything that could be perceived as:

• Defamatory

• Libelous

• Obscene

• Abusive

• Threatening

• Racially or ethnically hateful

• Otherwise offensive or illegal

Quick Reference Definitions:

Defamation: an intentional false 

communication that injures another’s 

reputation or good name.

Libel: written/pictorial defamation (this is 

used if a wide audience for the defamation is 

possible such as: things posted on the internet)

Slander: spoken/gestured defamation.

5. Avoid spillage!

• Do not post any information that is:

• Classified (Confidential, Secret, Top Secret)

• Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI)

• Sensitive but Unclassified (SBU), For 

Official Use Only (FOUO), Law Enforcement Sensitive (LES), Sensitive Homeland 

Security Information, Security Sensitive 

Information (SSI), Critical Infrastructure 

Information (CII), etc.) 

• In violation of operations security (OPSEC), 

such as tactics, troop movements, force size, 

weapon system details, and so on.

• When in doubt, contact your unit operations officer, security manager, intelligence 

officer, foreign disclosure officer, or public 

affairs officer for guidance.

6. Guard your personal Information.

• Do not provide sensitive, family-related 

information within your profile.

• Keep your plans, schedules, and location 

information to yourself.

• Protect your coworkers, friends, and 

family members. Don’t post information 

that would infringe upon their privacy, 

proprietary, or personal rights. This means: 

don’t post their personal contact information such as email address, home address, 

phone numbers, social security number, or 

physical location.

• Tell friends to be careful when posting 

photos and information about you and your 

family. Talk to family and friends about 

operations security and what can and cannot be posted. 

• Videos can go viral quickly; make sure 

they don’t give away sensitive information. When using social media, avoid mentioning rank, unit locations, deployment 

dates, names, or equipment specifications 

and capabilities. 

• Geotagging is a feature that reveals your location to other people within your network. 

Consider turning off the GPS function of 

your smartphone. If you’re involved in an 

official Exercise, Operation, or deployed – 

turn off your mobile device GPS functions. 

Don’t share your:

• Social Security number

• Home address

• Birthday

• Birth place

• Driver’s license number

• Other personally identifying information

• By piecing together information provided 

on different websites or from different 

responses, criminals and adversaries can 

use the information to, among other things, 

steal your passwords and identity, impersonate you, stalk you, harm you, or harm 

your family and your fellow Marines. 

• Check all photos you intend to post for 

indicators in the background or reflective 

surfaces that may expose unwanted details.

• Double check that you want the information you are about to post to be forever 

available to anyone at anytime.

7. Don’t share information that is not approved for public release.

• Not memos, not e-mails, not meeting notes, 

not message traffic, not white papers, not 

public affairs guidance, not pre-decisional 

materials, not investigatory information, 

not proprietary information... JUST DON’T 

DO IT!

15 Tips to Stay Safe and Out of Trouble Online
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 41

8. Talk about what you know best.

• Only discuss Marine Corps issues related 

to your professional expertise, personal 

experiences, or personal knowledge.

9. Correct misinformation politely.

• Professionally and respectfully correct errors and misrepresentations made by others 

about the Marine Corps

• Not sure if you have accurate information to correct an error? Refer to your 

chain of command or public affairs office for guidance

10. Don’t get political.

• If you do want to provide your political 

opinion, do so within Department of Defense guidelines: 

• You can express your political views on 

public issues or political candidates online, 

but not as part of an organized communication campaign.

• If your communication identifies you as a 

member of the Department of Defense or 

Marine Corps you should clearly state the 

opinions are yours.

• You cannot solicit votes for or against a 

party, candidate, or cause.

• You cannot participate in any interview or 

discussion as an advocate for or against a 

party, candidate, or cause.

• Commissioned officers must avoid contemptuous words against the President, 

Vice President, Secretary of Defense, 

Deputy Secretary of Defense, Secretary 

of the Navy, or Governor and Legislature 

of any state in which he or she is located, 

or performing duty in — THIS IS FEDERAL LAW.

• Don’t express or imply Marine Corps 

endorsement of any opinions, products, 

or causes.

11. Look out for bad guys.

• Do not click links or open attachments unless the source can be trusted!

• Cyber criminals pretend to be people they 

are not in order to deceive you into performing actions that launch cyber attacks, 

download viruses, and install malware 

and spyware onto government or personal 

computers.

• Look for “HTTPS” on the web site address 

and the “lock” icon on the Web page that 

indicate active security before logging in 

or entering sensitive data (especially when 

using Wi-Fi hotspots).

12. Don’t fire and forget – review all your 

account and privacy settings.

• “Friends” and “followers” are considered 

relationships that can affect your security 

clearance, so make sure you only make connections with people you know well.

• Sort “friends” into groups and networks, 

and set access permissions accordingly. Add 

“untrusted” people to the group with the 

lowest permissions and accesses.

• Verify, through other channels, that 

a “friend” request was actually from 

your friend.

• Beware of “apps” or “plug-ins” which are 

often written by unknown third parties 

who might use them to access your data 

and friends.

• Applications (e.g. Farmville on Facebook) 

may share your personal information with 

other users on Facebook AND external to 

Facebook. Check the settings of EACH application you use before “allowing access.”

• Make sure only your family and friends 

(people you know WELL) can see your 

photos, full name, and other information.

• Assume that all the information you share 

will be made public (meaning, someone can 

find it on Google!).

• Don’t accept default account privacy settings. Carefully look for and set all your 

privacy and security options – in all your 

online accounts (not just Facebook).

13. Use strong passwords.

• Whenever possible, use at least 14 characters or more. 

• The greater the variety of characters in your 

password: the better. 

• Use the entire keyboard, not just the letters 

and characters you use or see most often. 

• Have a different password for every login.

• When creating a password avoid:

• Dictionary words in any language. 

Words spelled backwards, common misspellings, and abbreviations.

Sequences or repeated characters. 

Personal information. 

• Source: Microsoft Online Safety (http://

www.microsoft.com/protect/fraud/passwords/create.aspx)

14. Look out for intruders.

• Notice any changes to your account that 

you didn’t make? Change your password 

immediately.

• Think about how someone may have received access to your site and make appropriate changes to avoid that in the future.

• Check your accounts daily for possible use 

or changes by unauthorized users.

15. Use anti-virus and anti-spyware.

• Use anti-virus and anti-spyware software 

on your personal computer and keep them 

up to date!

• Department of Navy and Marine Corps 

personnel can download free anti-virus 

software from Navy Information Assurance 

at https://infosec.navy.mil/av/index.jsp

• There is also free software available online*:

• AVG Anti-virus: http://free.avg.com/

• AvastAnti-Virus: http://www.avast.com/

• Ad Aware Anti-Spyware: www.lavasoft.

com/products/ad_aware_free.php

• Microsoft Security Essentials: http://www.

microsoft.com/security_essentials/

* No endorsement is intended, there are plenty 

of other free and paid for anti-virus and antispyware software available online.
42 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS
www.marines.mil THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles 43

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I get content on the Marine Corps main social media sites? 

A: The Marine Corps’ social media team is always looking for content. You can email stories, photos or 

links to unit videos to Marines@afn.dma.mil and we will work to feature them on our sites. 

Q: What if my unit doesn’t have money or enough people to manage a social media presence? 

A: Although it may only take one person to manage a Facebook page or a Twitter account, these duties can rapidly consume all of their time. Focus only on the basic social presences you can adequately 

dedicate resources to, and once you’re committed, ensure the personnel you have assigned have the 

time to accomplish the mission. Consider combining forces to share social media duties with units or 

Commands throughout your chain of command. Establish a social media “battle rhythm” or daily/

weekly schedule to ensure assigned personnel have a roadmap to follow. And outline clearly defined 

lateral limits to what can and can’t be posted and community actions that will and won’t be allowed 

(see “Setting Up Ground Rules” p 22). 

Q: Who can manage my unit’s Facebook page? 

A: “Social Media Manager” is not a military occupation specialty or standard Marine Corps duty assignment so it is often viewed as an additional duty. Often times, public affairs specialists take the role of 

social media managers since much of the content loaded to social media sites is news and command information. The basic foundation for social media management is outlined in the Directive Type Message 

09-026 (link provided in the References section). 

Q: What happens if someone is impersonating me or someone in my unit? 

A: Report the impersonation to the social media organization by clicking on the report button or emailing 

the organization directly. If the organization is unresponsive and the impersonation becomes a threat to 

reputation or personal safety contact the Marine Corps’ social media team at the Defense Media Activity 

and we will assist in getting the page or profile removed. 

Q: Can I delete comments on my unit’s Facebook wall? 

A: Every registered social media presence in the Marine Corps is required to have a posting policy in 

place. This posting policy should indicate what can and cannot be posted to a Facebook wall. If users 

violate these terms on your unit’s wall, you are entitled to delete the comment and block the user if necessary. Keep in mind that communicating on Facebook is about facilitating the conversation, so stick to your 

posting policy, but don’t delete comments just because they express negative opinions about your unit or 

have some profanity. 

Q: How can I increase the number of individuals who follow my unit on Facebook and Twitter? 

A: Be creative. There is no surefire way to increase followers on Facebook and Twitter. Different techniques work for different units or commands, so it’s important to think outside the box. Ask your followers to participate in the conversation, respond to them directly and ask them what they expect out of your 

social media presence. Look at what other organizations are doing. If they launch a successful campaign 

on Facebook, feel free to use their example and tailor it to your unit. Social media is still evolving so there 

is a lot of room to be creative. Don’t be afraid to experiment. 
44 THE U.S.M.C. Social Media Principles THE SOCIAL CORPS

FAQ CONTINUED...

Q: A family member has posted something to one of the social media presences that violates 

OPSEC. What do I do now? 

A: If you are an administrator of the page - remove the comment, related comments or underlying 

original post, as applicable. If you are not a page administrator in Facebook, engage the person and ask 

them to remove the post immediately. Explain that information isn’t appropriate for conversation online. 

Since Facebook administrators should also scan the page for issues, also add a comment asking for their 

interaction. If the person refuses or persists, you have the option to block them or report them (using the 

“X” button on the comment or comment string). Lastly, seek guidance from your command public affairs 

or operations security personnel so that they are informed of the OPSEC concern and issue.

Q: My unit does not currently have a Facebook (Twitter, YouTube, etc.) account. 

How do I get started?

A: First, know that you’re not alone. Fortunately most social media platforms are relatively easy to use. 

The best way to get started is to find someone you know who is savvy with social media to show you the 

ropes. You can also start your own personal social media accounts so that you can familiarize yourself 

with how they work. If you have any questions that you can’t find answers to you can contact the Marine 

Corps social media team at the Defense Media Activity or your local public affairs office. 

Q: I did some searching and found that my unit already has a non-official family group on Facebook (Twitter, YouTube, etc.). What should I do? 

A: Many commands or units have unofficial social media presences established by Marines, family 

members, veterans, or fans that are excited about the unit. The Marine Corps does not have the right 

to remove these presences, nor would we want to, unless they portray themselves as an official presence. In the meantime, work with your command leadership to determine if you want to contact the 

page or simply monitor it and chime in when you have information to add. If you do contact the page’s 

administrator(s), they may be eager to have your participation. Regardless, this should not stop you or 

the command from creating an official presence for your command and its families. Marine Corps official 

presences are listed in the Corps’ social media directory: http://www.marines.mil/socialmedia. 
www.MarinES.Mil THE U.S.M.C. SoCial MEdia PrinCiPlES 45

Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities

Directive Type Memorandum 09-026 (DTM 09-026)

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/DTM-09-026.pdf

(The Memorandum assigns responsibilities for responsible and effective use 

of Internet-based capabilities, including social networking services.)

Joint Ethics Regulation

Department of Defense 5500.7-R

http://www.dod.mil/dodgc/defense_ethics/ethics_regulation/jer1-6.doc

Political Activities by Members of the Armed Forces

Department of Defense Directive 1344.10

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/134410p.pdf

Handling Dissident and Protest Activities Among Members of 

the Armed Forces

Department of Defense Directive 1325.06 

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/132506p.pdf

Department of the Navy Privacy Program

Secretary of Navy Instruction 5211.5E

http://doni.daps.dla.mil/Directives/05000%20General%20Management%20Security%20and%20Safety%20Services/05-200%20

Management%20Program%20and%20Techniques%20

Services/5211.5E.pdf

Marine Corps Information Assurance Program

Marine Corps Order 5239.2

http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Pages/MCO 5239.2.aspx

Clearance of DoD Information for Public Release

Marine Corps Order 5230.18

http://www.Marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/MCO 

5230.18.aspx

Marine Corps Operations Security Program

Marine Corps Order 3070.2

http://www.Marines.mil/news/publications/Documents/MCO 

3070.2.aspx

Marine Corps Foreign Disclosure Program

Marine Corps Order 5510.20A

http://www.marines.mil/news/publications/Pages/MCO551020A.aspx

Responsible and Effective Use of Internet Based Capabilities

MARADMIN 181/10

http://www.Marines.mil/news/messages/Pages/MARADMIN181-10.aspx

Social Networking Sites Best Practices

http://www.Marines.mil/usmc/Pages/Forms/SNS Best Practices - 

C4IA.docx

Social Media Guidance for Unofficial Posts

MARADMIN 365/10

http://www.marines.mil/omg

References References will be updated periodically online at http://www.marines.mil/socialmedia. However, the list of 

references that apply to the content in this handbook is listed below for your information and use.
Produced by the Marine Corps Production Directorate, Defense Media Activity, representing the Marine Corps Division of Public Affairs. 

In conjunction with Headquarters Marine Corps Plans, Policies and Operations.

Engage the Community • Maintain Operations Security • Be Smart – Set the Example: In Life and Online

Semper Fi