Content & community guidelines

    We're looking for content that supports our mission: To empower independent business owners with the tools and information to manage their clientflow.

    Our five core values:

    • People come first
    • Raise the bar
    • Keep it real
    • Own it
    • We love what we do

     

    These values come to life in our communities and we are committed to cultivating diverse, inclusive, and equitable spaces where all people, voices, and experiences are welcome and heard.

    Zero tolerance for:

    • Hate or discrimination
    • Intimidation or bullying
    • Harassment of any kind
    • Plagiarism

    We expect anyone affiliated with HoneyBook, including members of our HoneyBook Educator and Pros programs to abide by these values in both life and business.

    This also applies to any group that is affiliated with either HoneyBook in any way. This includes but is not limited to the HoneyBook Community Facebook group and the HoneyBook Educator Facebook group. As such, we have a specific HoneyBook Community policy to ensure the safety of every member of our community in our online spaces.

    New to HoneyBook? Start at the help center. This group is a collaborative community where we encourage:

    • Asking questions about how to grow your business
    • Sharing success stories and learnings to benefit the community
    • Showcasing how you’re using HoneyBook and getting advice from others to make sure you’re using the platform to its fullest potential

    Additionally, we love using this space to share educational resources, the latest feature launches, and give you a peek into what we’re building next.

    HoneyBook users are encouraged to review our Terms of Service, Privacy and Data Protection Policy.

    HoneyBook Community policy for online spaces

    Our Facebook group exists to provide a space for independent business owners to ask questions, seek advice, explore new HoneyBook features, and find educational resources. Our goal is to foster communities where you can help one another grow and thrive in business by sharing education, support, and tools. 

    We believe that we are not here to tear each other down; we are here to lift each other up. It’s with that mindset that we created our HoneyBook Community policy for online community spaces. 

    What does it mean to be part of the HoneyBook Community?

    This looks like a space for members to connect with one another and rise together doing what they love. This looks like providing support, education, and guidance to industry peers as they build a business. We believe in inclusivity, being better together, and empowerment through education. The HoneyBook Community guidelines are used to ensure that each post in any of our communities is consistent with our core values and aims to lift others in the community up. These are the same guidelines that we use to approve posts before they are posted publicly in any of our Facebook groups.

    Do:

    • Hold one another in high regard, assume the best intent, and treat other members with respect
    • Respect the privacy of others
    • Provide education, support, and accessible tools that entrepreneurs can use to build businesses that they love
    • Ask business-related or HoneyBook-related questions, discuss blog topics, and swap business advice
    • Engage in healthy and robust conversations about business-related topics

    Don't:

    • We don’t allow posts that are inherently negative. Do not use this space to bash (call out by name, criticize, or target) clients, community members (HoneyBook), or industry peers
    • No bullying, harassment, derogatory language, or bigotry
    • Don’t use the FaceBook group to self-promote, solicit sales or advertise (unless specifically invited to by a moderator)
    • No crowdfunding, contests, or requests for money
    • Don’t post social media roll calls, link threads, or Instagram pod posts (unless specifically invited to by a moderator)
    • Don’t submit off-topic posts that are unrelated to business.

    Moderators review all submitted posts before they are approved on the HoneyBook Community Facebook Group.

    HoneyBook Community Facebook Group moderators review posts from Monday through Friday, and posts submitted Friday after business hours through Sunday will be reviewed on the following Monday.

    What we encourage

    • We approve and encourage posts from members that ask questions, give advice, discuss HoneyBook features, dive into blog post topics, encourage and support each other, check in with industry peers, and seek constructive and positive support.
    • We believe that it is important to talk about hard topics. We welcome conversations around race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, LGBTQIA+, socioeconomic status, and more that intersect with entrepreneurship and business ownership. To have these conversations with a mindset of respect and consideration, make sure to ask yourself these questions before you post:
      • Will this discussion help independent business owners gain more perspective on how to run their business?
      • Will this question provide an educational resource for others in this community?
      • Does this post, comment, or question potentially harm the well-being of others in the community?
      • If you were new to the Facebook group, would it be easy for this post or comment to be perceived as disrespectful or discriminatory to others?
      • Does my post, comment or question target a specific person in a way that is accusatory, unfair or overtly negative?
    • Do your best to see the world from the perspective of the members(s) you are talking to in the group. Use good judgment and be empathetic.
    • If a disagreement arises, we expect participants to be respectful at all times. In the comment threads where there is significant disagreement, members should stop commenting on a thread before creating the impression that they are harassing, attacking, and/or bullying another person. It is never okay to violate our HoneyBook Community policy, even in response to someone who has. If you do see this happening, please report it to a member of our moderation team.

    What we do not tolerate

    • Bullying, harassment, derogatory language, or bigotry is unacceptable at any time. Content that mocks, bullies, harasses or airs grievances against other members, businesses, clients, or people will not be allowed. Repeated and unwanted contact is a form of harassment. Members who violate these terms will be removed.  
      • HoneyBook has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and bigotry. We will not tolerate:
        • Expressing prejudice against, attacking, or belittling someone or a group of people based on race, gender identity, color, religion, age, nationality, physical or mental disability, marital status, ancestry, veteran status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. 
        • Discouraging, intimidating, or undermining the thoughts of another person. 
        • Telling someone that they are less worthy of belonging based on who they are, what they have endured, or what they believe. 
        • A post or comment that leads anyone in our communities to question whether or not they should continue pursuing their passion.
          • Members are encouraged to report a post or comment that they think falls within these categories. Our moderation team will read and examine all posts and comments within the thread to identify the members involved. The moderation team will comment on the post or comment to confirm that the offending content has been seen and violates our HoneyBook Community policy
          • The member(s) who shared the offending content will be removed immediately from the Facebook Group and the issue will be escalated to the HoneyBook leadership team to determine if additional repercussions are warranted. Additional repercussions may include but are not limited to, expulsion from adjacent online communities, such as the HoneyBook Educator Program, HoneyBook Pros program, and/or the HoneyBook platform
    • Don’t offer unsolicited feedback, post rude or discouraging comments, or offer links/business info that is unrelated to what your fellow members are looking for.
            • Give more than you receive. These are active communities eager to support and help each other. Give advice, answer questions, celebrate, and share in the spirit of community over competition. Make sure you answer what’s being asked.
    • We do not allow self-promotion posts in our Facebook groups. Self-promotion posts include direct “contact me for services,” newsletter sign-ups, sales pitches, giveaways, affiliate links, and discount codes. Under the umbrella of self-promotion, we also prohibit crowdfunding links, contests, and/or solicitations for funds for yourself or others. This protects our members from potential scams and also protects their information from being used to generate leads, email lists, and other forms of marketing.
        • There is a difference between blatant self-promotion and sharing/celebrating business success. Members are encouraged to post creative work, photos, videos, podcast episodes, etc., as long as they are not overtly soliciting sales or followers.
    • Off-topic posts submitted to the feed will not be approved. In order to maintain a focus on our mission of providing independent business owners with resources to grow and thrive, we limit discussion to business-related topics. However, we welcome conversations around race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, LGBTQIA, socioeconomic status, and more when these topics intersect with entrepreneurship and business ownership.    
    • Breaches of privacy. We expect all members to respect and protect each other’s privacy. We do not allow posts that include a direct screenshot or copy/paste content from conversations with clients, vendors, etc. If members desire to seek feedback about a situation from the Facebook Group, they are asked to share the situation in summary and without direct reference to the names or identifying information of those involved, including clients, vendors, etc. In the event you are escalating a violation of our HoneyBook Community Policy, you may disclose screenshots or identifying information privately with our moderation team.
        • Do not share photos of clients who have not given you permission to share images publicly or on social media. In addition to this, do not share screenshots, contact information, links to reviews, or links to galleries.
    • Members should refrain from sharing social media roll calls, link threads, or Instagram pod posts unless specifically invited to by a member of the moderation team. In order to keep the day-to-day conversation dedicated to providing support and education, we limit when members can share links to social media and blog post links on the feed. This also includes “spam me with ___” posts that link to link threads.
    • Referral posts are accepted in the HoneyBook Educators group. 
    • A note on nudity. Facebook, as a platform, has its own set of community guidelines that we must adhere to as a group. We do not want to censor artistic expression. However, Facebook has clear guidelines on what type of posts they will remove if they are reported. Please use Meta’s guidelines when choosing photos to share so that you do not risk having your post removed by Facebook.

    Disclaimer: HoneyBook and its leadership and moderation team are not held liable for the results of any conversation, transaction, or outcome made as a result of any relationship gained through a HoneyBook account. If you choose to engage in any transaction or conversation, we cannot be held liable for items including but not limited to loss of money, business, health, and more.

    Please note that the moderation team and administrators cannot take responsibility for personal messages or contact outside of the group soliciting business should you choose to share contact information (or request information) from other group members. We truly believe that the best way to form impactful relationships within the creative community is through genuine interactions and transparency with intentions.

    However, if you choose to engage within the HoneyBook Facebook group and at any affiliated event, know that we are not held liable for any impact on your business or personal life.)

    Leadership policy for HoneyBook educators

    This policy applies to anyone participating in our HoneyBook Educator affiliate program.

    HoneyBook Educators are expected to uphold our values and act in accordance with our mission in person and online. We believe that we are not here to tear each other down but instead to lift each other up.

    In addition to following our HoneyBook Community Policy, HoneyBook Educators agree to the following:

    1. The HoneyBook Educator Commitment
      • On your path to building a business you love, HoneyBook Educators strive to provide others in their industry and community with support, education, and guidance on their own business journey.
      • You believe in inclusivity, being better together, and empowerment through education.
    2. To adhere to our zero-tolerance policy for discrimination of any kind in our communities and your extended communities.
      • We do not tolerate:
        • Expressing prejudice against, attacking, or belittling someone or a group of people based on race, gender identity, color, religion, age, nationality, physical or mental disability, marital status, ancestry, veteran status, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.
        • Discouraging, intimidating, or undermining the thoughts of another person.
        • Telling someone that they are less worthy of belonging based on who they are, what they have endured or what they believe.
      • This policy applies to any official HoneyBook Facebook Group.
      • Educators are encouraged to report behavior that violates our zero-tolerance policy to the HoneyBook Educator Team by emailing [email protected].
    3. Cultivate safe spaces for community members to engage in difficult discourse and conversations across all channels. This includes honoring our HoneyBook Community Policy for online community spaces and upholding our zero-tolerance policy for discrimination and bigotry in any form.
      • This responsibility extends beyond our immediate communities and applies to Educator’s behavior in the broader community, especially when it comes to public speaking engagements.
    4. Identify areas of explicit and implicit bias within their industry and proactively work to change them. This includes but is not limited to:
      • Being mindful of the representation of all event line-ups prior to committing to speaking opportunities, especially when speaking about HoneyBook.
      • Striving for equitable representation among attendants and speakers in your own events, workshops, podcasts and posts.*Please note that HoneyBook will only participate in or financially sponsor events that are representative of equitable leadership and strive to cultivate inclusive communities.

    HoneyBook reserves the right to remove anyone from the Educator Program at any time and without notice if they are found to be violating any part of the Leadership Policy.

    HoneyBook referral affiliate agreement.

    User-generated content policy

    Our community guidelines apply to anyone submitting content to the HoneyBook blog or resources; HoneyBook members featured in content; and anyone agreeing to have their content featured by HoneyBook on social media. 

    In accordance with our mission—to educate and empower—we provide free educational resources and content to our community via the HoneyBook blog, resources, and our supporting email and social media channels.

    HoneyBook blog and resources

    Anyone is invited to share their business expertise by submitting a post to the HoneyBook blog. In doing so, you agree to the following: 

    1. Submissions will be published at the discretion of the content team.
      • Content should share business expertise (see additional guidelines for best chances of publication for more detail).
      • Content that is not business-focused or in compliance with our Community Guidelines will not be accepted.
    2. All submissions are subject to edits by the content team in accordance with our brand tone of voice, style guidelines, and SEO best practices.
    3. Submissions may be promoted via the newsletter, and/or social media channels.
    4. You will promote published content on your own social channels, including your most active one at a minimum. 
    5. The content team has the right to remove blog articles at their discretion. 
    6. The content team has the right to revise and update published content at any time. Reasons may include but are not limited to SEO, improved accuracy and relevancy, brand voice, and tone. 
    7. The content submitted is your own and you have the rights and permissions to submit it to HoneyBook for publication.
    8. We reserve the right to review, remove or update any affiliate or referral links and promo codes shared in published content. 
    9. We reserve the right to share published content in our marketing materials, including our website and event materials, with proper credit back to you, of course.

    Please note that as of 11/8/2021 all content that includes a HoneyBook members’ referral code as a CTA button at the bottom of a blog post will be updated to a general HoneyBook CTA. 

    HoneyBook social media sharing guidelines

    Our HoneyBook social media pages are intended to be a reflection of the community and we welcome members to submit their content by using the hashtag #YesHoneyBook. Occasionally, we solicit content from Instagram creators and independent businesses. 

    By using this hashtag, #YesHoneyBook, you consent to have your content re-posted by HoneyBook on our social media channels. 

    • We will not edit or modify your content in any way.
    • We will not use your content in advertising or other mediums (outside of social media) without obtaining additional consent.
    • We will always include proper credit.

    HoneyBook's AI promise

    At HoneyBook, we recognize the significant impact AI can have on productivity and efficiency. We are leveraging this powerful technology to help independent business owners achieve AI-powered growth and to improve our own work processes.

    Our editorial team is using AI tools to assist in content creation, however, no piece of content is published to the blog without being reviewed and edited by a human. While we encourage business owners to explore how AI can benefit them, we expect anyone using these capabilities to develop content for the HoneyBook blog to follow a process similar to our own.

    We will use a plagiarism checker to prevent accidental or intentional content duplication from other sources. We reserve the right to assess the quality, authenticity, and originality of the content, and accept or reject submissions at the discretion of our editorial team.

    We recognize that AI technology is developing rapidly and are committed to evolving our AI policy in line with industry best practices. We welcome relevant submissions to the HoneyBook blog and look forward to sharing your expertise with our independent business audience.

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