(#744) FOUNDATIONAL GUIDE: TESTIMONIAL RELEASE FORM
if you haven’t already… Read about How to ask for social proof (GREAT TESTIMONIALS) and why it's important here.
Include a release form with your standard paperwork
We always want to ensure residents and employees are comfortable and agree to us sharing their photography and comments in a public forum like social media. Instead of asking them every single time before you share, save some time by adding these release forms into your typical paperwork. This way they can sign these along with your other required paperwork so you are good to go.
We included two types of release forms ideas for you to start with:
One for residents
One for employees
Please note: We recommend you have your lawyers or corporate review these documents prior to adding them to your agreements. Sprout does not provide any legal advice and these release forms are just creative documents to give you a starting point. Any form like this should always be reviewed by a lawyer prior to use.
Why do you need permission for photos, reviews, or other social text?
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) states that anything posted online is automatically copyrighted by the original creator i.e. whoever originally posted it. It includes music, written text (including blog posts, reviews, social media posts, etc), images, and videos.
As those things are protected by that copyright act, and that means we need to ask for permission before sharing it on our platforms and give proper credit as needed. A lot of online companies have it in the terms of conditions when you sign up for their platform.
Why put it in your paperwork for lease and employee agreements?
It saves you time! This way you don't have to ask permission every time you want to post something whether that be a review or photo.
<<<<<<
Click the image to download your sample release form.
<<<<<<
What can I do after they sign it?
Once you have your release forms included in your lease, then you are able to share the following on social media without worry.
Photos (or Text) of Residents That Someone On Your Team Takes
Photos (or Text) that Your Residents Share With You
Again, please review with your lawyer and think of the things you want to share - this way they can include that in the agreement for you.
Do I need to give credit?
It's always good to give credit to the original poster, photographer, or creator. For example, if a resident takes some great photos of your apartments and sends them to you, it would be great to thank their photography business in the photo and in the post.
<<<<<<
DID YOU KNOW...We'll create testimonial graphics for you for FREE. Search for our latest free customizable testimonials HERE.
<<<<<<
Read more about testimonials and reviews at your community
