Source: mkrigsman @ flickr
Social Networking and Media in the workplace has been a hot topic over the last few years. The question seems to be centered around whether or not employers should embrace social networking use in the workplace. I think the answer is a definite yes, while also maintaining best practice and providing training for the end users. The thought of launching a social media campaign for your company can be overwhelming, but with proper planning it can be a great success.
First of all, you want to make sure you are providing training for your users on how to submit web content to popular content directories such as Digg and Stumbleupon, as well as how to share information via social sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. The latter can really provide some great results as far as cultivating relationships and introducing friends and family who can become new prospects for the business. The employees will also help build some buzz around your company, and will spread much faster than assigning a single user to be the social media guru. The power is always in numbers. This process may take some convincing with the younger employees. Many of them are probably already using Facebook or Twitter, but may be hesitant to mix their personal and work lives online. This is where the employer needs to be understanding and not push the employees to hard. Some will naturally fight this and it’s best to let them be. Others will enjoy this and look at it as a way to help their company and contribute to it’s success.
The bottom line is that social media is part of the world we live in, and it’s only going to become more involved as time goes on. Embrace it now and take a step in front of your competitors. There are still plenty of markets that social media has not yet invaded, and there is plenty of opportunity out there to take advantage of. By training your employees on how to use social sites to responsibly promote your company you can pave the way for the next generation of communication while making your staff feel like they are part of it.
It’s also very important to monitor what is being said about your company online, and be sure that none of the negative press is coming from your employees. There are many tools available online that can help you with that. Have you had a hand in training employees on social media? What worked, what didn’t?
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