Social networking, blogs, wikis, forums, bookmarks, tagging, Facebook, twitter…
Powerful new social media tools like these are becoming part of everyday life; both at home and, increasingly, in business too.
Many organisations are already using social media marketing to communicate externally:
- promoting their brands and getting closer to their customers
- building communities of advocates
- engaging in long-term two-way conversations
These social media tools are also changing the way people work:
- making available information, expertise and networks of contacts throughout the world
- giving individuals greater control over what information they receive and from who
- enabling access to these resources whenever and from wherever they are most needed
Now, some organisations are beginning to realise the potential benefits of deploying social media tools within their business;
- to develop greater employee collaboration and engagement – essential for any business to prosper and grow
- to reach and connect everyone in the organisation – building relevant, mutually supportive and productive relationships
- to maximise the value of knowledge and expertise – making it easy to access whenever and wherever it is needed most
A well-executed social media and internal communications strategy is a powerful tool.
However…there are significant differences in the way people use social media tools at home and at work, differences that must be recognised and addressed by any organisation wanting to successfully take advantage of the opportunities these new tools represent.
