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A recent study published by The State of Corporate Social Media reports that over 470 U.S. and European companies stated that social media is becoming a more important part of their marketing efforts. Additionally, 61% of the over 850 companies surveyed worldwide stated that social media has impacted internal structures, departmental organization, workflow, and responsibilities. According to The State of Corporate Social media, “We are seeing 3 important trends across companies with global footprints:
-Social media’s global relevance is a catalyst for change within large organizations. What was once seen as experimental is now an important part of how companies view, interact and learn about customers on a daily basis. Social media has encouraged (or forced) companies to re-think how, when, where and why they communicate with their customers.
-Social technologies are enabling collaboration across previously siloed organizations. The development of multiple hub-and-spoke models requires new ways of thinking and forces teams to realize that social cannot be “owned” by a single team or business unit.
-Social media is becoming a CEO-level agenda. As social media practitioners become sought out in the boardroom, social goals, strategies, and tactics gain greater importance at the top, and this will further enable social media programs to scale as needed.”
This is essential information for both employers and employees alike. As social media in the corporate world continues to expand, organizations and business professionals should be cognizant of their online presence.
Below are key reasons as to why organizations need to invest in a strong internal social media campaign:
-It allows you another avenue to communicate important information with your employees. With the onslaught of emails most business professionals receive in their inboxes on a daily basis, it’s not difficult for company email announcements to get lost in the shuffle. With social media accounts (especially Facebook and Twitter), employers can use hashtags, as well as create private groups, to relay information to their employees.
-It engages employees and gives them an opportunity to provide feedback. The informal connotation presented by the use of social media allows employees to feel more comfortable with providing honest feedback. This, in turn, helps with retention because it allows organizations to respond to feedback and possibly use it to create an even better workplace.
-It aids in recruiting new talent. As more and more professional organizations have jumped on the social media bandwagon and are using some, if not all, of those platforms internally, most potential candidates are searching for companies who are on top of their internal social media game.
Additionally, it is equally as important for employees to engage in their organization’s social media presence because:
-It shows supervisors and coworkers that you are actively engaged in the organization. Showing your supervisors that you’re actively engaged in their social media could possibly add you to a succession plan/talent pipeline within the company, providing more leverage for advancement.
-It aids in keeping you informed of company-wide changes made, milestones reached and planned events. Knowing the ins and outs of your company is very important in allowing you to not only effectively communicate your goals in tangent to overall company goals, but also allows you to have a better understanding of why certain practices and goals are put into place
-It builds your own personal brand as an expert/thought leader. The more you know and share, the more you build your own personal brand. Your supervisors and coworkers are always potential references for promotions or other job opportunities, so building your brand and putting yourself in the spotlight makes it easier for them to pinpoint your strengths.
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