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You know it’s happened to you. Your boss walked by, glanced at your computer monitor and saw you Tweeting, IMing, checking status updates on Facebook or reading your favorite blog. Busted like the criminal that you are. But wait … maybe you’re not guilty of any crime!
There was a time when this kind of social media in the workplace was considered taboo—“Quick, the boss is coming, click on a different page”—and a real dent to productivity (many companies firewall it). But progressive companies, including ideaLaunch, are tuning in to a Gen Y office that uses social media not just as personal fun but as a means to work more efficiently, expand the company’s online presence and inspire a community following.
First you need to agree on appropriate company-wide social media policies, voice and standards. Once you do, you will see that there are myriad benefits to social media in the workplace. When loyal, trusted, capable employees are allowed to blog/tweet/network on behalf of the company, kittens meow and rainbows shine:
- Social media gives your company a human element. It makes you more transparent and trustworthy to your clients/customers.
- The more people your employees are connected with on LinkedIn, friends with on Facebook and following/being followed on Twitter, the wider their influence. We’re talking great PR without the great big PR price tag.
- Social media will get your website inbound links, attention and better search engine rankings, which can equal higher ad revenue, increased conversions, etc.
- IMing among staff means fewer vocal disruptions. See Chris Brogan’s take on it. A handful of my clients prefer IM in certain circumstances because of the ability to get quick questions answered in real time.
- If your employees know the basics of social media by taking part in it themselves, they will be that much more capable to write on your company blog and represent your company in social media circles.
Still not convinced to jump on the social media bandwagon? Read this 2009 Deloitte survey on social networking in the workplace. The bottom line, according to Deloitte, is that if you refuse to adopt a social networking policy or ban social media altogether, half of the survey respondents say they would refuse to change their cyberspace practices anyway.
Rather than making criminals out of your staff members, step back and see how they can be social media heroes.
Tags: chris brogan, facebook, gen y, im, social media in the workplace, tweeting, Twitter
