If you haven’t seen or heard about the new face of Twitter, I found this video a bit tantalizing:
Posts Tagged social media
So You Want to Go Viral?
Sep 15
This slideshow presentation was prepared by Michael Crosson, VP of Sales at SocialTwist.com
So You Want To Go Viral?
View more presentations from Michael Crosson.
This post comes from Chris Crum of WebProNews:
Social Media policies of well-known organizations often appear in the news with commentary throughout the Blogosphere, the Twitterverse, etc. There is an ongoing debate about just how restricted social networks should be when it comes to employee use.
Bloxx, based in the UK, has released some research finding that 90% of IT Managers surveyed believe access to social networking site should be banned or restricted. 90%. That’s a lot. The managers surveyed came from across the UK public sector as well as private organizations.
The concerns addressed in this survey were the usual suspects: staff productivity, network security risks, and damage to the corporate reputation. Productivity was by far the top concern.
The Bloxx Report Findings
More Bloxx Study Findings
The research found that not only are an increasing number of organizations completely banning staff access from social networking sites, but it is also quite common for staff to post disparaging remarks regarding other employees, their boss, or the company on social networks.
Over 22% of respondents don’t have any controls in place for staff accessing social networks. 35% of IT managers believe staff are spending over 30 minutes each per day on average accessing social networks. The companies are potentially providing an additional 16 days paid vacation for each employee, Bloxx says. Still, the research also shows that social networking is increasingly being used as a valuable business tool. Obviously access is required to take advantage.
“UK businesses really can’t afford to underestimate some of the risks of Social Networking use in the workplace,” says Bloxx CEO Eamonn Doyle. “However, our view is that a complete ban is unrealistic and adopting this approach means that companies can’t obtain the potential business benefits of Social Networking and can alienate staff.” Among Doyle’s suggestions are increased employee education, “well-thought-out” acceptable use policies, and the use of Web filtering.
There are plenty of reasons why social network access shouldn’t be completely banned. We cover these reasons about every day. If your company completely ignores social networks, you’re ignoring a tremendous amount of opportunities for marketing, customer service, traffic, sales, communication, etc.
Social networks are not going away. The popularity of specific ones may change in time, but the concept of social networking is going nowhere. It’s not even a new concept. Forums and email are pretty much social media for all intents and purposes. Social networks have recently been blamed for $2.25 billion in lost productivity. I wonder how much money lost productivity from personal email and general web surfing accounts for. I wonder how much employees simply talking to each other at the workplace has cost companies. That’s not necessarily online, but it’s still socializing. How have you handled email and general web use in the past?
Reputation issues are one thing. Security is another (and I think employee education plays a big role there) but as far as productivity, I really don’t see that the use of social networks is really that different than any other form of simply not working. People can spend their time using the phone for personal calls, but you probably haven’t completely banned the telephone. You may need that to communicate with customers, drive sales, etc. I’m sure you see my point.
Reason #1: Wasted Time Amongst Employees
Let’s face it, social media sites are becoming more mainstream and the talk around water coolers across the world. Employees are linked both professionally and socially across platforms like Facebook throughout the day, and mostly during work hours.
Whether employers block access to certain sites from the corporate servers or not, workers are using smartphones (i.e. Blackberry & Palm) to access the internet and the sites they want. Twitter “tweets” and LinkedIn updates occurring from these types of devices are happening on lunch breaks, during meetings, from the bathroom… and there’s no stopping it.
Bottom line, if an employee wants to access their social networks during the daily “9to5” there’s no way to stop it. Allowing workers access to the internet but trying to block these types of sites is simply pointless.
Reason #2: Social Comments Might Hurt the Brand
A question that pops up in executive workshops all the time is the threat of bad publicity spreading to the mainstream. This type of negative feedback about the brand is feared to ultimately hurt sales.
Well… that’s exactly true! But what CEOs don’t want to fess up to is that sometimes negative feedback is exactly what they need to hear. It’s easy for the “ivory tower” to forget that their company might have inherent problems or that consumers don’t absolutely love everything about them. As they saying goes, you can’t fix a problem if you don’t know it exists.
Besides, the upside of social media for honest and upstanding companies is that their supporters are online to support them. If there’s a negative statement about their products or service that aren’t true, the power of a client to correct the misinformation directly often holds far greater weight than a published corporate statement.
Companies need to monitor brand attacks but view them as opportunities, not threats.
Reason #3: Companies Will Lose Control of Their Brand
The fact remains that in this day and age consumers hold the power, not PR departments. Long gone are the days of “wag the dog” marketing tactics. With open access to the internet, the game has changed. If you think your customers aren’t already talking about you, you’re dead wrong.
Workers are spreading news about the company amongst friends and family through Facebook, emails and personal blogs. Clients are using Twitter and sites like Yelp (among others) to leave positive or negative feedback about your brand and there’s no stopping it.
So what do you do about it? Treat each and every employee and customer like an ambassador for your brand. Providing avenues to generate loyal and lasting customers have never been more important than in the internet age. And don’t fear the conversations, JOIN THEM!
Reason #4: Keeping Up With Social Media Is Expensive
There is a misconception that social media is absolutely free, and to some extent, this is true. The reality is that for an employer to effectively participate in social media and monitor their online presence does take at least some resources. But these don’t have to include a budget line item.
Whether it’s the time spent by staffers tracking feedback across different social media sites or hiring consultants to maintain your presence for you, there is a cost factor. But just because there are people highly trained in the art of social media science doesn’t mean that you should run right out and hire outsiders.
Many times an outsourced affiliate doesn’t know the inner workings of your operation and can post statements that aren’t all-together factual. And it is these same firms that will ultimately end up costing you the most money and risk hurting your brand. Corporations are often better served by empowering existing employees to make social posts. If they’ve done their job properly training their staff, there shouldn’t be a major concern of information leaks or negative comments. Chalk the time spent by employees on these social network sites as a necessary operating expense. Ultimately, the return on investment is well worth it.
Reason #5: With “No Control” They Risk a Lawsuit
This is the biggest fallacy I’ve ever heard. Social media was never meant, or presently considered to be, cold-hard fact. The entire basis of social media is the spread of opinion. Whether it’s stemming from a current or past customer or originating right within the corporate walls, it’s nothing that would ever give a plaintiff a leg to stand on!
Those that believe they’ll get sued for what’s posted in forums, blogs or other such sites are going to have a hard time coping in modern day since public opinion is now spread more rampantly than ever. Assuming your employees are spreading blatant lies about you (and if they are, you have much bigger problems to worry about!) then you simply don’t need to lose the sleep over it.
Reason #6: The Fear of Information Leaks From Within
The remedy to this concern is two-fold:
- If you don’t already have a policy for social media use amongst employees, write one up TODAY! This way your staff will know what’s expected from them and it gives the company a means of protection in the case of a disgruntled employee gone wild.
- Train your employees all the way down the line about how to talk to customers and best represent your goodwill. By instituting good hiring practices and on-going training you should never have to fear a loose-lipped staffer who doesn’t understand what expected of them.
Today’s world of online interaction has become more complex, but more exciting, than ever. The ways that connections are now made with friends and clients on the web has evolved to an entirely new level. But I’m here to tell you that this “new frontier” of networking through your computer is not as scary as it might first appear. As long as you follow these simple rules.
Rule #1: You have to be good at what you do.
A mistake that people often make when entering the world of social media is to believe that simply setting up a blog, Facebook page, Twitter account or other online presence will automatically bring them customers. The reality is that your business has to already have strong fundamentals and a solid marketing plan.
Part of being a great social media player is knowing what type of communication resonates with prospective customers. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you can “fake it” in your online interactions. If you’re not experienced in what you do, prospects will sniff that out quicker than sharks smell blood.
Rule #2: Social media requires staying on top of your routine.
If you’re thinking about starting a new blog or some other kind of online presence, map out your plan first! Posting information without a purpose is like skipping rocks on the water. You might create tiny ripples here and there but there’s no clear path for your customers to follow.
Take the time needed to not only write and post your own material, but to engage in other sites as well. Reading and interacting with related sites (and customers) is the nature of social media. Standing alone on the island of your blog without ever reaching out to others will leave you stranded like Tom Hanks in Castaway. Without one-on-one interactions your message won’t effectively be heard by anyone.
Keep your updates regular and make it a part of your standing routine. Consistency is a key ingredient. Though this is a big time commitment, the rewards can be tremendous.
Rule #3: You don’t have to be a “computer geek” to join the fun.
If you’re uncomfortable with using the Internet to leverage today’s business tools, information resources and networking opportunities, it’s time to step up to the plate and take a swing. If the fear of the unknown is what’s holding you back… stop being afraid right now! Don’t let slight ignorance of technology be your reason for non-participation.
Though you may find the concept of engaging people online foreign at first, just know that most of the applications you will be using are very intuitive and user-friendly. Most of the widely used web platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Wordpress (blogging) and community forums come with a load of resources you can utilize when getting started.
So what do you do to get started? Give it a try! Go ahead and join LinkedIn, set up a Facebook profile, read blogs related to your business as well as social networking, ask your peers and explore new websites. You’ll be amazed at how quickly these actions will get you where you need to be in the world of online media.
Rule #4: The Internet is constantly changing. Change with it!
Being the first to explore the early, experimental side of social media can pay off big dividends for those that have an “early-adopter” attitude. Just think about where you’d be had you started using Twitter just a couple of years ago when microblogging was a foreign concept to most. Today, Twitter sees over 55 million visits a month… who knew?
Since we can all agree that the web is here to stay and an ever-evolving creature with the possibility of taking your business to new levels, don’t be afraid to try new things. It might take some time to get started with a new platform and work through the learning curve, but if you find a progressive new avenue for networking with prospective clients, go for it!
Rule #5: No matter what, you can’t fake it.
Just because online communication doesn’t involve face-to-face interaction doesn’t mean that you can be someone you’re not. In fact, the most successful bloggers and online networkers have seen success by being genuine and representing themselves exactly as they are. Believe it or not, customers can smell the “B.S.” your slinging, so steer clear of creating a new personality just because you think you can.
This goes for your blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and all of it! Though you may feel like the worldwide web is an anonymous place to interact, it’s completely the opposite. Your social networks are your first introduction to the people you hope to do business with, your colleagues and friends. Make absolutely sure that your impressions showcase the real you. Remember, it’s better to generate a small number of leads with a higher conversion rate than a large pool of leads that simply suck your time with no real interest of doing business with you.
Rule #6: The web is more than just a prospecting tool.
Sure, the Internet has a great capacity to bring in new customers at a lower cost than traditional media. But it’s so much more than that! The real value of the web lies in the amazing opportunity to be an education tool.
This is where people come to learn about you and your business and hear the things you have to say to the world. Your ideas, expertise, attitudes and personality can be transferred across the world with the click of a button. There’s no better platform than the web to display your market intelligence and customers want that!
Also, and not surprisingly, the web is a powerful tool at your fingertips to find resources galore about successful online marketing and prospecting tools. Finding timely information about what others are doing on the web to make real money is as easy as it’s ever been. Take advantage of that and you will join the ranks of those touted as the most successful professionals in your given industry.
Here’s to your success!