Using Social Media Internally for Business – Part 2

July 17, 2013

I recently wrote a blog post about how social media not only helps businesses on an external level, for brand awareness and product promotion, but also for internal purposes too. The blog gave a brief overview into some of the tools/platforms that can be used internally, however, let’s look a little more closely at why social media is also beneficial internally for your business.

With the population distribution changing, we have seen a strong change in attitudes towards technology, with people much more comfortable using it, leading to a dramatic change in the nature of work. Social Media is a large part of this.

Some of the key areas that social media can help within a company is:

Better Innovation / Knowledge sharing – Social media can help make sharing of ideas much easier allowing people from various teams to contribute their ideas to a project and provide feedback throughout the process.
Collaboration – Social media could be used to help employees share information, insights and knowledge with fellow employees. This can help on projects being worked on and can help improve efficiency as information becomes readily available. This can also help act as a legacy system, so that knowledge is not lost if an employee leaves/retires.
Attracting and retaining the best employees – With the increased use of technology, many employees look for companies who are embracing technology effectively. Social media can also be used to save recruitment costs, through tools such as LinkedIn and Twitter.
Improved Communication – Social media can help make communication much easier and can break down geographical barriers. A report shows that 50% of companies are already using social media tools as part of their internal communications.

Take a look at this interesting infographic showing the usage of internal social media:

Many leaders and even employees may show resistance to change, however, with the benefits it can provide and competitors looking to implement it too, make sure you stay ahead of the game!

Do you currently use social media in this way, looking to do so, or a little unsure? Leave a comment below with your thoughts!

INFOGRAPHIC: Use of internal social media within organizations courtesy of APCO Worldwide via Gagen MacDonald

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