Making The Most Of Social Networking For Business

Social networking websites are a modern cultural phenomenon, offering easy ways to reunite with old friends and keep in touch with family and friends. However the social element of these sites is sometimes perceived as being at odds with business, with employees sneakily wasting working hours using them. Whilst abuse of these facilities can happen, its important to realise that social networking is becoming a hugely popular communication tool and there are important business benefits to be had from using them.

Its vital to understand which of the popular social media sites are most applicable to your business. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Linked-In all offer specific communication tools and have different audiences. Remember your postings are publicly visible, so it is far better to participate in one or two sites efficiently, than to spread your resources too thinly and neglect some. Timing is key, as fast moving websites require timely updates and commitment to fresh posts on a regular basis. You should also attract the right followers, keep them engaged and have a strategy to quickly feedback information to the right people internally.

Specialist blogs and online forums can indicate the positive and negative impressions of your products and services - giving valuable insight into the minds of customers and potential customers. They also give important clues as to the performance of competitors and can offer a competitive advantage. It is vital to establish who is authorised to respond to posts and monitor responses, which also helps establish an acceptable usage policy and mitigate the risk of abuse by employees. It is equally vital to educate employees on the implications of posting comments that could incriminate themselves or harm the organisation.

Using Social media has the same advantages and pitfalls for an organisation as any other public interaction. Despite the potential for abuse, the tools are in place to target the right audience and with careful planning it is possible to promote your business to those that have the biggest impact.