Social media creating an antisocial world?

I had an interesting conversation with a coworker. I was talking about Twitter and was attempting to explain it to someone who has never even looked at it.  Her question, why would you be on Twitter, what's the point?

Well, I suppose its different for everyone.  I find myself using it for business.  Let's be honest, I want people to read what I'm writing and Twitter is one way to let people know my blog exists.  I also want to learn more about Twitter and with that knowledge, help my clients better capitalize on the social media opportunity.  I also find that Twitter is great for getting quick answers to questions.  There is so much variety on Twitter and if you follow the right people (fellow tweeters with similar interests) you can get some great advice or at least be pointed to a place where you can find the answers yourself.  

So back to my conversation with my coworker.  The conversation then changed to Facebook and the use of iPhones and Blackberries and so on.  Her thought, why are we spending all our time communicating in a virtual world, tethered to our electronic devices, rather than actually having real conversations face to face.

I touted the importance of these various forms and tools of communication, but a valuable point was raised.  In the age of social media are we becoming antisocial?  

I suppose this is a question that really depends on your point of view.  My stand is that social media  isn't taking away from communication, but adding to it.  I can easily share ideas and thoughts with people from across the world.  I can connect with people I haven't spoken to in years and the beauty of all of it is that I don't have to be more invested than I choose to be. 

So what's your take on social media?  From a business perspective I think most of us can agree that  social media and eMarketing are vital, but from a personal perspective, what is your view on social media creating an antisocial world? 

Social media for internal communication

Well, we're talking on Facebook, LinkedIn, My Space, Twitter and so on... this is all happening outside of the workplace. Why not take some of those same tools and use them at work, for work? What is the place of social media in the workplace?

As a form of external marketing, we know social media works. It can be a valuable tool when you want to directly interact with your target market. Social media can also be a fantastic way to improve internal communication. There are always opportunities to improve internal communication. It has been my experience that most companies focus on external communication and often internal communication is, although not quite an after thought, not as high a priority as most external messages. For internal communication the primary and most effective social media tool would be a blog.

As an internal communication tool, blogs allow for true, real time back and forth conversation. Blogging as an internal communication tool, can help with transparency and aid in making sure the truth is heard directly from the source, rather than allow for rumors to run rampant. This is particularly important if companies are going through troubled times.

Blogs also provide an important outlet for employees, by allowing them to be heard. Empowering your employees to ask the questions via a blog can really help the internal conversations and build community. Companies often fear the creation of an internal blog. They feel that having the blog will open a can of worms in the form of negativity and unproductive communication. However, most companies are pleasantly surprised to find that isn't the case. In the blogosphere, employees often police each other and help bring the conversation back on track.

The key to ensuring that you have a successful internal communications blog is very similar to planning for your external blog. Determine your strategy, goals and a clear set of protocols for use in terms of posts and responses. Your blog policy should clearly communicate acceptable and unacceptable types of language and posts. Expectations in terms of what the blog is intended for must be clearly outlined up front for all potential users, including those responsible for posting topics.

So, who should be posting the topics? Well, blogs are a great way for Human Resources, Facilities, even Administration to speak directly to employees on a topic and solicit direct responses. Personally, I think, although it may be more difficult to manage, companies should look to have as many departments involved as possible.

Having representatives from many different departments will help keep the blog more interesting and engaging. Everyone has a different writing style and brings something unique to the blog. This can help increase the audience because there will be something for everyone both in terms of subject matter, but also in terms of accessibility to different readers.

So, to get started, simply make the decision that an internal company blog is for you. Start planning your strategy, determine your goals and outline expectations. Don't rush this process the key to any successful blog is all in the planning.

Beginning the social media discussion

The conversation went something like this, "We need to look for cost effective and efficient ways to market due to budget constraints. Any ideas???" It was time to broach the subject. In my industry, which is health care, the use of social media is in the beginning stages for most companies. There are few major health care entities around the country using social media to their advantage, but the majority are not yet involved.

Based on the conversation outlined above, it was time to say it again. We too need to get involved with social media.

As I pointed out examples of like companies with social media marketing programs, the argument was that the other companies have pretty extensive and advanced social marketing programs. The counter: they all started some where.

With that said, the questions start. How would we do it? How would we frame it with our brand? Which brand do we align it with? Which brand/practice/institute would most naturally fit with this concept of marketing.

The biggest challenge is that strategically companies want to follow all their marketing efforts out to the logical end. It just makes good sense to do so. However, without a social media marketing expert on staff (and with limited staff) how do you know where the pitfalls are and how does a company avoid what they don't know? How can a company get started and minimize the risk?

Well, there is always risk in anything new that you try. That's a given! Marketing experts, please weigh in, but I think to some extent there is a little trial and error involved in any new marketing program particularly, social media marketing. Here are some key things to think about when getting ready to launch a social media marketing campaign.

1. What is our goal?
2. Who are we trying to reach?
3. What are our parameters regarding updates?
4. How will we monitor what is being said about or brand?
5. Who will manage the program and have final say about what is posted?
6. And last, but most important, do we have buy in from key stake holders who might ultimately be needed as contributors?

It can't be up to marketing departments alone to make social media work for a company regardless of the industry. Social media marketing based on its very name requires a community for success. It requires the company creating the message to be completely on board and it requires the company to provide information that the target audience wants to hear. It also requires that the company be open to the two-way conversation that social media creates, knowing that what is said may not always be positive.

There is an internal use for social media too, but if we are strictly talking about social media as a form of external communication you still can't forget to discuss it internally. Again, everyone must be on board and aware of the effort, from the top administration to the per diem employee who only works a day or two a week. Internal communication about what you are doing externally is important for the success of all your external marketing efforts, but even more so in this new frontier.

So to minimize your risk, think about your strategy. Remember your goals, but above all be flexible. This is an ever changing medium and forces companies to be aware of the pulse of their community. This is not a passive marketing effort. You can't just build it and expect people to come. Social media marketing programs must be nurtured, however, with the proper feeding a care of your program, success is just on the horizon.

Social Media: Extending the Workplace Water Cooler

At work yesterday several of us were commenting on our weekends. I asked one coworker how the movie was? Another coworker looked at me and said "Did you two run into each other over the weekend?" The answer of course was no. We had been Facebooking.

In the workplace today, well at least at mine, there are many of us using Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, LinkIn or a combination of them. Those not grabbing hold of social media seem to be left out of the conversation.

The other side of this are those people you work with who can now follow your every move on the social media forum of your choice. Do you really want them to see everything?

How do you keep people who aren't partaking in social media conversations in the loop and how do you keep those in the loop from knowing too much? Facebook and other such sites offer employees a continuation of the water cooler, but to what degree is this too much togetherness? Should we be this connected to people from work and for those who aren't catching the wave, what's the best way to handle it?

I myself subscribe to the theory that you don't put anything out into the world that you wouldn't want others to see, but I'm sure many aren't so careful.  When it comes to those who aren't in the loop I do my best to include them, but ultimately its their choice to participate or not to. 

Social media isn't just changing the way business is done its changing the way we are interacting in business settings.  The water cooler conversation is no longer just taking place in the office. Now we have the virtual water cooler which is everywhere and available anytime.

How will this impact the workplace long term?  Will it change things for the better or will it cause problems down the road?  I suppose it depends on where you work and the dynamics of your work environment.  If the water cooler at work tends to be a clique where gossip and negativity are spread that will likely carry over into the world of social media, however the opposite is also true.   

What this means is that businesses need to be more vigilant about managing a healthy work environment.  Before a bad day ended at 5pm and people had time to step back and reflect. Now with 24-hour contact through social media this isn't always the case.  Negativity can spread that much faster in the age of social media.  Fostering a healthy workplace has always been important, but today businesses must be more aware of the little things that can mushroom beyond the office setting. Heightened awareness of discord in the office is the new must for businesses.

The Internet vs. Stone Tablets

So I was updating my LinkedIn profile the other day. While on that fabulous networking site I decided to add to my network by searching out a few folks I figured would also have LinkedIn profiles. Several of the people I sent invitations to were people I know from my Rotary club.

I received a response back from one of them who said "Do you think this Internet thingy is really going to catch on?" I was a little surprised since his business is web based. I figured he was kidding, but felt the need to double check. My response back was "The Internet as whole? Are you kidding me?" The note back from him was priceless. He said "I think we should scrap the whole thing and go back to stone tablets!" I found out later that he had been meeting with another business man who is older and built his businesses in an age long before the Internet.

That got me thinking about businesses and more specifically business owners who had success in the years prior to this world wide web phenomenon that has changed everything from the way business is done to the lingo we all use in business everyday. So knowing this, how do we make the Internet, and more specifically social media marketing, accessible to those who aren't familiar with it and use the argument that they didn't need it before and they were fine?

I realize that some people will never grab hold of this opportunity. It could be stubbornness, it could be fear, it could be, well, lots of things. So what have you found? Have you tried to get a client involved in social media or other forms of Internet marketing and run into a wall?

I think most business owners can agree that they have to have a website. Having a website is as important as having a phone number. I guess I'm wondering if we're are going to have a real dichotomy now in business? Those businesses owned and/or run by a younger generation and those that are not...

All a Twitter...

How long have you been using Twitter?  As a new user of this fun and exciting forum, I'm enjoying learning the ropes.  I'm impressed by the tweets of many and trying to figure out my place in this new community.

My mind is reeling with all the possibilities that Twitter and other social media sites offer to businesses and for the non-profit world.   The trick is not being over zealous and really trying to be focused on your goals or your clients' goals. 

In addition to focusing on your outcomes, it is necessary to make sure that your message is direct and meaningful.  If everyone is reading you don't want to just say anything.  PRSA's February newsletter "Tactics" had a great article about Twitter and making the most of the characters you have available. 

Twitter offers opportunities and has pitfalls to be aware of.  As I navigate through and try to learn more about how to make the best use of this forum, it is important for me to remember this is an excellent exercise in being brief and meaningful at the same time.  I tend to get a little wordy, for those of you who know me, I'm sure you aren't shocked by this revelation.

So, I will continue to make the most of my 140 characters and would love to hear your thoughts in 140 characters too.

Small businesses and the Internet, what's happening in your community?

As a long time marketing professional, I have seen many changes in the industry.  From paste-up advertising to online advertising.   Quite a difference.  As times are changing small businesses need to take advantage of the new opportunities the Internet is providing.  

Traditional marketing forums still have their place and there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer, but between search engine optimization and social media there are many non-traditional avenues for companies to explore.  

Have you seen small businesses taking advantage of these new media opportunities?  If so, what kind of businesses seem to be grabbing hold? Where are you seeing them?

I look forward to hearing your responses.