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Social networking and your business
25.02.2010
Social networking has exploded across the globe over the past few years, and while for many it is a way to communicate socially, if you use it properly, you can make it work for your business too, says Alan Sherlock.
There are several ways for a business to communicate their message to customers, whether it is in relation to a new product, a special offer or some substantial change within the company.
Twitter.com is a free social-networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read each others' updates, known as tweets.
Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters, displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to other users – known as followers – who have subscribed to them.
Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, by default, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter website, SMS or external applications.
Although it was originally intended as an application for use by individuals, many organisations are engaging with the platform. Those who use Twitter are using it in different ways – some are tweeting, some are listening and those that are making the most of it are doing both!
A company can choose to use Twitter as an extension of its marketing or public-relations activities. In this circumstance, it is important that the company does not, in turn, damage its reputation with a barrage of self-serving and self-promotional tweets.
The organisation can choose to use its company as the correspondent, or choose a more personal option by using employees. If this is well controlled and monitored, it may provide the more personal interaction that most Twitter users favour.
The media attention surrounding this platform cannot be denied. Many celebrities seem to live their lives through a constant stream of Tweets. Nevertheless, how appropriate is this for your organisation? Will you be communicating with the public relevant to your organisation?
Are there adequate resources to support communication through this method? For any organisation to be truly successful on this platform it’s important there is consistent, relevant and interesting communication.
LinkedIn is a business-orientated social-networking site. Unlike other similar platforms (Facebook, Bebo) LinkedIn is mainly used for professionals networking. Launched in May 2003, it has accumulated 40 million registered users, spanning 170 industries.
The purpose of the site is to allow registered users to maintain a list of contact details of people they know and trust in business. The people on the list are called ‘connections’. Users can invite anyone (whether a site user or not) to become a connection.
Once established this list of connections can be used in a number of ways:
- Through second degree connections, you can secure an introduction to a contact that you wish to know through a mutual, trusted friend
- It can then be used to find jobs, people and business opportunities recommended by someone in one's contact network
- Employers can list jobs and search for potential candidates
- Job seekers can review the profile of hiring managers and discover which of their existing contacts can introduce them.
LinkedIn uses what is called a ‘gated-access approach’, which means that to make contact with any professional there needs to be a pre-existing relationship. This approach is intended to build trust among the users of the service.
One feature of the service that may be of particular benefit to businesses is called LinkedIn Groups, which allows users to establish new business relationships by joining various relevant groups. To begin to build your online network the SFA is inviting its members to join its LinkedIn group.
As you evaluate participation in this media you must bear in mind that LinkedIn is just a tool, albeit a powerful one. To really make it work for your business, you must be active in both your introductions and your networking. The most successful LinkedIn business users develop a policy around their interaction with the service. Policy suggestions include:
- Send only customised requests for connections
- Forward requests only if they are specific and contact the recipient in advance before forwarding any such requests
- Spend no more than one hour a day on LinkedIn
- Read people’s profiles before contacting them.
Other social networking sites
There are other social networking sites that support business users, including Facebook and Bebo. One would question, however, participation in such platforms. These are predominantly dominated by users who avail of the service exclusively for social purposes. Some research would even suggest negative associations with organisations that try to hijack a user’s time.
These types of sites can prove useful for an organisation in a number ways, including:
- Building brand awareness
- Driving web traffic
- As a feedback mechanism.
Facebook, in particular, seems to be offering a never-ending stream of new applications, many of which have relevance for businesses. So, while they may not be the first option for promoting your business, some of the social-networking websites warrant further investigation.
Alan Sherlock is an executive with the Small Firms Association. This is an edited version of an article which first appeared in Owner Manager magazine.
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