As businesses enter 2017 with new ideas and perspectives on the direction of the relative progression of both company and employees, attention is turned to the social elephant in the room. Social Media, the golden ticket or the Achilles heel of any company in an expanding digital marketplace. And the big question now looms larger than ever in the minds of management worldwide, should we or should we not encourage the use of social media in the workplace?
To begin with, the statistics associated with social media usage must be taken into serious account. Worldwide there are over two billion active social media users with over 22% of the global population using Facebook. However, from a management perspective these figures only become relevant when conversion rates are accounted for. Roughly 50% of shoppers have made a purchase based on a recommendation through a social media network, not to mention that 64% of Twitter users and 51% of Facebook users are more likely to buy the products of brands they follow online. Successful engagement with these statistics can prove very beneficial to both brand awareness and consumer accumulation and retention.
Overall the majority of companies are aware of these figures. Whilst they may often sit on the periphery of investment based on time and management constraints, the explosion of Facebook-for-business and the rapid onset of social media insights and targets suggest that social media growth shows no sign of slowing.
The statistics for business use are undoubtedly positive, employees tweeting and sharing company updates will encourage more business. The managerial difficulties for companies arise when attempting to make the clear distinction between company and personal time. How best to allow employees to be creative, contribute effectively and feel valued but also maximise the time spent on other more pressing tasks in the workplace.
An effective social media policy could be the key. A social media policy need not be a dry and restrictive document, instead it should tell people what is important on social media, why this is important, and how they can contribute in a productive and creative way. It should illustrate what elements of work-life to share, and outline an official procedure for doing so. A dedicated social media management company could assist with the generation of this document as well as the general day-to-day running of the channels. With this policy in place, employee engagement can be maximised without impeding other departmental KPI’s.
The growth of social media in the workplace is a key indicator that these channels are a valuable resource, not only as a captive marketplace but also as a proven method of improving employee engagement and retention. An area to be explored with enthusiasm in a landscape soon to be dominated by generation Y.
