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Social Media for Internal Communications

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Last Updated on December 5, 2016 / Communications

Question:

Social media is everywhere and a part of everyone’s lives.  Is it a good idea to use social media as part of the company’s communication program for employees?

Answer:

Absolutely!  Whether it is used as an internal blog or forum, livecasting, or even video sharing – using social media for internal communications has a number of benefits.

Social media will allow you to have “real time” conversations with employees.  It also allows everyone to participate in the communications and provide quick, immediate feedback.  It opens up a world of opportunity by allowing employees to interact with one another, become more creative, learn from others, and even connect with potential customers and employees in a non-threatening environment.  Social media also allows employees to feel more “connected”.  If you have a company that has multiple locations, you may not always have the time to interact with those at other sites…social media allows that to happen.

A few sample tools organizations reporting using in house, include:

  • Yammer
  • Huddle
  • Oogwave
  • Enterprise 2.0
  • Podio
  • Hyperoffice
  • Campfire

In this litigious world, there are of course risks.  IT security and loss of productivity are concerns that all companies have but in most instances the benefits outweigh the concerns.  Use social media to your advantage and engage your employees and others in your company and your brand…it will be worth it.

Communication often seems like a “no-brainer”. You have something to communicate and you just “do it”. But factor in multiple shifts or locations, off-site employees and a multigenerational workforce and you quickly learn that providing adequate communication to everyone you employ isn’t so easy. Strategic HR has years of experience writing for a diverse workforce; we even have a marketing/communications specialist on staff. Visit our Communications page to learn how we can assist you with various communication-based projects.