Social media
Social media; a tool for interaction and sharing information?
Over the last years the use of social media has expended. In addition memberships and number of platforms have increased. Social media is a place to meet new people, but also a place to stay in touch with already existing contacts. As a communication tool, social media is used to share information and experiences. However, it is also used as a tool for interaction and discussion. The matter of fact is that social media is growing and playing an important part in business. In addition social media is a part in the development of information and communication technology (ICT).
Social media can be defined as;
“A mobile and internet based tool where you have the opportunity for discussion and sharing information. Social media is a communication channel where the content is generated by the user, it focuses on two-way communication and interaction between the participants”.
Social media is here to stay; both at work and in private life. Every day we use social media to make the daily routine better and easier without even thinking about it. Own experience has shown me that social media has characteristics which can contribute to more efficient communication and to improve the work environment. These factors make social media an important tool in most industries.
Another factor is that the expectations to communication tools are rapidly changing; especially when new generations enter the working force and organization are becoming international. There are higher expectations to two-way communication and dialogue between the participants and many of the traditional communication tools can not satisfy these requirements. Organization might see the advantage of social media; however they stumble when implementing social media into an already existing communication mix.
The majority associate social media with channels like; Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, however social media is much more than that. You can ask yourself the questions;
- How many organizations have access to a chat room or a blog?
- How many use social media to discuss and share information at work?
- What can be done to open people’s eyes to the benefits of implementing social media?
In addition to this several people say that social media is not suitable for B2B (business to business) communication. Then how can it be that people seek information about other partners and companies in blogs, forum and such? Take a moment to consider where you find all of your information. How many blogs/forums have you read over the last week to find information?
It is about time to see the role and value of social media, and to see how the development has been over the past years. Social media is described as a platform for interaction and knowledge sharing, and is a huge field filled with opportunities. It is important to see the benefits of implementing social media instead of focusing on the drawback and risks. My opinion is that adjustment for learning is one of the most important factors to eliminate barriers of using social media. In addition support from the management is essential when implementing these tools. Organizations also need to adjust to more openness toward the 3rd party to be able to fully benefit from implementing social media. It is important that the organization venture being social, informal and open. Social media is there to generate dialogue and interaction; it is not about being correct and formal.
It is obvious that by correctly implementing social media it will contribute to better interaction in an organization, in addition to being a platform for sharing information and experiences. For organizations it is important to put an effort into social media and do it properly; it is not as easy as creating a profile or give access to a software, it is about follow-ups. It will also be an advantage to be a step ahead of the market instead of being reactive when the market demands it. How do you use social media at work? Where are the challenges? How can we help you and your organization in this process?