Social networking and business communication platforms

SOCIAL NETWORKING ANDBUSINESS COMMUNICATION

PLATFORMS

Sales Partnerships Design

Marketing Growth Communications

INTRODUCTION

Online business communication platformshave existed since the local, dial-up

bulletin boards of the late 1970s. As morecompanies adopted corporate email andalways-on Internet connections, business

communication evolved to include acombination of automated contact

management tools and highlypersonalized staffing and sales portals.

Meanwhile, social networkingservices sprang up through a

combination of easy Internet accessand flexible mobile technology.

Although both kinds of services havetraditionally been at odds with each

other, shifting perceptions aboutonline communication have broughtbusiness users to social media sites,

as the process of professionalnetworking grows less formal.

SIGNIFICANCE

OF SOCIAL MEDIA

As far back as the late 1990s, business punditsworried about how “Generation Y” would

impact the business world. The burst of thedot-com bubble in the early 2000s validatedsome theories that a wave of loose, informal

business professionals would find themselvesadopting the stricter habits of their

predecessors. However, social media tools,such as Twitter and Face book, have reached

the mainstream, forcing many traditionalbusinesses to adopt new ways of

communicating with customers. Theinformality of social media has spread to

business communication platforms, with themost popular services blending traits from

multiple generations.

TYPES

The most popular business communication

platforms focus on sales, business development,

career advancement and vertical industry

knowledge. Powerhouse career site

Monster.com grew from The Monster Board, a

bulletin board where professionals traded job

leads and resumes. CareerBuilder and Hot Jobs

evolved, like Monster, into essential business

communication tools for managers, human

resources professionals and job seekers.

Linkedin blends the career trackingelements of a job board with social

networking content, allowing members tomake requests for introductions throughshared connections. Brazen Careerist, arelatively new business communication

platform, allows members to connectprofiles and resumes from multiple sites to

searchable profile hubs

BENEFITS

The rise of business communicationtools mirrors a major change in the

American workforce. Instead ofworking at a single employer for

decades, the typical Americanworker may shift employers or even

change careers multiple times.Business communication platformsenable companies to compete more

aggressively for talent, whileindividuals use social networkingtools to promote themselves and

their services.

Prospective employers and customers

increasingly expect companies to maintain a

presence on social networking services,

mirroring a growing demand for transparency

in professional relationships. Previous

generations of American workers may have

been reluctant to share their resumes, except

in times of financial or career distress. Today,

workers routinely leave career details viewable

by prospective recruiters and customers

The only people with power today arethe audience and that is increasingwith Twitter, Facebook andeverything else. We cater to theirlikes and dislikes and you cater totheir own peril.” – By Simon Cowell

CONSIDERATIONS

Although some companies have embracedTwitter and Facebook as part of their businesscommunication strategies, many employers still

block social networking websites. Humanresources professionals worry that questionable

photos or status updates could tarnish anemployer’s reputation. Likewise, managers

often feel that accessing social networking sitesfrom work can seriously harm worker

productivity. The more professional nature ofsites, such as LinkedIn and industry-specific

services, makes many companies less nervous,especially when online services help generate

business leads.

Still, employees who freely over sharesensitive information about company

policies, salaries and product details couldface severe consequences Therefore, many

companies have developed policies,procedures, and training programs to helpteams use social media more effectively and

consistently .

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