Traditional forms of business communications, such as email, have become clogged with spam and are ill-suited for collaboration. The antiquated file sharing systems of most businesses make it nearly impossible to locate and share information. Social networks, such as Facebook and LinkedIn, provide easy access, continuous status updates, and spam-free messaging. Consequently, many businesses are attempting to replicate this success with enterprise social networks. Here they can tap into the power of social media to connect with customers, facilitate employee cooperation, and maintain a level of control and accountability not possible in public social networks.
There are two kinds of enterprise social networks, internal and external. The internal social network is also commonly referred to as a "social intranet" because it is used to replace and supplement the intranet and internal communication methods of a business. An external enterprise social network is "a system of web-based technologies that provide rapid and agile collaboration, information sharing, emergence and integration capabilities in the extended enterprise" as defined by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM). Companies like Jive Software provide software for businesses to implement enterprise social networks.
Although there are no hard and fast rules for establishing a successful enterprise social network, the following 6 steps help ensure a smoother and faster adoption.
#1 Top-Down Approach
When it comes to implementing company-wide initiatives, getting executive buy-in and taking a top down approach are vital to success. That being said, getting buy-in is often an arduous task in itself. To obtain the coveted C-Level sign off, start with sharing the relevant statistics. Stress the growth and impact of social media on the bottom line. Next, demonstrate its value by presenting case studies that demonstrate how enterprise social networks improve the way business is done. Create a comprehensive project plan. The plan should include a communication plan and roadmap, with timelines and major milestones necessary for a successful implementation. Finally, train the top-executives first, so they can lead the way and set an example for the rest of the organization on how to effectively use an enterprise social network. The key is to find ways that they can work use of the social network into their daily routine in an efficient manner.
#2 Educate Employees on Best Practices
It is essential to develop and distribute a document that details the guidelines for the use of the social network. It should clearly indicate what is acceptable to share with consumers and what is not, along with how to properly interact with other employees inside the organization. Additionally, give users a list of best practices and examples to make it easier for them to quickly become proficient in using the social network. No need to start from scratch on this, there are plenty of companies that publicly share their company social media best practices and policies.
#3 Lead by Example
This is where you come in. The old adage "do as I say, not as I do" is not an effective strategy for facilitating adoption of an enterprise social network. Leading by example is critical. This means you must be both diligent and consistent in your use of the social network. The bare minimum is not an option. To truly lead, you must be a strong influencer, blazing the path of thought leadership. This can be accomplished by selecting topics of interest, creating multiple discussions weekly and replying to discussions daily.
#4 Add Value that Exists No Where Else
With every corporation, there are a number of mediums through which management and employees communicate. To encourage employees to add another medium, to the ever growing list of things that are a "necessity" to do, there must be a compelling and distinct value proposition. Start by sharing relevant information that will spur conversation within the business. To enable employees to find the information, corporate communications should send a company-wide email that includes a link to where the information can be found on the internal social network. Using traditional communications methods to inform employees of the new location is the first step to changing behavior. In addition to traditional communications, add value to the social network by making regular posts about industry news and tips on using the social network.
This advice is also relevant for external enterprise social networks. Keep in mind that the audience here that you need to provide value to is your potential customers, current customers, investors, and industry influencers.
#5 Seek Out Natural Evangelists
Your stereotypical programmer is not likely to be the first person to jump on board with using an enterprise social network. However, a loquacious salesperson is much more likely to join in right away. Seeking out these people in advance of a rollout will make the adoption process smoother. Know someone who is naturally chatty? This should be your go-to person. Spend some time with these individuals to get them excited about it and give them a preview of your plan. Then, enable them to be successful. Work with your evangelists on best practices, provide them access first, and ask these advocates to spread the word. Creating word-of-mouth excitement is the best way to inspire other employees, as opposed to a mere corporate mandate.
#6 Recognize and Reward
Recognition is a necessity. In order to ensure that that all your efforts are not wasted on creating an internal or external community, it is vital to provide something in return for employee effort. At a bare minimum, recognize employees who are regularly contributing to the community. This could come in the form of a personal note, public recognition, or a display of their photos on the homepage of the enterprise social network, with a title such as, "This Week's Top Influencer". Be creative and be thoughtful about how and when you recognize employees.
Still having trouble with adoption? To really garner an influx in employee participation create competitions for the title of "Top Influencer of the Month" or the "Top Contributor of the Quarter," and then reward the winners with small prizes. Nothing motivates people like competition. Prizes should be determined based on the effort of the task. The greater effort required, the bigger the reward. The prize does not have to be monetary, but that certainly helps.
Having trouble with enterprise social network adoption? Tell me your story and I'll see what I can do to help.