Corporate Social Networks: 8 reasons to bet on them
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Do not know what are the Corporate Social Networks?
There is no doubt that social networks have changed our habits and way of relating.
We think that, just as in our day to day we use these tools, we can incorporate an internal professional social network in our company or organization to improve and add value.
It seems interesting, right?
If you want to know better what exactly these Corporate Social Networks (or internal) are and all the benefits they can bring in your professional environment, do not miss this post.
What is Corporate Social Networks?
Corporate Social Networks are collaborative tools in the professional field.
They allow members of the organization to interact and offer an opportunity to reinvent the way to create value in the entity, organization or company.
But when we talk about this type of networks, we do not refer to an intranet or any other unidirectional communication resource of a company. Nor do we talk about the general social networks that an institution or company manages.
Corporate Social Networks are based on web 2.0, but they are closed social networks. That is, only members of the organization or company, collaborators, partners, customers or people related to the entity access this platform.
They are collaborative, horizontal, open tools and the key to success will be the interaction or “feedback” generated around these digital platforms.
Why are Corporate Social Networks important?
This type of digital tools opens new ways and ways of working.
And, in this new way of relating to the workplace and throughout the implementation process, people are fundamental.
But for this new communication to occur, it is necessary to maintain a basic digital support. Here comes the process of digitizing the company.
Corporate Social Networks as a basis for the digital transformation of companies
These collaborative tools represent the perfect lever for the digital transformation of organizations. They will be useful to assimilate cultural changes in the organization and to incorporate new work methodologies.
We must understand the Corporate Social Networks as something more than a technological support.
We talk about understanding a new way of interacting, of discovering the talent of the organization, of putting a value on the knowledge of the people who work for our company or organization.
They provide us with ways to discover and take advantage of the synergies that can be developed in any organization.
They allow us to learn from our partner, to share, to take advantage of collective potential and intelligence.
In short, to truly bet on a change in the management of our way of working.
The importance of people in Corporate Social Networks.
This model does not work without the involvement of people. And, in them, the classic hierarchical model has no meaning.
Any person in the organization, regardless of their professional category, can add value. And not all organizations or companies are prepared to take on these changes.
Shaking the settled bases of work processes is never easy. Move people anchored in their way of working, reluctant to change and technology, is complicated.
Therefore, when we talk about Corporate Social Networks we have to assume that in this process of digital transformation people will be the key.
Beyond technology, in the process of implementing a corporate social network, we face an important work of emotional management.
The key is to ensure that people in the organization assimilate, learn and even get excited with all that these tools can provide in their professional development.
Nobody said it was easy!
It takes time.
When people who use these networks in their work environment are knowing and discovering, little by little, all these advantages that in the day to day they will provide an adequate management, everything changes.
Advantages of Corporate Social Networks
If we manage to implement a corporate social network in our organization or company and manage it properly, we can obtain many benefits that are worth highlighting:
1.Improve internal communication
A company or organization that does not communicate internally, will not be able to communicate to the public or its target audience adequately.
Internal communication, that great forgotten in many organizations, is basic for the entire communicative process to work.
These platforms allow us to communicate easily. We can comment, open a debate or consult with a single click. It facilitates the way to get in touch with any member of the organization and we can even protest or request information if we wish.
The active listening is basic. If debates or protests are generated by any topic related to the management of the organization, any person can answer, add value to the debate or offer another opinion.
Far from the old intranets, in which the company or organization sent the unidirectional message, these social networks allow conversations.
In a simple way, we can obtain the ‘feedback’ of any agent involved in the organization.
2. Increase effectiveness
Imagine that we need the contact of a person from another department.
Or that we want to find the conversation/chat that we had with a collaborator or collaborator.
Suddenly we need basic information about a specific project. Or even, we remember that we need a document sent to us in an electronic message and we have to look for it among thousands of e-mails.
All these examples and many more, we will find them accessing a single platform, at any time, from any device.
Which translates into improved productivity and increased effectiveness. You also learn 6 tips for a successful strategy in Digital Marketing.
3. Value the talent of the organization
These Corporate Social Networks help us identify the talent that exists in any organization.
Although we are focusing on business or corporate environments, these types of networks are also being implemented in the educational field.
The concept of educational social networks is very similar to Corporate Social Networks, but in this case, instead of a business or corporate environment, they are thought of in the educational community.
The idea, in this case, to value the talent, would be the same, both in the field of education and business.
We can, for example, find people who can help us in the management of a project or in a specific consultation. Or even, the most proactive people, interested in improving an area, can create an improvement or innovation project.
This type of vertical social networks facilitate the ways of participation of different members of the entity.
The ease at which to participate and contribute in these platforms helps without a doubt to identify and value the talent that we have near and that probably in another way, it would be much more complicated to discover.
4. Empower and motivate agents of the organization
These vertical social networks facilitate the way to participate and contribute to the organization, which translates into an empowerment of the members of the organization.
If we feel heard, we can contribute and someone responds. We see that our contribution can be useful for another member of the organization.
In some way, we are increasing the feeling of belonging, commitment and also motivation.
5. Remove meetings
Advantages of Corporate Social Networks
Being able to manage a project through a platform like this, avoids us on numerous occasions, the need to hold face-to-face meetings.
We can digitally share all our doubts or suggestions. Even, establish a date and time to make a chat and solve, for example, some issue that is complicating the development of a project.
In this way, we eliminate meetings and even successive emails.
6. Eliminate physical barriers
In addition, they help us eliminate physical barriers between different departments.
If the different areas or departments of our organization are in this system. We can better know what exactly each department or delegation is working on, how it develops it.
And, in addition, we will be able to identify in what they can help us or in what we or we can help.
In this way, we can easily get in touch with that other department, even though geographically we are in different places, something that in the offline world, maybe, would be complicated.
7. Improve knowledge management
The Corporate Social Networks offer storage systems and organization of all our documentary fund, in an agile and collaborative way.
Each project can have its documentation classified, orderly and easily retrievable for anyone involved in the project.
We can even set filters to ensure the privacy of certain documents.
If the knowledge generated in the organization is not shared, it will not do much good. Distributing this knowledge will be essential in processes that truly add value. If we are able to transfer the knowledge of the company or organization quickly and effectively, the information will not lose its value.
8. Improve the brand of the entity
These networks will help us to promote the digital transformation and innovation in the entity.
In addition, they can be a great opportunity to connect clients or users, so that they are linked to the brand.
Connect to different agents involved in a project (collaborators, potential clients, managers) for the benefit of all and all. In this way, a link and loyalty to the brand are achieved.
If the people involved in a project can participate, give their opinions, feel heard, motivated and empowered and facilitate the avenues for this, they will be our best brand ambassadors.
In this way, if our internal communication is good, our brand image abroad will improve.
Conclusion
“In processes of digital transformation, emotional management is basic”
It is clear that the benefits that a corporate social network can bring to our organization are many. The fundamental thing will be that the users of these vertical social networks will find them useful and valuable.
Another key point will be to create horizontal structures in which there are no hierarchies and all the members of the organization can contribute equally, regardless of their position.
The entire organization, from the management team to the trainee who joins this network, has a great opportunity ahead. It is necessary to understand and assimilate all the advantages that this new way of working can bring us.
Facing fears and rejection due to ignorance will be fundamental for the implementation of a network of these characteristics.
Implementing a corporate social network implies betting on a new way of working. Believe in collaborative work and the need to innovate. A great challenge of digital and personal transformation for which commitment, methodology, and openness to change are required.
Are you using a corporate social network in your company or organization? I will be happy to know concrete platforms and practical experiences.
If you do not know them, but you have found an interesting proposal. And you have been wanting to know more: do not hesitate to ask, suggest or share a comment.
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