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Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Social Networking at work
The aim of this blog is to discuss the potential benefit of using Social Networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace for businesses. I will be discussing this from the view point of social networking sites at work. I currently work for RBC Royal Bank, RBC recently decided to venture into the cyber world to grow their market presence by hiring student bloggers to assist in spreading the word of financial saavy. RBC decided to launch an opportunity for enterprising students to share their experiences in finance. The plan is to help students save more and work within a limited budget to avoid financial hardship after graduation. This is a great example of how businesses can use the internet in non-standard ways to increase their market presence and potentially their market share later on.
The question of using resources such as social networking sites at work is a difficult one to answer. If we take a moment to look at the following we can evaluate the productive use of these versus the abstract use that might actually waste time and resources of employers.
A recent study by the Trade Union Congress in Britain recommended that the outright banning of sites like Facebook is not necessarily the best route. In lieu of this the TUC recommended that employers adopt a policy that establishes how and when it is appropriate for an employee to utilize such sites.
Using Facebook and other such social networking sites can be used not only for re-establishing old ties or staying touch with friends, it can also be used to establish Professional Networking opportunities. As outlined in the article job seekers can utilize sources such as Facebook or the like to find new opportunities for employment and connect with other professionals in th same industry.
Companies are also venturing into the same venue to use sources like Facebook to acquire new talent and attract new clients. Potential employers are using these sites to find out more information about potential new hires before letting them through the door. We have seen companies as large as Cisco Systems and MarketWatch.com use Facebook to increase awareness of their products and services.
The reality of social networking sites is that they are here to stay. It is extremely unlikely that we will wake up tomorrow or the next day to find that social networking sites have disappeared from consciousness. The question becomes how should they be treated. It is apparent that they can be used intelligently to increase profitability by businesses, to increase awareness of companies' products and services and even potential job opportunities. Going forward I believe that in order for businesses to get the most out of these services they must adopt new understandings of these sites and separate the relevant from the irrelevant. I am certain that in the future we will see more usage of these sites for businesses, large and small and perhaps this will also be the dawning of a new era in business intelligence.
Thanks for reading my blog, I look forward to your comments!
The question of using resources such as social networking sites at work is a difficult one to answer. If we take a moment to look at the following we can evaluate the productive use of these versus the abstract use that might actually waste time and resources of employers.
A recent study by the Trade Union Congress in Britain recommended that the outright banning of sites like Facebook is not necessarily the best route. In lieu of this the TUC recommended that employers adopt a policy that establishes how and when it is appropriate for an employee to utilize such sites.
Using Facebook and other such social networking sites can be used not only for re-establishing old ties or staying touch with friends, it can also be used to establish Professional Networking opportunities. As outlined in the article job seekers can utilize sources such as Facebook or the like to find new opportunities for employment and connect with other professionals in th same industry.
Companies are also venturing into the same venue to use sources like Facebook to acquire new talent and attract new clients. Potential employers are using these sites to find out more information about potential new hires before letting them through the door. We have seen companies as large as Cisco Systems and MarketWatch.com use Facebook to increase awareness of their products and services.
The reality of social networking sites is that they are here to stay. It is extremely unlikely that we will wake up tomorrow or the next day to find that social networking sites have disappeared from consciousness. The question becomes how should they be treated. It is apparent that they can be used intelligently to increase profitability by businesses, to increase awareness of companies' products and services and even potential job opportunities. Going forward I believe that in order for businesses to get the most out of these services they must adopt new understandings of these sites and separate the relevant from the irrelevant. I am certain that in the future we will see more usage of these sites for businesses, large and small and perhaps this will also be the dawning of a new era in business intelligence.
Thanks for reading my blog, I look forward to your comments!
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