Thoughts, Ideas, Opinions ... » Why organisations should consider internal social networks

Social networks are often associated with external communications due to the success of many high-profile promotional campaigns cleverly created by companies such as Dell, Cadbury and Burger King, trying to generate additional buzz via popular platforms like microblogging site Twitter or building their own like Time Warner UK did with Webjam for its NME magazine (part of the IPC media Unit). More and more organisations see the rise of social networks as one of the best channels to keep in touch with their customers and other external audiences. But how will this trend evolve in corporate environments?

As the popularity of social networks continues to grow and gradually replaces traditional communication channels such as email, they can be used more than simply as an internal communications tool to share company news and corporate updates. Instead, there are at least three key areas where social networks can make a difference within an organisation.

• First of all, the concept of social networks builds upon a sense of purpose, ie tha ability to bring group of people to tackle company issues together, from fostering innovation to organizing a team day-out; this in turn helps nurture a sense of belonging which will boost staff morale and maintain employee loyalty;
• Secondly, interactions and conversations are key to generating ideas, swapping knowledge and transform what could start as mundane discussions into proper innovative projects;
• Finally, an open platform for honest dialogues can be a good place for managers to identify talents by providing an environment that nurtures the type of leadership companies crave for : one that is not based on hierachy but on commitment, competence and enthusiasm, in other words the natural leadership that any organisation needs to foster to grow;

If you are interested in looking further into these business cases for internal social media, and exploring the challenges as well as solutions for implementing social networks internally as we have recently done for Unilever, my full article is now available on Figaro Digital Magazine.