Digital Marketing & Social Media at Work!

We can all agree that social media plays a large role in today’s society.  Many people use it to stay up to date with news and politics, for entertainment, and to keep in touch with family and friends.  However, another growing use for social media has emerged.  Companies and organizations of all sizes are now are utilizing certain platforms like Slack, Yammer, and Trello to keep employees engaged and connected. These platforms are essentially internal social networks where employees can easily communicate, therefor increasing productivity.  This informal approach can help declutter normal communication channels like email and reduces the need for constant meetings.  It also gives employees more time to get work done and allows them to connect with one another across the organization on a more personal level.

The importance of employee engagement through internal communications is growing.  Organizations recognize that employee morale must stay high in order to better achieve their overall business goals. Shifting to digital technologies as they become more advanced and widely used is a natural progression in communication. GE is a great example of a global company that has adopted an internal social media tool. 

GE offers its employees the use of instant messaging, an intranet that can be used to access a variety of resources and they also use Yammer, a Microsoft owned company, to collaborate professionally and connect personally.  Armed with an employee identification number and password, employees across the organization can join different groups related to their job function or personal interests to communicate. Yammer functions similarly to Facebook, making it highly intuitive and popular among older and younger employees.  Users can create and share posts, pictures and videos, and attach documents. The immediate post-and-respond nature of this platform is highly efficient across time zones without the hassle of meetings and emails.

As organizations continue to grow across borders and employees look to be more engaged at work, the use of internal social media platforms is sure to grow as well.