Social
networking is now the most common way people get information out to the world.
It is a new way for companies to get free advertisement, but it also can be a
very dangerous form of marketing. If companies can control some information
being placed online, they will have a better chance of presenting a positive image
to the public.
Facebook is
the world’s largest social networking business around. According to Facebook’s
newsroom website, as of March 2013 Facebook had “1.11billion active users all
over the world.” Also it states the platform for Facebook “enables developers
to build social apps, websites, and devices that integrate with Facebook and
reach millions of people.” Why would companies not want to be a part of the new
crave. Why would they not want people share their information? For every
positive reason; there is a negative; therefore, companies should be aware of
problems that may occur with having a Facebook account.
When a company
puts its information on a site such as Facebook, it has to be very careful with
information allowed on it. It also has to understand all the privacy settings
one should set to maintain a business account. Facebook does a good job by
offering many privacy settings for companies. Also, companies should be aware
of the things their employees put on Facebook. Since Facebook allows people to list
their job history and even allows an individual page link to a company’s
account, this could be dangerous for a business.
First thing,
a business should do after setting up an account is make sure it knows who is in
charge of the business account. Not just anyone needs to be able to post
information about the company on the page. Also it should be sure the site is
set to where the average person cannot post on the main wall of the business
page without the administrator’s approval of the information. This will allow
the business the chance to prevent negative or down grading information from
being posted for the world to see; the website administrator can catch it and have
a chance to remove it. Also this gives the business a chance to contact the
person and try to resolve any negative reactions the person may have about the
company.
The next thing a company may way to do is establish
some rules and guidelines for its Facebook page. A company’s Facebook page
could have various people posting information. Things could happen-- people
change job positions or leave the company all together-- and then the guidelines
would be helpful for the next person in charge of the Facebook account.
Different people may have different ideas of appropriateness these days. If a
company has rules and guidelines, it will lessen confusion concerning what can
or cannot be posted on the company page.
The next
thing a company may need rules and guidelines for is when its employees have a
personal Facebook page linked to the company page. People are allowed to put
their work place on their private pages, meaning they can link their private
lives to their professional lives. This could be a potential problem and very
bad for the company’s image. The tragedy in today’s world is that most people
live two very different lives, and also people do not care what they broadcast to
the world. For example, some people may have a job working with high school age
children but the example they set at work is often very different from the way
they lead their personal lives; they may often post information condoning
drinking, smoking, or intimacy with a different partner every weekend. This
association could give a company a very bad name.
If
companies do not have rules for the employee’s, then can they be allowed to
reprimand the employees concerning these posts? Companies have seen an increase
in employees posting they “hate their job,” talking negatively about their
boss, or even bullying other employees on their personal Facebook accounts. The
National Labor Relation Board is the governing agency creating the rules for
being fired for things a person posts on Facebook. Before making polices, if
companies will check with the NLRB they will have a better understanding as to
appropriate rules they may set and enforce.
Society has
seen the good and the bad of the world delivered via Facebook these last few
years. “Media circuits take different forms and not only help maintain, but can
also help create connections and negotiate relationship changes” (Lange, P. G.
2007). The previously stated information may be dated but it is still
applicable today. Facebook can be a great way to get your business name out to
the public and a way to share the information. As long as companies use social
media correctly, it can be a great free jump start for businesses.
Lange, P. G. (2007). Publicly private and privately public: Social networking on YouTube. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(1), article 18. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/lange.html
Response to: Social Media at Work
ReplyDeleteBecause social media has become so popular, people are beginning to incorporate the use of sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter into their everyday lives. The workplace is the location where a person goes to complete a task and receive a payment for their completion of work. A workplace is not a place where employees sit at a computer and chitchat with friends, unless you have a really cool job! Yes, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites can be beneficial to corporations. The outlets allow a company to market, sell, and communicate with customers. But, I believe that there is a very thin line between work, and play.
There are a few disadvantages to using social media in the workplace, by employers and employees. The first disadvantage is the decline of employee productivity. According to a study by Nucleus Research (2010), companies that allow employees to use Facebook during the workday lose 1.5 percent productivity. Since social media is full of new apps, games, and their co-workers status updates, some employees are religiously checking Facebook or other social media sites instead of completing the work assigned for the particular day. This can become detrimental to a business if it is occurring more and more everyday, by more and more employees.
The second disadvantage to acceptance of social media in the workplace is employee relations. If employees are worried about what another peer has written or posted, this could cause unnecessary tension between them to not be able to work together. Social media allows co-workers to communicate during work hours without others over-hearing, this leads to off topic conversations and time wasted. The third disadvantage is possibly damaging the company image. An employee may post about a promotion or company news that the company is not ready to publicly announce. This could possibly cause animosity between co-workers or even businesses that are in competition with one another. A company’s image can be extremely tarnished by one single post. This can also change someone’s opinion about a company while job searching. If someone sees negativity or posts with offensive nature, a job searcher is going to look elsewhere for a job opportunity. This could be a killer in the attraction of potential employees. Gaining new employees is just as important, if not more, than keeping great workers. Possibly harming the accountability of the business and its’ employees is not worth it, in my opinion.
All in all, allowing the use of social networks can be harmful to a company. Employers should weigh the pros and cons of the advantages and disadvantages before securing a “rule” in the company handbook.
Zeiger, S. (2010). The Disadvantages of Social Networking in the Workplace. http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-social-networking-workplace-21064.html.
Sophie Molaison
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Social Media at Work.
ReplyDeleteThis blog was mostly focused on informing you about the benefits and harms of having a Facebook to represent your business. I would like to focus on the benefits of having a Facebook page if you are a small business owner and continue giving advice on why having a Facebook is so beneficial. Sarah Mcmorris mentions how widely Facebook is being used throughout the world. Meaning a twelfth of humanity has a Facebook, that fact right there alone is a whole new market for your business. According to the website Market Jive Facebook can be a great resource for generating brand awareness. Market Jive.(2007). Once your page becomes popular it provides great ways to build relationships with your costumers. Having a strong customer engagement is super beneficial to the business because you will begin to start to build brand loyalty which is important to keep your costumers coming back.
Costumer engagement is very easy to do through Facebook applications to communicate promotions, contest, and events. It engages costumers with your brand, your products, and your services. This is important to having a successful business according to an article by Abrugar, a sales rep and graduate student. Facebook makes it so easy to upload photos and videos. This is so easy to do to showcase your products and draw in customers. Facebook even helps you attract new audiences through friend’s recommendations; news feed stories, and events. Abrugar, Victorino. (2012). Research shows that when your customers increase your business will have a boost in sales and profitability.
The next most important thing about having a Facebook page is to have someone monitor the page. One major benefit from having the page is that customers can comment and read stories from other consumers. This is a great way to see what users are saying about your brand of services; however, you can not please everyone. Having someone monitor your business’s Facebook can be beneficial to show only the positive things to reflect on your company. Marking Jive. (2007). Negative comments are not always bad. It can provide room for improvement and allow you to try to please your costumers. However, as soon as negative comments are made whom ever is monitoring the Facebook page can remove them to not let everyone see your business’s struggles.
In conclusion, having a Facebook is very beneficial if you have a good employee to monitor it and it is absolutely free. All you need to get started is a personal Facebook account and be the official representative to your business. Once your page is set up it will be accessible to people 24/7, and indexed by search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. Abrugar, Victorino. (2012). If you are a business owner and do not have a Facebook page you are missing out on several opportunities to build your business’s reputation. Get connected.
Works Citied
Abrugar, Victorino. (2012). 20 Benefits of Having a Facebook Page for Your Business. Posted: March 19, 2012. www.businesstips.ph
Marketing Jive. (2007). 11 Business Benefits of Using Facebook Applications. Posted Friday, September 7, 2007. www.marketing-jive.com
Zack Crawford
ReplyDeleteFacebook can be an extremely effective business tool. Sarah Mcmorris has given outstanding advice on how to properly maintain a business Facebook page. Her ideas regarding monitoring and establishing guidelines for the page will make your business flourish. However, being in a career where social networks are used for event promotion, I will discuss additional venues in which Facebook can be a helpful and even monetarily beneficial tool. Being involved an intramural sports director at a local community college, event promotion is huge part of my job. Getting students involved and keeping them informed on upcoming activities can be and is very difficult at times. With the emergence of social networks, it makes promotion a little less chaotic. Facebook offers multiple applications to effectively promote your events, however we will discuss only one.
Facebook Groups allows event promoters throughout the world create a community of like interests in the hopes of getting them involved in what they are doing. If you are car salesman, you can create a Facebook group that is designed to build a community of customers that you have sold a product to. These customers can then invite other prospective buyers to join the group to read the great reviews on you and your business. In my job, I use Facebook groups to keep students up to date on when and where intramural events will be played. I also use Groups to post stats and standing for particular sports. This allows for great promotion and centralized information.
Facebook Groups also allows you to send personal invitations to your company’s event. For example, if you are a sales representative for Sear’s and they are having a huge sale next weekend, through Facebook Groups, you would be able to send invitations to your event to everyone on your friends list. This feature can be priceless when trying to maximize promotion and involvement from people of all different backgrounds and walks of life.
As you have read, Facebook Groups is an outstanding resource for businesses and professionals to use. Creating a community of people with like interests or common factors can prove to be beneficial with sales and participation. Also, personal invitations to events through Facebook Groups is a feature that can maximize attendance at your company’s next event. I strongly believe that if you follow mine and Sarah’s tips, Facebook can and will be a great tool for you and your career.
Works Cited:
Smith, M. (2011, March 22). Six ways to effectively promote events on facebook.
Retrieved from http://www.marismith.com/six-ways-effectively-promote-events-on-facebook-case-study/