aNewDomain.net — Are you wasting your employer’s time on Facebook? Are you managing your social media networks at work? You are not alone. More and more of us don’t let our job get in the way of updating and browsing Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
It’s common to see dozens of Facebook posts in my feed throughout the day from friends at work. Of course, I see these posts while I’m checking my feed at work. Several times a week I’ll see posts from people in the office next to mine!
While at my office I will almost always have a HootSuite tab open in Chrome. Like other workplace distractions, employees must take responsibility not to let their social media habits affect the performance of their job.
Image credit: Isaac Kendall
Working for an IT services company, we often receive requests from business clients asking us to block Facebook or other social networking sites on their networks. These measures are not always effective as determined people can always find their way around these “nanny” features.
Social media can be like having a window with a view or gossiping in the coffee room. These distractions must be kept to a moderate amount. Employees need to act responsibly to ensure their jobs are getting done. Likewise, employers need not act like an Internet nanny and treat their staff with respect and trust.
Using social media as a business tool
Businesses must embrace social media in order to remain relevant, as your competition (probably) already uses it. Never before have consumers and businesses had such direct access to each other. Companies can monitor social networks to see what people are saying about their product, in real time. Think of it as a quick feedback loop to take immediate action when problems come up.
In the past, a company might not have known there was a problem until it had manifested to a point that it was an irreparable monster. A company can earn substantial good will by addressing a dissatisfied customer immediately; someone who takes the time to complain on Twitter about a problem will generally also take the time to pass on praise when the problem is addressed.
Using social media to get a real-time look at what the world is saying about your competition can be invaluable intelligence. What are they doing right? What are they doing wrong? How can you capitalize on it?
Employees can also leverage Twitter to keep on top of what’s going on in their industry. Working in the fast paced IT world requires me to constantly keep tabs on developments as much as I can. If I relied solely on RSS readers or the news reports at the end of the day, I’d certainly miss things.
Regardless, if I’m using social media for personal or job-related reasons, I’d be lost without tools like HootSuite or TweetDeck. Having all my feeds and searches in one window means I can get in and get out as efficiently as possible.
If you are flipping between Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other networks one browser tab at a time, you might want to consider one of these tools.
Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Isaac Kendall is a wireless industry specialist and senior contributor at aNewDomain.net. Email him at isaac@aNewDomain.net and follow him @isaackendall. He is +Isaac Kendall on Google+.
