Top 5 Excuses Why Your Workplace Does Not Allow Open Social Networking

Are you in charge of a workplace and have blocked access to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other social networking sites?

I come across these excuses on a daily basis, and here's my response to each.

Social Media Has No Value: This cannot be further from the truth. In fact, Social Media is current evolutionary state of human communication. It is the evolution of the internet, and the favourite way to communicate in the world. If your workplace is using this excuse, chances are they do not have any Social Media marketing strategies of their own - and their competitors are fast dominating the online space.
Social Media Promotes Procrastination: One of the most common excuses. I've actually come across some workplaces that allow open Social Networking - and they've never had a problem. If you're finding that your employees are wasting a lot of time Tweeting about their breakfast and watching 'Old Spice' on YouTube, chances are that they don't have enough work to keep them busy.
Social Media Breeds Toxicity: Out of all the negative's to ever come out of Social (and you can count them on your ten fingers), far more good has come out of it than bad. If you're worried about your staff taking their frustrations out in the open digital world, it's no different to them talking about it to a group of people in person. Internal toxic sentiment is bred internally, and is never a result of using a Social Network.
Unqualified Representation Damages Brands: Although true, perhaps its time to schedule a policy so that your workplace is aware of what they can and can't do when representing your brand online. There's nothing worse than having your reputation damaged by one of your own staff, but if they know their boundaries, it's one less thing you have to worry about.
Social Media Is Unmonitored: Again, this is true, but easy to negotiate. If your employees know that their activity can be traced online, they're less likely to abuse their privileges. Social Media activity is in fact one of the easiest things to trace, moniter and filter - but ensure that your employees 'private life', remains private.
Do you think Social Media has a place in the corporate environment?

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Until Next Time,
Tomer Garzberg (Keynote Social Media Speaker and Social Technologist)
Australia to the World: Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne
www.strongmandigital.com.au
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