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Welcome to Melcrum's Social Media Newsletter and our first issue for 2008.
Getting support and resources for social media initiatives can be a tough job. The direct ROI of blogs, wikis, and RSS is difficult to measure (and some say we shouldn’t try). But, saying it’s tough to measure won’t measure up with your executive team.
How can you gain support for social media if those in charge of the purse strings don’t see value in it? You need to start elsewhere; at the grassroots and with individuals.
Capitalize on the hype
Social media has been hyped to oblivion in the past two years, but much of this hype has been driven by the fact that in 2006/7, sites such as Facebook and YouTube have proved pillars of pop culture. It’s cool stuff, and rapidly evolving: there’s always a new, smart application or site to play with.
If you begin to suggest ideas for social media in your organization, some of your fellow employees will want to get involved. Undoubtedly, many of your colleagues are already using sites such as Facebook and there’ll also be some hidden bloggers you’re not aware of, so start by uncovering the social media champions you already have.
Brown bag lunches
You can also hold informal sessions at lunchtime, asking employees if they’d like to attend and share their thoughts on how social media could be of use to the organization. Be prepared for lots of interest though, this isn’t a seminar on the benefits of taxes we’re talking about. People will want to contribute!
Speak to your IT department – nicely!
While it’s depressingly normal to have a lackadaisical IT department that’s diametrically opposed to your ambitions (and often this is the second biggest barrier to social media in the workplace following executive buy-in), in truth your IT department – or members thereof – would be useful allies, if you can get them on side.
Speak to IT. Aim to find out what can be done, what software is currently in use and aim to understand any concerns. This will help you compile a more solid understanding of the possibilities available and enable you to build a more comprehensive proposal in the future.
Don’t give up on your executive team
Lastly, while the executive team’s widespread approval may be a distant target, don’t give up hope and, again, focus on who you might know that can help push your cause along. As with your immediate colleagues and IT, there’s every likelihood that a champion is just waiting to be uncovered.
Best regards,
Alex Manchester
Editor
alex.manchester@melcrum.com
How to use social media to engage employees is the ground-breaking report on integrating social media tools into your communications. Get the most up-to-date information on integrating blogs, wikis, RSS, podcasting and all the other social media tools with your communications. Don’t miss out on the chance to equip your team with one of our best-selling reports from 2007. |
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About
Melcrum
Melcrum is
a research and training business, expert in all aspects of
internal communication. Through our global networks, we connect
more than 18,000 professional communicators in sharing what
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