By David Grover
All of your employees use social media.
It’s likely one of their preferred methods of communication, and you don’t need to teach them how to use it.
Because it’s already a part of their daily lives, you’re missing a great opportunity if you’ve neglected to incorporate it into your internal communications strategy.
To do so, everyone will have access to the same information at the same time, and communications through social media offer more flexibility than the rigid schedule of frequent meetings.
Create a Dedicated Social Media System
Though not every company will have the resources to start a private social network for their employees, those that do have already started jumping on board.
You’ll be able to monitor what’s posted in ways you won’t on open social networks.
Because the system is strictly internal, you won’t have any privacy concerns relating to information being overshared.
If you can’t create a dedicated system, you can always opt for a closed or private group on an already existing social network, though you may need to implement stricter boundaries.
Use Social Media to Share News Updates
Who reads the printed company newsletter?
Unfortunately, almost nobody.
It’s tacked up in the break-room, and everyone walks right past it.
It gets mixed up in the piles of paper on everyone’s desks, never to be seen again.
Using social media to share your news updates will keep everyone informed.
They’re already used to staring at their phone screens, and they’ll be less likely to scroll past it.
Everyone could afford to be a little more informed about the current happenings with your company.
Integrate Video Content
When you’re face-to-face with your employees, you won’t have many opportunities to share videos with them.
A Melcrum survey found that the overwhelming majority of internal communications experts agree that video is a crucial resource.
You may show a video at a meeting, but what happens if your employees would like to reference that information?
Rather than digging deeply into their memories, they can search your social media network to pull it back up.
They can even bookmark video resources for future use.
Expand Your Boundaries with Remote Communication
One of the best things about using social media for communication is that it removes so many limitations.
Employees on business trips won’t be missing out on things, as long as they have access to social media.
You won’t have to pull people into groups to make sure they’re all receiving the same information.
Anyone can get it anywhere, reducing the amount of effort it requires to keep everyone up to date.
Develop a Stronger Open Door Policy
People love hiding behind their computer screens.
It gives them a stronger sense of anonymity, and it makes confrontation less difficult.
Using social media for your open door policy means your employees may feel more inclined to use it.
It’s less awkward than a face-to-face conversation, especially when it comes to uncomfortable issues.
Your employees will feel valued and respected if they’re able to discuss important issues with you—especially if you show them you’re listening by applying their feedback.
Communication means everything.
If one hand doesn’t know what the other is doing, nothing is going to be built.
Any step you take to strengthen communications is a step in the right direction.
It just so happens that social media is one of the most effective strategies, and also relatively easy to implement.
image credit: shutterstock
