Chapter 5. How to use social media?

Social media has offered us a new set of capabilities for individuals and businesses. Social media can enhance organizational collaboration and communication.

Why do organizations need communication and collaboration?

Organizations depend on effective collaboration and communication within and outside the boundaries of the organization. It is necessary that there is communication and collaboration between the different departments, business partners, external stakeholders and customers. Companies that operate globally need good communication and collaboration between the different locations or subsidiaries.

Organizations used task forces to solve problems. These task forces are temporary working groups with a finite life cycle and task. However, due to the increased globalization companies now use virtual teams. These teams consist of members from different geographic locations which are put together to collaborate on a project.

The members of this team come and go as they are needed and can be part of several different teams. The tasks of these virtual teams are very dynamic and the members need to be flexible.

If you work with a team on a project you need several different communications, like talking, sharing files and making decisions with each other. There are several ways in which you can communicate with each other. We can distinguish between synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous communication happens at the same time, like a phone call, while asynchronous communication is not coordinated in time, like an e-mail.

Virtual teams often have virtual meetings. These virtual meetings take place in an online environment and can be done synchronously, like a teleconference, or asynchronously, like discussion boards. In the past few years, several different tools to support communication and collaboration have emerged.

Groupware is defined as a class of software that enables people to work together more effectively. We can distinguish groupware on the ground of whether there is synchronous or asynchronous collaboration and communication and whether groups work together face-to-face or distributed.

Groupware supports several modes of group interaction:

• Live meetings in electronic meeting facility
• Electronic meeting facility as home base
• Virtual teams
• Synchronous distributed meetings

Discussion forms are widely used for group communications. Discussion forms are also known as discussion boards or online forums and replace traditional bulletin boards and allow for discussions between participants.

There are many forms of synchronous and asynchronous software. An electronic meeting system (EMS) is defined as a sophisticated software tool that is used to support group members in solving problems and making decisions through interactive structured processes. Examples of such structured processes are idea evaluation, electronic idea generation and voting. Groups stay on track with the help of these structured processes.

Over the years the power of processors of personal computers has increased and Internet connections are faster now. Because of this we are now able to engage in desktop videoconferencing. To do this you need a webcam, a speaker or microphone, videoconferencing software and an Internet connecting with high speed. Many conference rooms of organizations have a videoconferencing system that enables team members across the world to communicate with each other.

Most large organizations use intranet-based employee portals. An intranet is a private network of an organization and the members of the organization can access the intranet with their Web browser. The members of the organization can communicate with each other via the intranet network. Because of the increased use of mobile devices it is necessary that the intranet can be accessible from any device. Because of this companies allow their employees to use virtual private networks (VPNs).

The intranet allows employees to access information at any time which increases the efficiency and effectiveness of collaboration. The intranet makes updating, managing and distributing corporate information less complicated.

Companies have very much information in their intranet. It is therefore hard to locate the relevant information that the company needs. Special enterprise search engines are designed such that an organization can better find documents, data sources etc. This enhance productivity and makes the users of the intranet more satisfied.

Intranets are not only used for communication and collaboration but also to provide employee portals that enable employee self-service for applications that are based on human resources, like managing retirement plans or administering benefits. For companies it is very costly to process human resources related forms. Using the intranet enables the company to save money.

How has the Web evolved?

A few years ago the Web was seen as a one-way medium with a strict restriction between content creators and content consumers. This Web was referred to as Web 1.0. Over the past few years there have been several technology changes which has led to new uses of the Web. People can now share information online and collaborate because of dynamic web applications. These applications are referred to as Web 2.0 applications in which the role of the users, the passive consumer, is shifted to the creator. Many organizations have incorporated Web 2.0 applications into their business models.

The success of the applications depends on the network effect. The network effect means that the value of a network increases as more people use the network. Web sites can choose to make parts of their data or functionality available to other Web sites. This enables them to create dynamic and unique applications, or mashups, easily and quickly. A mashup is defined as an application that uses data from one or more service providers.

Companies give others this access because it enables the organization to extend their reach and build and strengthen the relationships with customers.

Social media (or social software) are Web 2.0 applications that embody core Web 2.0 values like collaboration. Social media allows people to interact, communicate and collaborate in several ways. People nowadays share more personal information online than in the past.

The generation that grew up with the social media is known as generation Y or the millennials. This generation is now entering the workforce and has different expectations than the older generations. This changes the workforce. This has led to the movement of companies using social media more to improve communication, connection, collaboration and cooperation.

There are design principles that will allow a computer to be able to index Web pages, subjects and topics better. This set of principles is called the semantic Web. If you use semantic principles to design a Web page then it is easier for computers to understand the content of the page. This enables search engines to provide answers that are richer and more accurate.

Enterprise 2.0 refers to companies using social media within the boundaries of the company or between the company and its customers or stakeholders. This can help a company when sharing organizational knowledge, increasing productivity of the business or connecting with customers.

How should the enterprise use social media?

The use of social media applications can enhance cooperation, communication, collaboration and connection. Social media enables companies to present themselves to customers. Companies can use several social media tools for communication, like:

• Blogs
  Blogging is defined as creating an online text diary, consisting of chronological entries that include everything from the daily life of a person. Bloggers write stories about their lives and often do this to improve their writing skills. Blogging is often referred to as the amateurization of journalism. Blogging is valuable because it can bring breaking news very fast to the public.
• Microblogging tools
  Microblogging tools enable people to let other people know their thoughts. These tools are sometimes also referred to as social presence tools. The text updates of microblogging are relatively short compared to the text of blogs. Anyone can follow the microblog of another person. An example of a microblog is Twitter. There are many organizations that have a Twitter account which they use to post news about the company. When posting a twee people can use hashtags. If a topic is tagged relatively much than it is said to be trending.
• Instant messaging
  Instant messaging, also called online chat, enables people to have real-time written conversations. With instant messaging you can get immediate feedback from the partners you are having a conversation with. Snapchat is a new form of instant messaging which allow users to set a time limit on how long others can see the message.
• Virtual worlds
  In virtual words there is real-time communication and people can use avatars for this communication. In the beginning virtual worlds were very popular but the popularity for business use has faded.

As stated before, social media can also enhance cooperation. Cooperation between organizations and individuals creates benefits for both. A company can use several cooperative social media applications:

• Media sharing
  Sharing photos, videos etc has become increasingly popular. Something that is often used for media sharing is webcasting (or podcasting). This is the distribution of digital media for on-demand playback on digital media players.
• Social bookmarking
  It is a challenge for people to find the right information and being able to find it again. Therefore, people have long lists of bookmarks to sites. Social bookmarking allows users to share Internet bookmarks and to use a categorization system. These systems are referred to as folksonomies. The value for each user grows as more people participate in social bookmarking.
• Social cataloging
  This is the creation of a categorization system by users. People can organize their topics and can create virtual bookshelves. Companies can use this to structure the large amounts of information they have, making the information better accessible and useful.
• Tagging
  Tagging is defined as manually adding metadata to media or other content. Metadata is defined as data about data, it describes the data (like who, where, when). Social cataloging depends on tagging. Many social media applications make us of tagging. A tag cloud shows which words and concepts are key to social media.
• Geotagging
  The geospatial nature of a photo refers to where the photos is taken, what the location of the sender is etc. This is valuable information. If geospatial metadata is added to media then we speak of geotagging.

People can subscribe to webcasts, blogs via the iTunes store or via real simple syndication (RSS) feeds to receive the most current content. These feeds are provided by the publishers of the content and users receive a notification if the content is updated.

Also collaboration can be enhanced by social media. Telephones and e-mail are very useful to companies. Team members need to interact with each other and therefore a company needs technologies that facilitate this. There are several social media applications that companies can use:

• Cloud-based collaboration tools
  Collaboration has improved due to cloud computing. It enables easy access and transfer of files from one person to another. Services like Dropbox store the files and the files can also be accessed from multiple devices. Users of a service always have the latest version of the file. This enables users to work when they are traveling.
• Content management systems
  This system allows its users to edit, publish, version track and retrieve digital content. Many organizations use open source content management systems like WordPress to be able to create Web sites or blogs. This allows the creators of the content to make changes when necessary. Similar to content management systems there are also learning management systems to facilitate business processes in educational field, like Blackboard.
• Collective intelligence
  This refers to the notion that distributed groups of people with divergent expertise and information can outperform the capabilities of individual experts. This can be very valuable for a company. The creation of services or goods by self-organizing communities is defined as peer production. Examples of peer production are open source software (like Apache Open Office) and wikis (like Wikipedia). A wiki is a Web site that allows people to edit, create and delete content and to discuss content with other members.
• Human-based computing (crowdsourcing)
  Companies use everyday people as a cheap labor force. This is called crowdsourcing. Companies also integrate external stakeholders into the innovation process. This is called open innovation and can create great benefits.

Social media also enhances the connection of people. Social networking has become very popular over the past few years. Social online communities are created where individuals can meet and communicate. The most used site on the Web is Google and the second most used site is Facebook. This proves that social communities are very popular. In the beginning these sites were only popular under teenagers but this has slowly shifted over the years.

The Web has grown over the past years and the number of Web sites increased. This makes finding the relevant information more difficult. Social search is used to increase the relevance of search results by including content from blogs, social networks or microblogging.

Virtual marketing is defined as using the network effect to increase brand awareness. The advertisers of companies use virtual marketing to promote their products or services. This marketing tool can be very powerful for an organization.

How to manage the Enterprise 2.0 strategy?

Companies can use several tools to communicate with external stakeholders. The company can use the Enterprise 2.0 tools but these tools also have a downside. Not only the technology of an Enterprise 2.0 tool, but also the change management is very important for the success of the tool. The employees need to be aware of the tools and the corporate culture of the company is crucial for the success of the tools. Some other organizational issues that can arise are:

• Not all Web-based technologies are a success in the corporate environment.
• Organizational context: The chosen tool must fit the objectives of the firm.
• Organizational hierarchies: implementation of Enterprise 2.0 tools often need organizational changes and to achieve this the senior management must be involved.
• Network effects and critical mass
• Generation gap: if a workforce consists of millennials then Enterprise 2.0 tools are more likely to be successful.
• Technological inertia: people are not willing to change to another technology
• Technological integration: the applications must be well integrated with the existing information system
• Security and intellectual property

Once something is on the Internet it never disappears, the Internet does not forget. There are many organizations that have known public relations blunders. Companies must be able to react quickly and appropriate to issues that emerge in social media. There are several catches when using social media applications. Some of them are:

• Online product reviews
  Many consumers first read online reviews but these reviews are not always unbiased. Companies can hire people to place positive reactions on their site, which is unethical.
• Microblogging
  This can be valuable but posting a wrong tweet can have severe consequences.
• Social networks
  For organizations it is important to monitor their social network and take appropriate action when needed. Again, the wrong content on the social network of the company can have severe consequences.
• Bad vibes going viral
  Everyone can see your content and reaction and these can go viral very fast.

Because of the Internet, news travels very fast. This is a threat for companies since negative publicity reaches people very fast. To deal with such crises, companies sometimes have crisis teams and monitor their social media environment carefully.

Bulletpoint

• Social media has offered us a new set of capabilities for individuals and businesses. Social media can enhance organizational collaboration and communication.
• It is necessary that there is communication and collaboration between the different departments, business partners, external stakeholders and customers. Companies that operate globally need good communication and collaboration between the different locations or subsidiaries.
• If you work with a team on a project you need several different communications, like talking, sharing files and making decisions with each other. There are several ways in which you can communicate with each other. We can distinguish between synchronous and asynchronous communication. Synchronous communication happens at the same time, like a phone call, while asynchronous communication is not coordinated in time, like an e-mail.
• Groupware is defined as a class of software that enables people to work together more effectively.
• An intranet is a private network of an organization and the members of the organization can access the intranet with their Web browser. The members of the organization can communicate with each other via the intranet network. The intranet allows employees to access information at any time which increases the efficiency and effectiveness of collaboration. The intranet makes updating, managing and distributing corporate information less complicated.
• People can now share information online and collaborate because of dynamic web applications. These applications are referred to as Web 2.0 applications in which the role of the users, the passive consumer, is shifted to the creator.
• The success of the applications depends on the network effect. The network effect means that the value of a network increases as more people use the network.
• Social media (or social software) are Web 2.0 applications that embody core Web 2.0 values like collaboration. Social media allows people to interact, communicate and collaborate in several ways. People nowadays share more personal information online than in the past.
• Enterprise 2.0 refers to companies using social media within the boundaries of the company or between the company and its customers or stakeholders. This can help a company when sharing organizational knowledge, increasing productivity of the business or connecting with customers.
• The use of social media applications can enhance cooperation, communication, collaboration and connection. Companies can use several social media tools for communication, like:
  • Blogs
    Blogging is defined as creating an online text diary, consisting of chronological entries that include everything from the daily life of a person.
  • Microblogging tools
    Microblogging tools enable people to let other people know their thoughts. These tools are sometimes also referred to as social presence tools. The text updates of microblogging are relatively short compared to the text of blogs.
  • Instant messaging
    Instant messaging, also called online chat, enables people to have real-time written conversations.
  • Virtual worlds
    In virtual words there is real-time communication and people can use avatars for this communication.
• As stated before, social media can also enhance cooperation. Cooperation between organizations and individuals creates benefits for both. A company can use several cooperative social media applications:
  • Media sharing
  • Social bookmarking
  • Social cataloging
  • Tagging
  • Geotagging
• The Web has grown over the past years and the number of Web sites increased. This makes finding the relevant information more difficult. Social search is used to increase the relevance of search results by including content from blogs, social networks or microblogging.
• Companies can use several tools to communicate with external stakeholders. The company can use the Enterprise 2.0 tools but these tools also have a downside. Not only the technology of an Enterprise 2.0 tool, but also the change management is very important for the success of the tool. The employees need to be aware of the tools and the corporate culture of the company is crucial for the success of the tools.
• Once something is on the Internet it never disappears, the Internet does not forget. There are many organizations that have known public relations blunders. Companies must be able to react quickly and appropriate to issues that emerge in social media.

Tentamentickets

• Know how social media can enhance communication and collaboration (know the different tools).