The document outlines 5 steps to successfully launch an enterprise social network: 1) Conduct a pilot launch with a small group of users, 2) Get champions to use the network and represent different user types, 3) Have champions build initial content to seed the network, 4) Educate all new users on how to use the system, and 5) Continually document wins from using the system to promote its value to other employees.

1. 5 steps to launch your enterprise
social network

2. So, you’re ready to launch your company’s new
social network.

3. So, you’re ready to launch your company’s new
social network.
It might seem like it will be easy - simply open it
up and let them loose, right?

4. So, you’re ready to launch your company’s new
social network.
It might seem like it will be easy - simply open it
up and let them loose, right?
Not quite!

5. So, you’re ready to launch your company’s new
social network.
It might seem like it will be easy - simply open it
up and let them loose, right?
Not quite! To make it work, a launch needs to be
planned out and managed carefully.

6. 1 2 3 4 5
Here are five steps that
you should consider to
help you launch your
enterprise social network
out of orbit.
5

7. 1
1. Conduct a pilot launch

8. 1
1. Conduct a pilot launch
In most cases, a big launch will be a flop.

9. 1
1. Conduct a pilot launch
In most cases, a big launch will be a flop.
Throwing users in the deep end and expecting
them to become adept social networkers straight
away, immediately changing the way they work
and communicate with one another, is unrealistic.

10. 1
1. Conduct a pilot launch
Instead, do a soft launch first with a select group
of users before you roll it out company-wide.

11. 1
1. Conduct a pilot launch
Instead, do a soft launch first with a select group
of users before you roll it out company-wide.
This way you can work out any quirks in the
system and establish a plan of action for getting
users fully involved with the platform.

12. 2
2. Get your champions started

13. 2
2. Get your champions started
Get a group of champions to start using the
enterprise social network.

14. 2
2. Get your champions started
Get a group of champions to start using the
enterprise social network.
They’ll help you iron out the bugs and will help
you to roll it out to a wider user-base later.

15. 2
2. Get your champions started
Invite a spectrum of people from across the
business to be your first users.
Include a mixture:
• Early adopters
• Socially savvy people
• Contributors
• Spectators
• Key users
• Executives

16. 2
2. Get your champions started
Train these users on the system and encourage
them to start working in the platform.
Once they get to grips with the system they will
become advocates and will be able to help and
train other users later.

17. 3
3. Build out your content
Your champions will help you to build the content
within the platform.

18. 3
3. Build out your content
Your champions will help you to build the content
within the platform.
It’s important to have the enterprise social
network seeded and alive before it is opened
up to the rest of the organisation, so that there’s
somewhere to start and work from.

19. 3
3. Build out your content
Populate the network with valuable content
and information like:
• User guides
• Templates
• Brand files
• Onboarding documentation

20. 3
3. Build out your content
Joining an active, vibrant community will help to
enthuse new users into getting involved.

21. 3
3. Build out your content
Joining an active, vibrant community will help to
enthuse new users into getting involved.
New users will take clues from the existing
community on how to use the system.

22. 3
3. Build out your content
Joining an active, vibrant community will help to
enthuse new users into getting involved.
New users will take clues from the existing
community on how to use the system.
They will find it easier to try microblog posts,
comments and mentions when they see
experienced users doing so.

23. 4
4. Educate users
Don’t just train everyone once at the start – run
top-up sessions.

24. 4
4. Educate users
Train all new users so that they understand:
• The technicalities of the enterprise social network
• The benefits of the system
• How it can help them to streamline their work
• How it can improve communications

25. 4
4. Educate users
Take care to help users with lower levels of
expertise or those who use the system less
frequently to avoid user drop-off.

26. 5
5. Document wins
Once you’ve launched your enterprise social
network, remember to continually identify
and document wins to promote the success
of the platform.

27. 5
5. Document wins
These could be things like:
• Increases in product knowledge scores since the launch
of the system
• Reductions in the time certain projects take to complete
• Improved inter-team communication

28. 5
5. Document wins
Broadcasting successes with colleagues via the
enterprise social network will demonstrate the
value of the platform to users, particularly those
who may be skeptical or haven’t fully signed on to
using the system yet.

29. 5
5. Document wins
Broadcasting successes with colleagues via the
enterprise social network will demonstrate the
value of the platform to users, particularly those
who may be skeptical or haven’t fully signed on to
using the system yet.
Consider starting a hashtag to group these wins
together and use them to measure the results of
the system.

30. highq.com