The document discusses how corporate social networking can be integrated into a business's communications strategy. It explores how social media tools are being used to add value to traditional stakeholder communications. The key is deciding which social networking platforms can offer genuine benefits and fitting them into existing communications. The document provides tips for companies looking to implement a social media strategy, such as planning content, thinking long-term, experimenting, and empowering staff to participate appropriately.

1. Issue 03
Corporate social networking
Corporate social
networking – is it right
for your business?
viewpoint
Corporate digital communications

2. Issue 03
Corporate social networking
viewpoint
A practical guide to
integrating social media
into your business
In this issue we explore how corporate social networking is being used to
add genuine value to traditional stakeholder communications strategies.
In the last two years social media tools and networking channels have
become a dominant feature in the online landscape. Your employees are
using them. Potential recruits are using them. Investors are using them.
Customers are using them. Discussions about your brand are already taking place.
Whether your organisation is ready for it or not, social networking is here to stay.
The reality is that companies need to be participating in these stakeholder
conversations so that they can help shape the outcomes. So it is important to
understand how these new tools can benefit your business and how corporate
social networking can be integrated into your existing corporate brand and
communications strategy.
On the face of things social media present a bewildering array of new options.
RSS feeds, corporate tweets, iPhone apps, to name but a few. And this is even
before you throw user generated content (UGC) into the mix. Not only do you
have to plan your own communications, if you are lucky enough to be successful
and engage with your stakeholders, you now also have to prepare for them to
communicate back when they Yelp about you or write about your brand on their
Facebook wall.
Bewildering? Initially maybe. Beyond you? Absolutely not. Nothing has
fundamentally changed. As with any innovation in the marketplace there is a lot
of hype. The key is in cutting through the noise and deciding what is right for your
company and where social networking can offer genuine benefit to your existing
stakeholder communications.
PLANNING YOUR
IAL
STAKEHOLDER SOC
MEDIA ROADMAP

3. SOCIAL NETWORKING
NG
PROFESSIONAL NETWORKI
CONTENT SHARING SITES
USER GENERATED CONTENT
USER GENERATED INFORMATION

4. Think before you tweet! STAFF
Our guide to getting Create employee
your social media social networks in
strategy off the ground the workplace
Introduce wikis to provide a place where your people
1 Make it count can build connections, collaborate, share best practices
and support career development and learning. We can
Don’t make a hasty decision to rush into social media.
imagine a time when social networks replace email as
If you invest straight away in recruiting a new ‘tweeting
the primary internal communications channel – for the
engagement team’ without a clear plan as to how it
very simple reason that hitting ‘reply all’ is not the same
fits in with wider objectives, you will end up regretting it.
as collaboration!
Set KPI’s in advance and measure ROI based on
actual business results for the company.
Recommended social media
2 Cover all the bases User generated information
Social media doesn’t just mean Twitter or Facebook!
The channels are changing daily so don’t just invest Social networks
in one. Research which social media sites your
stakeholders are using. Choose a few of the most
appropriate and spread your time and energy evenly
across them.
At Nokia more than 20% of the company’s
3 Plan your content 68,000 employees now use wiki pages to collaborate
Clearly the content must be engaging. But who will globally – updating schedules and project status,
be responsible for approving it and making sure it is exchanging ideas, and editing shared files.
on-brand? What formats will you need – copy, video,
photos, audio, interactive? Where will it come from,
is it original or repurposed? How will you address any
negative comments about the company? Is your strategy
compliant with legal and regulatory requirements?
4 Think long-term
Once your company begins dialogue with stakeholders
it needs to be continued. This may mean long-term
commitment of time and resource from your team –
producing content, posting, sharing, and responding.
So ensure that you have the right process, assets and
tools in place. One option is to outsource these tasks
to an external digital agency via an SLA to ensure
creative and timely ongoing management.
5 Build a network
Don’t overlook the process of building a network.
Just because you start a conversation don’t assume
that stakeholders will respond. Without effective reach,
there is no effective ROI so don’t underestimate the
need for traditional media channels to seed growth
onto your new corporate social network. Identify your
different stakeholder groups and work out which of
these groups is most likely to respond to social media.
6 Experiment
Until you dip your toe into the water you won’t know
the benefits or risks of corporate social networking
for your company. So as a first step: pick a trial social
media project for one stakeholder group that won’t take
too much time; write down successes and challenges;
ask or listen to people you connected with as to what
worked and what didn’t; watch other companies, copy,
remix and move on to the next stakeholder group.

5. GRADUATES INVESTORS
Win the war for talent Make your company
by building your own a more attractive
talent communities investment opportunity
Boost your employee retention and engage with Get to know the online financial blogs where
potential recruits to your business through social your stakeholders are discussing their investments.
media channels. Micro-blogs can add ‘human interest’ Some of the biggest are Seeking Alpha, StockTwits
to your corporate recruitment messages. Internally, and wikinvest. Make your financial content social by
consider using podcasts to deliver training globally. sharing it – add your presentations to content sharing
Externally, consider setting up a Facebook group sites and increase transparency with the wider online
to foster your own talent community. community of investors, analysts and the press.
Recommended social media Recommended social media
User generated content Content sharing
Social networks User generated content
Microsoft has built a community that adds value to Rio Tinto uses Twitter as a newswire to notify shareholders
the target recruits beyond just the future job prospect. on financial updates. The Tweets cover news, events and
The site showcases ‘Real People’ telling ‘Real Stories’ presentations and link back to the corporate IR website.
and features the latest in social networking, RSS feeds,
video and blogs.

6. CUSTOMERS MEDIA
Start putting your Proactively manage
customer at the heart your corporate
of your brand reputation online
Social networks can be used to deliver improved Leverage micro-blogging platforms such as Twitter
customer service and address negative perceptions to set the media agenda and drive users back to
about your company online. Twitter provides a good stories on your corporate site. It can also be used for
platform to immediately engage with customers by live-blogging of company events such as the AGM or
responding directly to conversations, enquiries quarterly results announcements. Content sharing sites
or complaints related to your organisation. can be used to make brand assets such as video and
images quickly available to the media.
Recommended social media Recommended social media
User generated content Content sharing
Social networks Social networks
Dell taps into its own customers as a source of talent Centrica has created a dedicated YouTube channel
and innovation. Customers can submit ideas for new to host videos produced by the company. The videos
products or improvements to existing services and vote showcase the company’s community involvement and
on the ideas they would most like to see Dell develop. CSR activities.
TO FIND OUT HOW SOCIAL
MEDIA CAN WORK
FOR YOUR BUSINESS
GIVE US A CALL

7. Issue 03
Corporate social networking
viewpoint
“Empower your staff
to participate in social
media conversations”
Andy Robinson Technical team lead
Whatever your company’s official level of engagement in social media the personal
take up of sites such as Facebook and services such as Twitter means there is a
good chance that your staff are already involved everyday in online conversations
that may impact – either directly or indirectly – on your company and your brand.
So it is important to put in place corporate guidelines that empower your staff to
participate in social media conversations in the right way.
Social media channels are by definition new and unfamiliar environments with
new rules and conventions. And often the distinction between staff participating
personally or acting on behalf of the company can become blurred. It is all too
easy to forget that what is posted in haste on Twitter can be seen by colleagues
or customers, as well as by friends. And we have heard many social media horror
stories – such as the recent case of one part of our clients business uploading
sales videos onto YouTube which directly contradicted messages from another
part of the business!
The best guidelines often simply boil down to reminding staff that the same rules
that apply to messaging and communication in traditional media still apply in the
social media space. They give advice on how company and brand values can
be applied to social media. They remind staff about the difference in speaking
‘on behalf of the company’ and speaking ‘about’ the company. And they give
the communications team a place to emphasise important company policies,
such as Code of Business Conduct or Confidentiality Agreements, which need
to be adhered to online.
Guidelines should not only protect your brand but also protect your staff and
provide your entire organisation with a framework to use social media channels
with confidence both personally and professionally. If done well they can help
turn your staff into social network champions for the business. You can ask them
to monitor the social media landscape during their own usage and report back
positive and negative remarks about the company.
The best advice we give our own staff is to use their common sense.
Conversations are the lifeblood of social networks and over time the conversations
they are having today may well prove to be springboards for wider company
marketing and communications initiatives in the future.
For more View blogs visit our website:
www.view.uk.com/wesay

8. View is a corporate digital communications agency.
We help FTSE and global companies engage with their business stakeholders.
We do communications and content strategy; stakeholder engagement;
corporate websites, intranets and microsites; bespoke application development;
integrated marcomms campaigns; digital design, build and support services.
For more information please contact:
Jason Ross, CEO
jross@view.uk.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 8811 8651
Ben Procter, Senior Account Director
bprocter@view.uk.com
Tel: +44 (0)20 8811 8613
View
The Penthouse
Block A, Long Island House
Warple Way
London
W3 0RG
+44 (0)20 8811 8600
www.view.uk.com
Corporate digital communications