Today, social media plays a crucial role in everyone’s life as it is the new way of living. Social media platforms are very relevant and popular nowadays as they help people find out and learn new things. Communication and exchange of user-generated content like photos, videos have become easy and convenient due to the increase of platforms that enable that. There are different forms of social media platforms such as podcasts, business forums, blogs, product/service reviews, etc. Social media being the way of living, should it be used in workplaces? Research conducted on employees showed that social media is an essential tool for any organization. It increases employee engagement and enables the company to communicate, connect and keep in touch with their customers and reach potential ones.
The use of social media in work encourages contact between workers, hence strengthening workplace relationships, leading to the exchange of thoughts and improving interaction at work. According to Centikaya and Rashid (2018), employees are more likely to stay at a company which they know they have positive connections. An interview conducted shows that 54% of the employees who use social media say that it helps them recharge at work as it helps them come up with more innovative ideas and makes them stay motivated. Short breaks for social networking will increase employee engagement because it makes them feel valued, increasing efficiency and productivity.
Employees feel cherished and treasured when the organization recognizes their efforts in social media. Using social media in the workplace has made it possible for employees to stay in touch with others in the same field and connect with experts and co-workers personally.
Social media is a tool for brand recognition as companies reach most of their clients through social media to drive awareness, interest, and purchase, for instance, when introducing new goods to the market. Communication is a strategic piece in every organization, and social media has made it easy to respond to public relations issues. Internal communication tools lead to increased internal marketing, greater brand reach, and increased employee satisfaction (Fusi & Feeney, 2018).
Social media also enables salespersons to share their content on their networks to attract sales and create awareness of your brand. Excellent social media posts made by employees about business increase sales and also improve employer brand. Social media sites also facilitate brand surveys and campaigns, which use social networking as a development opportunity.
To conclude, increased use of social media in workplaces has offered companies and organizations direct positive benefits. Product reviews, mostly done on social media platforms, help entrepreneurs know how people feel about their products as they can reach millions of people to share their views. Social media, when used well, is an incredible resource helping improve job performance and boost employee morale by giving them breaks from work.
It also promotes workflow as it can be used as a collaborative tool to exchange information for staff at all levels, hence encouraging them to learn from each other. Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been a rapid growth and spread of social media platforms. Social media is everywhere and it is almost unavoidable in workplaces. Every organization looking to grow in today’s world should integrate social media as it has proven to be an incredible resource to a company’s growth.
References
Cetinkaya, A. S., & Rashid, M. (2018). The effect of social media on employees’ job Performance: The mediating role of organizational structure. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 18(4).
Fusi, F., & Feeney, M. K. (2018). Social media in the workplace: Information exchange productivity, or waste? The American Review of Public Administration, 48(5), 395-412.