A social platform for small and medium-sized companies

Social software is a platform that enables and promotes social activities such as communication and organization. To name just a few advantages at the beginning: employees are better integrated and networked, communication is kept clear and knowledge and structure are made available. As you may already notice here, the potential for companies seems to be almost unlimited! It is.

In order to give you a good overview and to show what social software could bring you, we will split the topic up in the coming one.

What will it bring my company?

Let's get to the heart of the question briefly.

There is no doubt that the success of a company depends on its employees.

So why should I deny these employees a lively exchange, the archiving and sorting of knowledge or even a personal chat?

We live in a thoroughly mobile society. Social and spatial mobility are no longer news in private life and have reached all age groups. Our everyday companions like Whatsapp or Zoom help us to have a relaxed exchange without thinking too much about it. This gets us used to communicating permanently and no longer differentiating between relevant and irrelevant. This changed communication practice in the private sphere poses fundamental challenges for employee communication.

Apart from the changed digital usage behavior of employees, this also changes the tasks from the manager's perspective. It is no longer about pure employee communication in these turbulent times, but rather about giving employees the orientation and ability to continue to be innovative and able to speak. A social intranet can also be seen as a competence database in this context. The profiles of the employees help to find the ideal contact person and experts for topics. 

Clear transparency and structure not only give employees a direction, but also help managers to keep track of things. Projects can easily be delegated, new employees find their way into the company more quickly and can therefore work efficiently earlier in order to contribute to company growth.

In summary, we can say that a lively exchange in the company is not only beneficial for the well-being of the employees, but also so that all employees can be informed at any time. This not only avoids the well-known "floor radio" but also bundles all information on one platform.

What are the three biggest challenges of social software?

The first challenge is the uncertainty that arises from newly introduced software. The problem here is not due to new software, but rather to the number of digital channels and platforms in the company. Resources are often limited so that clout and consistency can quickly be lost. The employees are also often unclear which medium should be used for which communication and tend to avoid the programs rather than being noticed by errors. Therefore the question arises which programs can be combined in the company in order to offer the employees a self-explanatory platform?

The second challenge lies in the diverse potential of social software. Often these are simply not exhausted or the creativity of use is limited. This mostly concerns the possibility of communicating in a dialog, as well as using the potential of gamification or the interaction and representation forms of storytelling.

The third and final challenge is that suddenly not only professional communicators can produce content, but also content that previously did not have the freedom to do so. If the internal managers want to encourage the employees to exchange ideas, this activity can be bundled and restricted by user groups. There is also an option here to specify subject areas or to filter out desired topics through surveys.

We can anticipate one thing. The three challenges may sound big at first glance, but will be taken up in the following and then viewed as positive.

What are the top 5 features of social software?

First of all, it has to be said that every company is different and that each case has to be looked at individually. Nevertheless, five classic favorites can be named.

Aside from the classic start page with the well-known like and comment options are News, events, video conferences, chats and forums the drivers of digital exchange. A social platform lives from your exchange on the overview page, which is provoked by the functions mentioned above.

How do I popularize the top 5 features in my company?

The frequently asked question of how. The “how” is derived from the incentive and the motivation. If the administrators, here a plural is recommended, create the right incentives and take away the fear of being embarrassed, then social software is worth its weight in gold. So how do you do that exactly?

The core of it all is good preparation. Upload pictures from the past yourself, post texts on specific topics that are exciting for the company, create an event and create a survey for it. It works wonders on its own and increases the participation rate if employees are allowed to vote for the catering or the process at the next event. Many companies also use the turbulent times to give lectures on topics outside of everyday business life. This can be from an American-style “Fucked Up” night - what has gone really wrong in your own career? - to the ideas of exciting hobbies and interests of employees.

Posting and commenting on pictures is also a popular tool. Why doesn't it spark a little competition among the departments or areas?

Sometimes we hear the objection that it is too laborious to introduce a new program to several hundred people. But what happens as soon as many functions are combined so that confusion diminishes and employees enjoy the exchange, feel positively picked up and each area appoints its representative for the social intranet? A good choice here are always trainees, dual students or generally communicative people.

Try it!