Networking And Diversity

In a fast, growing global environment, networking plays a big role in making valuable connections with others. Knowing the right business or social language, dressing appropriately can all be crucial in professional acceptance. Individuals who are good at networking tend to focus on cultural and other social protocol while networking. Having a universal focal point in business and social dealings can bring several advantages.

Listed below are ways in which professionals, entrepreneurs and students can gain the most from their networking by embracing diversity.

The Basic Norms

While networking with various ethnic and social groups, it is key to identify the basic cultural, social norms. Taking the time to acknowledge and appreciate differences can improve communication styles. It sets an atmosphere which is conducive for continued business and social interactions. Identifying basic norms can reduce the possibilities of being easily offended or misunderstood. It also limits confusion and can set standards for expectations.

The Value System

Sharing and explaining different value systems can also improve the networking process. Being able to create bridges with like minded individuals and organizations can build productive and profitable networks. It can also enable ongoing business opportunities and future ventures. Value systems can also be instrumental in shaping the image and brand of a particular individual, organization or institution. One of the best ways to uphold a value is to respect it rather than question its relevance. Finding ways of implementing value points in business and social interactions strengthens the diversity component.

The Inclusion Act

Individuals who value diversity understand the importance of being inclusive. Expanding the circle in regards to gender, age, ethnicity, religion and class establishes diverse networks. It promotes unity and an adaptive mindset to new ideas and methods. It is very clear that being open and accepting, facilitates a healthy environment for growth and success.

Generation Gaps

Another element to diversity which is often over looked is the age component. Industries and organizations are seeing up to five generations within the professional environments. In varying ages, there are different communication styles and ways of doing business. The key to navigating this, is by making sure that there is a clear message in intentions and motives. Using proper reasoning, judgment and sensitivity can be very substantial in building long term and valuable relations.

While networking, it is important to include elements of diversity when making connections. Being aware, sensitive and understanding can improve communication and prevent a lot of disconnects.

Networking Tips – Share Knowledge

Successful networkers are constantly giving out ideas, resources and knowledge with others. They are aware that this type of exchange creates an environment for healthy social and business interactions. It can make individuals more comfortable offering leads or referrals. It can produce an increase in sales for business and opportunities with new or existing customers. Sharing knowledge can also establish common ground for developing long term relationships or ventures. It adds value and true meaning in networking.

Listed below are ways in which professionals, entrepreneurs and students can develop their networking through educational components.

Think Tanks

Join groups of like minded individuals on a weekly or monthly basis to brainstorm. Pick groups that are industry rather than interest based. Professionals should have similar backgrounds and experiences. The purpose of these sessions is to create ideas for better doing better business or sharing best practices. Learn from your business counterparts can be extremely instrumental in your networking endeavors.

During these Think Tank sessions, choose one individual to be the moderator. Before the session, create an agenda, so that the meeting is productive. Select the right amount of time for participants to share and express their ideas and thoughts. Thinks Tanks are just as effective face to face, online or by phone conference. Consider recording the meeting or posting notes to reinforce the ideas and suggestions from that meeting.

Forums

Forums are another platform for sharing and connecting with others. Although, they are not as focused as Think Tanks, they do offer many benefits. Forums are less structured and can provide a wide variety of knowledge and ideas. They are not necessarily industry based and can focus on business or social interests. They can also involve a larger group of people for more diverse and unique solutions and feedback. It can also create many levels of communication and interaction from the comments and ideas shared.

The most efficient forums are usually online or via email. Select questions or comments which are relevant to your networking objectives. Read through advice and suggestions and offer your expertise as well. Feel free to offer constructive criticism in a professional and respectful manner. Encourage continuous dialogue and interactions once you have gauged the interest level of the topic matter. Contribute to several forums and use that chance to expand your network. Stay connected to individuals who share similar thoughts.

Using these tactics and methods for sharing knowledge can be extremely beneficial. It can offer a platform for developing your social and business endeavors with like minded individuals.

Top 5 Benefits of Online Networking

Networking is becoming increasingly popular among entrepreneurs in this day and age. It is an amazing means of allowing professionals to build relationships, grow their businesses, tap into resources, develop business skills and brand themselves within their industry or profession. Entrepreneurs can network in their jobs, clubs, organizations, associations and now online. Internet networking proves to be just as effective as regular networking while adding several benefits for professional and social success.

Online networking is an excellent tool that entrepreneurs should consider investing in for developing their businesses. There are several advantages to online networking in comparison to the traditional networking. Listed below are five significant tips that will open your eyes to a host of endless opportunities:

#1 Online networking increases and diversifies your network.

Online networking gives entrepreneurs a chance to develop relationships with several contacts at one time. Professionals can meet several people and communicate in a broader way than face to face or at a networking event. Business people are able to meet a wider variety of people through online networking. Usually, networking events will attract certain groups of people, depending on who is sponsoring the event. But with online networking, many different industries are represented within the group.

#2 Online networking makes you more accessible to others.

Having a virtual business presence allows professionals an opportunity to be reached much quickly than by phone and mail. Your ability to be accessible and reached easily makes you conduct business is an efficient and productive manner. You are able to organize and execute projects and agendas in an efficient method which can greatly affect your bottom line and give you a clear advantage over your competitors. It will also improve your credibility and image for your company, brand or service.

#3 Online networking shatters time and geographical boundaries.

By networking online, entrepreneurs are able to reach the world from their computer. Using the internet and email allows professionals to send messages to business counterparts during any time of the day from any location to be received anywhere around the world. The flexibility and practical aspects of connecting and building relationships expands target audiences, clients, customers, colleagues, vendors, partners, investors and even employees.

#4 Online networking can be an excellent low-cost marketing tool.

One of the best advantages of online networking is the ability to showcase yourself, company, product, services or brand. As entrepreneurs, we are constantly looking for ways to create awareness and online networking offers that unique feature. Many websites allow members to post pictures, profiles, articles, books and various marketing materials for advertisements and announcements. Entrepreneurs can display these features from online networking to their clients, customers and business colleagues.

#5 Online networking allows entrepreneurs to develop professional skills.

Many online networking groups or companies offers incentives and benefits to their members which can be extremely valuable to business and personal development. Blogs, articles, book recommendations, online seminars, teleseminars, announcements of local and national business events and discounts on business publications or services, are just a few resources that entrepreneurs can use for success.

Entrepreneurs should consider investing in online networking for their professional and social endeavors. Online networking can create many resources for businesses and gives entrepreneurs flexibility in their business dealings. It is just one more effective tool that can used to accomplish business and social goals.

Networking for Piano Teachers: Why Not Put Yourself Out There?

Networking, in our profession, is often overlooked as a great way to grow your student base. In a nutshell, networking is building business relationships. When you first hear this word, you may cringe at the thought of meeting new people or just think that it’s too much work. Yes, to effectively network, you do need a plan, be able to follow-through, and follow-up. Building that network takes some patience at the beginning but the results are more than worth it.

About a month ago, I responded to a music teacher’s Facebook status update asking about marketing ideas for expanding your teaching studio. I initially responded because I have been successful in my first full year of teaching as a studio owner and wanted to offer up my advice to others. After responding, she asked if I would contribute to a series of articles on marketing/networking she was putting together for her popular music teaching blog. Why am I mentioning this? Well, this is a perfect example of how to network…putting yourself out there is the first big step. The fact that I was asked to participate and share my success story is a direct result of me putting myself out there, meeting people, sharing ideas, etc. Perhaps a local teacher will read this article and remember my name down the road. Maybe a parent will type in a certain Google key word and land on this article. Networking does not always directly lead to new students but it does provide more exposure, visibility, and create opportunities. The possibilities are endless for what visibility can do for you as a business owner. Just like in Sales 101, a lot of ‘maybes’ usually end up in a lot of good results…filling up that pipeline with quality leads.

My music teaching business has been open full-time since the beginning of this year, January 2011. I taught full-time as a piano instructor at a local music school for about 5 years before my transition into a studio owner. Since January, I have had steady growth in students, along with a steady growth in inquiries. I am to the point now where I am thinking about expanding my business (which has always been the plan) but I never imagined it could happen so quickly. I whole-heartedly believe that Networking & Google Visibility are the two most important factors for the studio growth.

Networking should be an extension of everything that we do to promote our studios. The key is having those relationships create & generate new relationships. How much does it cost to Network? Absolutely Nothing!! That’s the beauty! I’ve spent about $1000 in advertising (3 different ad campaigns) since last November. How many current students saw my ads? 0. Now, that’s not to say that it’s ineffective. Over the course of time, I’m sure that Google AdWords will end up being an important marketing tool. The problem is that my marketing budget is not where I need it to be for AdWords to work for me.

I try to implement a little bit of networking in my everyday life, even if it is subtle. Here’s an example of subtle networking that actually generated several positive leads. I wear my polo, that shows my studio logo, not just in my lessons but when I go to business/networking functions, run errands, or just to get my haircut. Branding your studio is another topic within itself but it leads to building relationships as well. When I get my hair cut, more often than not, I am asked what I do because of my logo and have given out 3 or 4 business cards to different hair stylists this year (yeah, I don’t have a preference!). Just from those encounters that didn’t add any time to my day or require effort (outside of throwing on a shirt!), I had several inquiries about music lessons. Having business cards on you at all times is a must! I constantly have to refill my business card holder and occasionally forget (when I need it the most!).

Okay, now to the nuts & bolts of Networking. Here are some tips on how to get started building your network:

School Music Teachers:

Contact and setup an appointment to meet with your local school band directors, piano lab teachers, and any other type of music teachers. If you don’t feel comfortable with ‘cold-calling’, then have one of your students’ parents introduce you. Most school directors will give you their time because they are always looking to build relationships with quality private instructors & piano accompanists. You can also send a friendly email to teachers introducing yourself and followup with a phone call, if you prefer. Volunteer to stay around and listen to the Concert or Jazz band – show your interest. If you’re lucky enough, they’ll ask you to stay and possibly give some pointers to the jazz pianist, if they have a jazz band. Last year, just by chance, I played a gig with a saxophonist who was an assistant band director at a local high school. After telling him about me starting a new studio, he asked me to come to his school and tell him what I had to offer to their program. I was then able to meet the main director and in turn, all of the other directors and piano lab teacher. The following week I made a point to followup. I was then asked to sit in with the Jazz Band and spent the entire class talking about jazz theory & improvisation. In the mind of the director, the importance of learning theory & how to apply it to your instrument would be a more powerful message coming from a guest. The next month, I was asked to conduct a workshop on ‘Teaching Improvisation & Pop Styles’ to group piano classes. The immediate impact of meeting with the band director resulted in 3 high school students signing up for piano lessons. Long-term impact? Since then I’ve had multiple inquiries & 2 other students sign up for lessons. Hopefully, I have gained the trust of the faculty to the point that I become the top recommendation for piano lessons.

Music Teachers Association:

If you haven’t already, join a local music association! Don’t just pay the fee and think that you will automatically get students. Become an important asset to your association. Show up to meetings & share your ideas. Participate in the volunteer activities. Why go through all this trouble? Well, you establish a solid reputation among your peers which is beneficial on so many levels. Less than a year of being part of my association, I was asked to become Vice-President. This is a group that has been established for close to 50 years. Yes, it’s more responsibility. However, with a little organization, you should be able to fit these tasks into your schedule. When I tell prospective students, parents, or teachers/directors that I am the V.P. of my association, their ears perk up just a little. You must be doing something right if you bear more responsibility. You can also join multiple associations and connect with teachers in other areas. Where I live, there are probably 5 associations within 10-15 miles. That means there are probably 50-75 teachers in the area that are part of an association. You can probably at least double that number to get an estimate of how many actual teachers there are. Another reason to join is a more obvious one: you get listed in the handbooks, website, etc as a piano teacher in so-and-so area. Getting referrals from teachers in your association (or one that you are not a part of) is a sign of mutual respect. If they have a full schedule, it’s a great feeling knowing that others trust you to do a great job.

Business Association/Networking Events:

Yes, we run a business. We wear many hats and one of those is being a business owner. If you don’t think this way, then you will continue to fight an uphill battle in your hopes of achieving financial success. In Google, type in your ‘city’ and the word ‘business association’ and you’ll find a lot of resources. I have my studio listed in the local business directory & and am registered on various websites linked with my communities businesses. This will increase your web presence as well. Find out when your city or community has Networking events. Check your local businesses to see if they have any network events posted. When you attend, make sure to bring a smile, firm handshake, and your confidence. This may be the first time that the local business owners network with a music teacher so make it a good first impression. Don’t forget your business cards! Also, make sure to have flyers (attractive) just in case you exchange offers with other owners.

Attending conferences & conventions:

With Summer on the horizon, this is also the time for music conventions & conferences. As teachers, we attend these events for lots of different reasons. We all love to be inspired and have that renewed sense of motivation. Whether it be from amazing performances, mind-blowing seminars, or finding the next best technological gadget to use for teaching. This is also the best opportunity for you to meet others in our field & start building relationships. If you really want to build your resume and get noticed, look into conducting your own class. I am currently brainstorming ideas and hope to be up on the stage presenting to others within the next couple of years. Make it a point to converse with experienced members, whether it be to get advice, pick their brain, or exchange contact information.

Social Networking:

By now, I’m sure most of you realize the importance of keeping up with the times in this tech age. The question is: How to use these sites effectively? Start with the basics. Connect with your students & parents. Keep them informed of the studio events. You don’t have to blog or post daily tidbits…doesn’t hurt though. Connect with other teachers, studios, music-related sites. You can learn how to be effective just by observing other studio & teachers posts. I like to post daily if I can to establish a consistent presence on the internet. You can link all of your social networking sites together so that you only have to post once. Once you get the hang of it, then start communicating & share advice with other teachers & colleagues. This is when you start to build those relationships and become more visible in the online community.

Pay It Forward:

Even though the initial act of performing is not networking, the result of volunteering your musical services will give you networking opportunities down the road. You want to create as many ‘give & take’ relationships as possible. Connect with your local downtown associations. Contact them to see if you can setup your keyboard at various events and provide free music in exchange for setting up a table with your business cards & flyers. Even if you don’t get any inquiries (which you probably will), you will be appreciated and called on again for more opportunities.

In summation: Connecting with people and developing relationships, either in person or online, is an effective & invaluable way of generating business. If done properly, business can generate itself as long as you keep yourself & your studio visible. Make sure to always follow-up with people that you connect with. Make a list of everyone or group that you have contacted and/or started to establish relationships with. People lead busy lives and sometimes we have to make it a point to ‘remind’ them that we are here.

Business Networking – Spiderman’s Not The Only One Building Webs

Business Networking is crucial to the success of your business. Building a foundational web of contacts, support and resources can be the difference between success and moderate success, or success and failure.

If you are new to online business, Internet marketing, or the business of doing business, you may not be as familiar as you should be with business networking. Let’s discuss this very important aspect of doing business, especially as it relates to business online.

The term business networking refers to the practice of people spreading knowledge of their business, products, and services to others in a manner that leaves a good impression, lets people recall you and your business, and encourages the formation of strategic alliances. It is a process of meeting and familiarizing yourself with others, and building relationships that are important to the success and profitability of your business.

Most Internet marketers and entrepreneurs quickly come to realize that in order to grow their businesses, they needed to engage in business networking for all of the same reasons offline businesses do – sharing services, forming partnerships to help promote one another, building sources of support, and expanding their reach and resources. This is really the crux of business networking, to form alliances which translate to mutually beneficial relationships.

Even though some entrepreneurs have years of business and professional experience offline, for whatever reason, they often ignore the practice of networking when becoming engaged in online business. This may be due to their unfamiliarity or inexperience with the Internet, where they may not immediately grasp its fundamental principle. After all, the Internet is networking; the ultimate means of sharing of information.

Business Networking is an activity. Its purpose is to find and build upon connections and relationships that will benefit you and your business. Period. It requires the active participation of the parties involved, and it includes connecting with other people who may be your peers, potential mentors, individuals who have similar business interests, or people who have other things in common with you.

You will likely discover various benefits of networking. These may include new sources of support, added business knowledge, and increased financial resources, however, always be clear in your understanding that the end goal of your networking is to find what benefits you and helps you to succeed.

There are numerous business networks in existence, both online and offline, where members may share special privileges and benefits. For example, a network may encourage members to share or exchange services among one another within the network for reduced fees, in comparison to what is available to outsiders.

Some networks are more formal than others, sometimes having administrators who coordinate activities and events within the organization, enforce governing bylaws of the membership, or collect membership fees annually. Other networks may not actually conduct business within themselves, but serve to gather people of like interests and bring them together. Meet-up.com is one such business network, and allows its online members who share the same interests and location to actually meet face to face.

Now that we know what networking is and some of its benefits, let’s take a look at networking online, beginning with a quick glance at social networking.

Social Networking – The last two years have seen a substantial rise of social network activity and the growth of related sites such as YouTube, Facebook and MySpace among others.

Since its purchase by Google, YouTube, has continued to become an immensely popular success story. The site allows amateurs, with little knowledge of the web and no software to download to facilitate participation, and literally anyone with a camcorder or camera/video phone to upload personal videos online and make an impression.

YouTube started as a place for friends and families to share videos, but with time, businesses and entrepreneurs began to see the importance of using YouTube to facilitate marketing and business networking. At the close of whatever type of video, publishers simply embed links or other contact information for their businesses or websites. With the immense volume of traffic to YouTube, this has developed into an extremely effective tactic. Social network sites exemplify the concept of viral marketing at its best.

Let’s look at another example. Facebook is another hugely popular site where friends can share interests, information, sell goods and services to each other, upload photos and videos and even join existing networks. Businesses which join Facebook, enter a world of virtually limitless opportunities and potential leads. As a result of their activities, members can experience a phenomenal surge in traffic to their websites or businesses.

The most important thing to remember about the advantages of online networking is that you can position yourself and your business to benefit from worldwide contacts and relationships, the potential of which is immensely greater than that to which you may otherwise be exposed. And the results of those connections can develop exponentially within short periods of time.

One last thing. In dealing with online networking (where you may rarely have the opportunity of meeting your partners face-to-face), it is especially important to focus on three fundamentals of good business: professionalism, courtesy and great customer service.

Excellent customer service skills can mean the difference in whether or not your business is recommended or selected for a contract or project. It also leaves a lasting impression on the people with whom you come into contact, helping them to remember you. With numerous online sites and portals, many businesses are engaged in competition with one another, and what may very well be a distinguishing factor is customer service and courtesy.

A few tips for business networking:

1. Create A Website-If your main business is offline, create an online presence with a website featuring an easy means of contacting you. Most offline businesses have now realized the advantages of having an online presence. A very large proportion of business is now conducted online and people usually go online to research a company before they conduct any business with it. These days, without a business website, it is impossible to fully tap into the benefits of business networking.

2. Business Cards-It may seem an archaic concept, but business networking, even for online businesses, should not be confined to the Internet. In order to succeed in networking, a business representative should have business cards as part of their marketing plan, which contain the basic elements of the business’s contact information.

3. Be Skilled In Customer Service-As stated earlier, customer service can make or break a company. With numerous businesses competitors, a crucial aspect is customer service.

4. Join Social Networks Online-We cited Facebook, YouTube, and My Space as excellent sites to join in order to generate exposure to your business, and there are of course many others including common interest groups and forums.

Business networking is of utmost necessity if you are to grow your business in this immensely competitive environment. In many ways, the Internet has leveled the playing field so that small business organizations can effectively compete among each other, and against larger entities. Use this to your advantage. Create your own immense business webs. Spiderman has nothing on you.

B2B Marketers Get Customers to Tune in and Connect Through Online Social Networking

A recent survey of online marketers conducted by research firm Forrester and marketing resource MarketingProfs found that in a recession, the first marketing channel in which online marketers said that they would increase investment would be social networking. The beauty of using social networking sites for marketing is that it is cost-effective and if done well, can establish and strengthen your company brand and generate the sales you desire. 

 

Connection and engagement are the heart and soul of online social networking. Two ways to successfully achieve connection and engagement are through video sites like YouTube and through Open Identity Programs like Google Friend Connect, MySpaceID and Facebook Connect.

 

When business-to-business (B2B) buyers are looking for resources to help guide their purchases, chances are good that they are visiting sites like YouTube. Home to an increasing amount of B2B content, YouTube welcomes marketers trying to reach these potential customers.

 

According to eMarketer, which conducts market research and trend analysis on Internet, e-business, online marketing, media and emerging technologies, more than one-half of the U.S. population now watches online video, and eMarketer predicts there will be 190 million online video viewers in the US in 2012.

 

At that point nearly nine out of 10 Internet users will be watching online video!

 

Why all this growth? Videos capture users’ attention and make your message stick. In fact, research firm MarketingSherpa reported over 98% of business technology decision makers found viral videos more memorable than other forms of marketing.

 

If you aren’t utilizing YouTube for online marketing yet, a good place to start is with a YouTube channel. You can customize your channel so that visitors can access your videos, post comments, and engage with your brand and company. Recorded webinars, product demonstrations, video case studies, industry events and advertisements are just some of the ways you can use videos to engage potential customers.

 

Another way to engage and connect is through Open Identity Programs like Google Friend Connect, MySpaceID and Facebook Connect. For marketers, these Open Identity Programs are a significant advancement in social advertising because of the cumulative power of pushing information out through connected sites.

 

For example, Facebook Connect is a new application of the Facebook Platform that allows users to integrate their Facebook data into their own site. Users can connect their Facebook profile with any partner Web site, including Amiando, CBS.com, CitySearch, CNET, CollegeHumor, Disney-ABC, Evite, Flock, Hulu, Kongregate, Loopt, Plaxo, Radar, Red Bull, Seesmic, Socialthing!, StumbleUpon, The Insider, Twitter, Uber, Vimeo and Xobni. By applying a small piece of code, Facebook Connect enables seamless integration with the Facebook platform.  A visitor logs in to a “connected” blog with their Facebook ID, which enables their profile to appear on the blog and link commenting back into their Facebook activity feed.

 

This gives your Web site a new level of dynamic social context because you are able to link your Facebook friends and publish information back into the News Feeds on Facebook.

 

In today’s business environment, it is important to take advantage of every opportunity to not only get in front of your potential customers, but to connect and engage them. Marketing through social networking sites are an excellent way to accomplish this.

Social Networking For HR – Driving Recruitment and Engagement

Social networks have risen to such popular heights because they satisfied a basic human need: to be connected to the rest of the world. Through social media websites, users can create virtual communities that allow them to interact with like-minded individuals from all parts of the world. Because of the effectiveness of online communities in disseminating information, social media websites have become indispensable tools in various industries. These days, human resources social networking is becoming the new trend for HR professionals. They can put the power of a social network to work in recruitment, employee engagement, increasing retention and more.

Recruiting with social media

Recruiting and brand building is social media’s biggest use for human resources currently. It’s not uncommon to find companies recruiting through social media such as Facebook and Twitter. HR professionals are recruiting employees using LinkedIn and applying practically the same principles that marketing and advertising use to attract a particular targeted audience.

HR can maximize the use of social networking given the right strategies. Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind.

Go to the right networks

It doesn’t make sense to explore social networks that do not meet your targeted demographic. For instance, if you’re in search of a person to fit a high-level position such as a product manager, it would save you time if you stayed away from MySpace or other sites known for its younger subscribers. These networks are great if you’re looking to recruit summer interns, entry-level employees or even college part-time job seekers.

Recruiting employees using LinkedIn is a great idea because the site is known for having subscribers who are professionals. It is a great search venue if you’re looking for experienced individuals in practically any industry.

Take the time to search

It’s going to take a bit of practice to learn the ropes of human resources social networking. For starters, you want to master searching through these networks – streamlining each search to ensure that the results are trimmed down to the best candidates. You want to avoid using broad searches because they come up with far too many results that you wouldn’t be able to efficiently weed out.

Move or lose!

It’s also important to note that you’re not the only organization or head-hunter recruiting through social media. Others have begun tapping into this technique long before you have started exploring it. So it’s important that you act on a qualified candidate as soon as possible because other people are sure to have their eyes set on that potential employee as well.

Be professional

Even in cyberspace, appearances are everything. If you’re going to put up a profile on Facebook or Twitter for recruiting, you want to maintain a certain degree of professionalism in your pages. It seems obvious to say it, but it’s also important to be nice. Don’t treat people rudely. Word of mouth works fast, especially in a diverse online community. You don’t want to be the subject of a blog post or YouTube video making the rounds of how you were unprofessional to a particular applicant.

Use social networks to promote employee engagement

According to studies, employee engagement can make your organization perform 2.6 times better than other companies. When employees feel passionate about the company’s products and services, sales improve. Social networks can have a huge impact on employee engagement, and more and more organizations now use it to increase involvement and commitment among workers.

Using social networks, you can do all the three internal communication components of successful workforce engagement – that is, TALK, LISTEN, and RESPOND. If Web 2.0 social networking is successfully integrated into your company’s culture, you can send positive team building messages instantly, communicate to all employees faster, and get feedback right away.  

Many successful companies (Shell, General Electric, Procter & Gamble) use Facebook to connect networks of employees who don’t have the time to interact personally every day. They don’t just rely on this social network for instant messaging. More importantly, they use it to send messages espousing emotional attachment, commitment, and involvement among employees – for example, stories about the company’s charitable involvements, news about career growth possibilities, and recognition of exemplary performances. Social networks have a high success rate in generating engagement.

These are just a few of the many tips that you have to keep in mind when working with social networking websites. But at the end of the day, it’s still important to remember that the best way to connect with your workforce is directly and in person.

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