Could Social Networking Really Be Bad for Business?

Could Social Networking Really Be Bad for Business?

My initial reaction when I saw this title was one of panic. Having just entered into the world of social media, and still feeling very much a novice in the field though excited by the prospects and marketing opportunities that are forthcoming the thought that it could potentially be bad for business was disquieting!

The whitepaper was brought to my attention via Messagelabs.com. Having had a read my initial worries where settled. The issues being highlighted were around control, security, potential web risks and taking employees with you. Not too make light of the issues but I decided to view them more as principal factors that should be considered, advice and tips when entering in to the world of social media for businesses.

View the full whitepaper at www.messagelabs.co.uk

Issues can be overcome when given due consideration and my own opinion is that the benefits far out way the risks.
The business opportunities are unprecedented. The use of blogs, forums and media portals have become important business tools and businesses are continually investing in and making use of the various social media sites which now exist. Benefits have been reaped including more innovative products and services, more effective marketing, better access to knowledge, lower cost of doing business and higher revenues.

The challenge for businesses is how to embrace the new technologies while protecting their company’s reputation and defining a level of monitoring that fits in with the existing company ethos. Within an innovative, creative and flexible organisation, where core values and culture are deeply embedded and widely appreciated this really shouldn’t be an issue.

We need to be aware of the issues, as do all employees within the organisation. Advice and tips are continually being made available; we need to hasten and make use of it, or as much as we can assimilate!