Social Media In The Workplace

The world is constantly changing and with it, also technology. Technology is always developing and evolving, creating new forms to communicate and expression. One of technology’s most successful creations was the Internet and along with the Internet, social media rose up. Icha Oyza and Agwu Edwin wrote that, “Social media has now crept into the boardrooms of business organizations and just like the Internet; it has transformed the selling and buying processes [in organizations]” (2015). According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, social media can be defined as, “forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content.” In other words, social media is

By using social media to connect with others, social networking happens. According to Michael Cohn, “The main purpose of social networking is to connect with other people” (2015). Fauzia Burke stated that social network is all about engaging in social media, communicating and building relationships with the audience (2013). Both social media and social network contribute to the success of a company and should be used to its full advantage (Cohn 2015). Nowadays, more and more companies are engaging themselves and their employees in the use of social media in the workplace in order to increase productivity. According to a study conducted by Scott Hebner, the Social Solutions Vice President of IBM, “more than 7 in 10 employed people are now active social networkers”

One of the many ways to build a relationship between the company and the consumer is by enhancing the products and services delivered to them. By improving the services and products delivered to the customer, companies are increasing their productivity. A client’s opinion is considered valuable to a company, hence the old saying, “the customer is always right.” It’s not only important for companies to make profit in order to be successful, but they also have to build a strong and lasting relationship with their customers in order to ensure that they will be loyal and will come back. Social Media allows customers to have a valuable insight on their opinions. When you have an online presence, you make it easier for customers to find you and communicate with you (Copp 2016). By doing this, customer retention is going to increase, further improving their loyalty towards the company. Also, if a customer communicates with the company, the company is going to find out what keeps their customers happy and which areas need improvement. Zappos, an American-based company, is well- known for keeping its customers happy. They have a successful customer service program that goes out of its way to keep customers happy. Customers can communicate with Zappos through any kind of Social Media platform. Social Media brings a lot of positive effects to companies; however, if not used correctly, it can have a