Using Social Media-Like Strategies In Employee Engagement
True social media marketing - not viral marketing - relies on a strategy of relationship building. Sure many marketers use social for viral efforts to build awareness but true social relies on the relationships between a company and its customers. Finding out what drives them, listening to their needs and (as the authors of Trust Agents put it) "being there before the sale." Social media communication relies heavily on listening and using what you hear to better influence your target market to particpate in behaviors you deem desirable. In other words, you build trust with consumers so they will be more likely to buy from you in the future. People do business with those they know and trust, which is why social tools are being so heavily leveraged by brands today.
Couldn't these same principles be applied to your employee engagement efforts?
In the way brands build trust with their customers, companies and managers could be building trust with their employees. Employees that feel more trust towards their employers will have a tendency to become more dedicated ones. Establishing this level of engagement goes beyond establishing a recognition program and going on with your life. Taking time to listen to what your employees need and what motivates them will make your recognition program work that much better.
Social media marketing is a long-term strategy of relationship building to get a consumer to invest in your product. Using similar relationship building ideas will prove to be an effective long-term strategy for getting your employees to invest more of themselves in your company. Trust building with your workforce is necessary for long-term results.
What do you all think?