In the case study, Sandeep is struggling with how to engage his LinkedIn followers with his Blew
Minds content - I have been struggling with developing a strategy that he can use to expand his
business platform while maintaining the trust and authentic connections with his existing followers.
The prompt asks us to address how organizations can build trust through SM (internally and
externally), how SM can be used to address public relations issues, and how it can be used to
support the objectives and vision of the organization. In my experience with SM, the first step to
using it effectively as a tool is to develop consistency. Pages which have a consistent message
across their communications and a consistent schedule for when they post are easier to trust
because users who interact with the page will begin to become familiarized with the content. The
more consistently a user interacts with an organization's SM posts the more likely they are to
develop feelings of connection and trust to the content - they develop a kind of relationship with it.
Moreover, when the message is also consistent, users of the platform will know exactly what to
expect.
I often find that sudden changes in approach can also be alienating to SM users, so as the
company's objectives and values change the SM message will gradually shift with them. In this way
it can also be a useful tool to keep stakeholders in touch with the issues that are most important to
the organization, in real time. What social media has become most useful for, I think, is
disseminating information and ideas to interested parties, internal and external, in a manner that is
instant, consistent, and relatable.
"Organizations that do not include social media in their business strategy run the risk of losing
relevance in the market," (SHRM, 2022). Although there are challenges and risks to social media in
the workplace--it is a vital component to the larger-scale success of an organization. Internally,
social media allows businesses to better communicate through things like learning applications for
training purposes as well as knowledge sharing and collaboration avenues. Externally, companies
can utilize social media for recruitment purposes, brand promotion, and networking (SHRM, 2022).
In my own experiences in the business world, I have had frequent exposure to social media
internally. At my current employer, they tend to send out blogs regarding current information or
updates to specific operating segments of the organization--it is a very efficient way to send out
information to the entire company, and offers better employee engagement as we feel more
informed. Additionally, these blogs/announcements result in a more efficient way to gather
employee comments are current events going on within the company. In terms of how my
employer effectively uses social media externally, our organization uses social media as a source to
recruit potential candidates for open positions, while offering referral bonuses to current
employees connecting with applicants over social media. Current employees can use social media
sites (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.) to find and link potential candidates to open
positions at the company, which provides for a powerful recruiting tool as employees are not only
pulling applicants from an unemployment pool, but also from people who may not have been
actively looking for a new job. Recruiting through social media offers more ease of information
exchange and gets the specifics to the candidates at a faster rate than more traditional means.
Furthermore, social media can be effectively used to support the culture, values, and mission of an
organization. From what I have experienced, the company that I work for is deeply ingrained in
community and it is a large component of the company culture. For example, just recently the
company hosted a charity event for a local non-profit that helps to pair foster kids with families. We
hosted the event at a local bowling alley and contributed upwards of $30k to the non-profit. To
help raise awareness for the event, the organization used social media channels (blogs, Facebook,
etc.) to get more people actively involved. To me, the time and effort put into hosting this event,
with the help of social media tools, allowed the organization to better signify their company culture
of community and their efforts to give back to the community they do business in.
Throughout the years, technology is advancing and people are communicating with one another via
the Internet. Social media helps a lot in building both internal and external relationships in an
organization. a
Regardless of the size of the matter, social media is one of the quickest way to communicate. It has
no barriers in terms of population geography or a specific set of individuals. This is the sole mode
of communication that can be utilized to communicate with everyone on the planet.
Retaining trust of its community is the most critical component in a company's social media
presence, both internally and publicly. Building trust is the most important aspect influencing a
company's efficiency. Social media may be used to boost a social audience or reach new audiences
through precise targeting. Depending on the situation, they might explicitly target a small or big
size audience. Some of the strategies used to successfully tackle an online issue include providing
crucial information, updates, awareness, and education. When communication is clear and
transparent it becomes easier to understand expectations from stakeholders and use that as an
opportunity to change the way things are done based on the expectations of a changing and
diverse society. a a
Organizations (such as my workplace) demonstrate their dedication and utilize social media to post
values, culture, and mission. Sharing a company's corporate social responsibility goals and
advocating social justice issues like diversity and inclusion. This includes recruiting and promoting
not only the services provided but opportunities for community members to participate and give
back.
Source:
SHRM. (2022, April 19). Managing and leveraging workplace use of social media. SHRM.
https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-
samples/toolkits/pages/managingsocialmedia.aspx
Charest, F., Bouffard, J., & Zajmovic, E. (2016). Public relations and social media: Deliberate or
creative strategic planning. a
