Sometimes in life we just need a simple point in the right direction to finally get a major undertaking off of the ground.
I’m the type of guy that refuses to paint a picture by numbers. I don’t like to follow the directions when it comes to building Legos, and I eat my dessert first when it comes to dining. Those things being said, do not mistake me for being the type to dislodge someone’s suggestion or helpful hint! On the contrary, a gentle push or suggestion on how to do things should always been heeded and considered.
At Incept, you may have read how we have built our company culture up, and it all comes down to one very well-known word: Facebook. I can literally see the difference, both in a dramatic increase in internal company communication and a huge increase in generally positive morale among employees.
But why do I recommend using Facebook as a starting point for your company culture? What are the benefits? How long is it before you see a change in the cultural makeup of your corporation? I’m here to lend some insight, in the form of a few very easy and powerful steps, into using the biggest social network (currently known to man) for the betterment of your business:
- Your company’s image is reflected on your page. Do people know what your business is about or what type of service you offer? One crucial thing to remember – something that we live by at Incept – is that our Facebook page must reflect who we are as a company. There is nothing wrong with fun (and professionally appropriate) content and employee engagement. However, at the end of the day, our professional demeanor needs to transcend from the office to our page, and ultimately people need to know what services we can offer and what we can do for them. Remember this: your company Facebook page is an open invitation to your employees, clients and even future clients to engage.
- Everyone likes a good pat on the back. Do you remember being in little league and making an awesome play? You’d hear your coach scream, “Good job! Good hustle! Keep it up!” When it comes down to it, everyone likes to be appreciated for what they do. Chances are that your employees are no different. At Incept, Program Results Coaches and supervisors can be found posting about how good any given Incept employee did that day, thanking someone for putting in extra hours, and more. It is a very simple and thoughtful way to increase positive relationships among coworkers.
- Are you posting engaging and thoughtful content? Anyone can set up a Facebook page, but can you actively keep it up-to-date with interesting content? Do you make videos about what is going on in the company? Do you post articles that are related within your industrial field? Even something as small as asking your employees a simple question such as, “Did anyone see an interesting movie this weekend?” or “What are you excited for this spring?” are recent examples of simple questions that we have posted on the Incept Facebook page that really drove people to respond and engage. It is all about staying connected with your audience and being personal. When all feels right with a conversation, even a simple starter question, all will go with the flow.
- How long will it take to see results? At Incept we’ve had our Facebook page up for a little over a year. In that short time we have more people who like our page than we employ! We currently have 830+ people that currently like our page (formerly known as “fans”), and the number is still growing. It should be understood that in dealing with social media and social networking, things can be compared to taking care of a plant: you have to water it and take care of it before it blossoms. Posting quality content and actively engaging (daily) on your page is what is going to help it amplify and grow, but the conversations you have online behind that engagement are what matter most.
There are many more benefits, and I could probably go on and on, but the above are a few significantly real examples. The social media bus has not left town yet, and it is still very early in the game. You are still able to reap the benefits of something as simple as setting up a company Facebook page.
How does your company engage with social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.? How has your company culture changed because of social media?