HR should lead the way with social media

It is no secret that we at wattsnext are keen social media enthusiasts. I have managed to grow my twitter following to over 25 000 in just under a year! By involving the whole team in our social media strategy, wattsnext has been able to cultivate a digital footprint of over 200 000 connections.

Our social media strategy has proven to be one of our biggest success stories. The benefits have been both commercial and cultural. It has given us the opportunity to bond as a team and express our individual personalities. As an employee, the business has demonstrated that it trusts me to create and share content that will not only build their brand, but also my own. It has given me the opportunity to interact with and befriend like-minded people from all over the world. Some of us have even been able to meet our online friends!

We receive special Twitter training and we’re encouraged to share updates about what we’re doing at work. We even have a “leaderboard” that shows who’s got the most followers. This light-hearted competition helps to break down the barriers between functions by allowing all of us the opportunity to contribute to marketing and promoting our services. As a HR coordinator who typically does not have anything to do with sales, this is an exciting benefit I wouldn’t have elsewhere. It has resulted in me becoming more engaged in my role and in the success of the company as a whole, as I can see how I am personally making a direct impact.

The commercial results have been just as impressive. We have boosted the number of hits on our website from 60 people a month to up to 3000. Our brand is now so visible that our team has been recognised at conferences on the other side of the world! Clients have even found us through our social media platforms.

Traditionally, HR has blocked the use of social media… to their own detriment. And despite our success stories, and that of many others, employee social media advocacy is still a widely misunderstood and underused marketing strategy. There’s no denying social media has the power to drive consumer decisions. It’s here to stay. Embrace it. Leverage your team!