Old-guard types tend to restrict it to out-of-office hours; others even want to confine it to a single computer so that it?s obvious who?s using it. But of course, Facebook can now be downloaded on to any garden-variety mobile and used anywhere, anytime! The real problem is that banning Facebook sends out the message that we don?t trust our staff to work responsibly and also that it has no possible value to the business. So, is social media an essential business tool?
The internet has changed everything. Communication used to be ?one-to-many?, now it?s ?many-to-many?. We can no longer respond to consumer reaction the way we did before, because we are no longer part of those conversations which have largely moved to ?Web 2.0? websites. Consumers now talk about our businesses among themselves. We cannot rely anymore on creating an image that reflects our product or service. Reputation is now all important and yours will stand or fall on what other people tell each other about you. Even if you hate the idea of Tweeting, the important reason to open a Twitter account is to use it as a defensive mechanism. Be aware of what is being said about you or your product in Groups and Blogs. If you fail to monitor or respond to adverse criticism then your business will surely suffer! So by all means: Set up Alerts on Google and Twitter.
So how do we cope with this change? Well, there is nothing new under the sun! The little ?Black Book? of contacts has become the LinkedIn list of connections. The gossip that used to float round the local pub is now the conversations taking place in the Discussion Groups on LinkedIn or Facebook.
Author: Christopher Jenkins, ECOVIS Wingrave Yeats, London, United Kingdom
Ecovis is a leading global consulting firm with its origins in Continental Europe. It has over 3,300 staff operating in 30 countries. Its consulting focus and core competencies lie in the areas of tax consultation, auditing, legal advice and accounting and management consulting services. The particular strength of Ecovis is the combination of personal advice at a local level with the general expertise of an international and interdisciplinary network of professionals. Every Ecovis office can rely on qualified specialists in its back offices as well as on the specific industrial or national know-how of all the Ecovis experts worldwide. This diversified expertise provides clients with effective support, especially in the fields of international transactions and investments – from preparation in the client-s native country to support in the target country. In its consulting work Ecovis concentrates mainly on mid-sized firms. Both nationally and internationally, its one-stop-shop concept ensures all-round support in legal, fiscal, managerial and administrative issues. The name Ecovis, a combination of the terms economy and vision, expresses both its international character and its focus on the future and growth.
www.ecovis.com
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