Report on using social networks in business

There are four major social networking sites that are commonly used. Facebook is one of the most popular social networking websites today. LinkedIn is used to network within a desired professional environment and allows individuals to build professional, career-oriented relationships. It is business-oriented of the four big social networking sites and is less focused on social networking. MySpace is more about connecting different bands and groups rather than connecting individuals. It is not only for social networking but also more directed towards the musically inclined. Twitter is the most immediate of the four big social networking websites. It is mostly used by celebrities as a tool to promote themselves. Those people who like to follow their favorite celebrities can get instant updates of the whereabouts of their favorite actor or singer, what they are doing or how they are feeling. (Wilson 72)
Social networking websites provide an opportunity for management to have faster communication with employees. The work to be done is completed on time or earlier because the amount of time the employees and management contact each other is reduced. The information is found easily through the internet. Social networks can be used as an advertising or marketing tool to help the company reach out to their potential employees and customers. However, there are some problems faced by the employers in social networks. These are: – perceived loss in staff productivity, data leakage from staff gossiping freely in an open environment, damage to company’s reputation, scams practiced by cyber crooks and the open access to company information because of outdated passwords (Breslin 102).
In conclusion, social networks have evolved into a mix of socializing and working thus leading to risking the privacy. Many businesses have benefited by creating a social networking policy and working with social networking websites. It is in the best interest of a company to know the websites that are available to their employees and be willing to grant access to certain websites to keep employees productive and be able to monitor usage of social networking websites.

Works Cited

Hunt, Tara. Using the Power of Social Networks to build your business. Crown Business, 2009.
Silver, David. The Social Network Business plan. Wiley , 2009.