In the world of Web 2.0, interaction is key. Today, an online audience expects a rich user experience, in which they engage in conversation among companies, friends, and colleagues. Collaboration encourages participants to create and share information in online communities.
Online collaboration tools are readily available, often free of cost, and are user friendly. They allow anyone to participate in the conversation.
Here are a few online collaboration tools:
According to SocialCorp, a social media guide by Joel Postman, these tools are used to increase the authenticity, transparency, and connectedness of an online company or individual. The ease of use of online collaboration tools encourages the spontaneous flow of information. The CEO of a company or a stockholder can voice their opinion about the latest products, sales, or customer service. As a result, companies and individuals become transparent. Online users can reach information anytime, anywhere. Individuals and companies collaborate to share ideas, creating a feeling of connectedness between producer and consumer.
As a result of the online collaboration, the accountability of companies increases. By using social media, companies strive to communicate and collaborate with their audience. Many of the world’s largest corporations engage in conversation with their internal and external audiences through the use of blogs, wikis, and online profiles on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Each of these tools re-shapes the brand or identity of a company. Customer comments, online product ratings, and the use of internal company wikis shape the future of a company. Companies must collaborate with their audience to establish themselves as a strong member of the Web 2.0 community.
The computer company, Dell, offers an example of the effectiveness of online collaboration between a company and its customers. Dell introduced Direct2Dell, a company blog about Dell products and services. Company executives and employees post to the blog, answering questions and offering customer support.
Today, online collaboration is key to the success or failure of a company. Companies must collaborate online to engage in dialogue and establish their identity.
Posted in Collaboration, Web 2.0 | Tagged Collaboration, online media, Web 2.0 | 5 Comments »
In 2005, the term Dell Hell was coined. Jeff Jarvis complained to consumers about the unsatisfactory customer service he received from the company. By posting the comments on BuzzMachine, his message soon reached millions.
At first, Dell chose to ignore the problem, which devalued its brand and customer loyalty. In 2007, Dell chose to embrace new social media and began to engage its customers by inviting them to actively participate in the Dell community.
Dell joined in the conversation with its customers; and encouraged collaboration and participation. The company created three platforms, which have led it to become a leader in social media: Dell Ideastorm, Direct2Dell, and the Dell Incident Collaboration Center.
Direct2Dell is a company blog about Dell products, services, and customers. Employees, executives, and the CEO post to the site. They answer customer questions and release the latest information from the computer industry. The success of the site requires interaction between the company and the customer.
According to the Dell Ideastorm site, the Dell community has contributed 11,456 ideas, promoted a product 656,521 times, and posted 85,371 comments. Dell Ideastorm allows customers to post their ideas and vote for the best in the community. The winning idea is implemented in to the Dell product line. As a result of collaboration, each of these participating customers have contributed to the success of Dell, and the future of its products and services.
Dell has embraced the use of external collaboration and internal collaboration. The Dell Incident Collaboration center was created to coordinate crisis management. According to Can You Collaborate During a Crisis, guidelines posted by Dell, the center allows them to:
Dell has successfully used social media tools and online collaboration to expand its brand and customer loyalty. Other companies have followed the guidelines to join the online conversation with their employees, customers, and stakeholders.
Posted in Collaboration, Company Focus | Tagged Buzz Machine, Dell, Dell Hell, Direct2Dell, Ideastorm, Jeff Jarvis | 1 Comment »
In 2006, Steve Bendt and Gary Koelling, two Best Buy social networking employees, developed a corporate sponsored social network site that is voluntary, and operates outside of the corporate firewall, where any employee can access it.
Blue Shirt Nation is a community of Best Buy employees who gather regularly to share their knowledge, best practices, satisfactions, and dissatisfactions. The community facilitates the exchange of ideas among employees at each level and encourages collaboration, according to Best Buy Getting Results from Social Network, an article by Patrick Thibodeau.
In order to promote the new social network, Bendt and Koelling traveled to Best Buy stores across the nation to gain feedback about the plan from sales associates. They passed out t-shirts to each employee at the locations. After one year of promotion, 20,000 employees were users of Blue Shirt Nation, according to the Business Innovation Factory.
Today, Blue Shirt Nations continues to grow and it has become a place for employees to help each other problem-solve retail store operation issues.
The social network has led to increased innovation and associate satisfaction. For example, executives announced changes to employees’ discounts, and employees wrote a lot of feedback on issue via the social network. The feedback prompted senior management to reassess the discount plan.
The largest impact the Blue Shirt Nation has presented is the increased enrollment in the company’s 401K program. In January 2007, the company launched a contest on Blue Shirt Nation, inviting employees to create online videos about what a 401K plan means to them, according to Best Buy Finds Social Networking and 401Ks Can Be a Good Fit, an article by Jessica Marquez. The contest, which also had an in-store competition, ended in March. By then, participation had increased by forty-seven percent, according to Marquez.
Blue Shirt Nation is another example of the power of social media and online collaboration.
Watch the Steve Bendt and Gary Koelling shares their experiences about creating Blue Shirt Nation
Posted in Collaboration, Company Focus | Tagged 401K program success, Best Buy, Blue Shirt Nation, Collaboration, Company Focus, Steve Bendt and Gary Koelling | 2 Comments »
LinkedIn, a professional networking site, expands the online collaboration tools offered by Facebook. It allows members to create business contacts, search for jobs, and find potential clients. Members create their professional profile and can view the profiles of others. LinkedIn claims more than 35 million members, so its users quickly collaborate and share their professional accomplishments with others.
In October 2008, LinkedIn launched a new set of collaboration tools, which allow members to directly collaborate with members of their network. These new collaboration applications allow users to upload and share files, view presentations, track colleagues’ business travel, and follow the latest company updates on Twitter, according to LinkedIn Adds New Collaboration Apps, an article by Channel Wire.
For example, Huddle Workspaces enables members to build online, secure, private workspaces. This allows users to set up a LinkedIn networks or group of fellow employees, then use Huddle to share and collaborate on a project.
In early 2009, LinkedIn announced its partnership with IBM’s Lotus to integrate LinkedIn’s collaboration and networking capabilities with Lotus Notes, Lotus Connections, and LotusLive.com. The companies will collaborate to find new ways to interact within a trusted professional network.
Members will be able to start web meetings, e-mail business partners, and learn more about collaborators, fellow employees, and potential clients through the use of integrated LinkedIn profiles, according to the article LinkedIn and IBM Lotus Partner to Deliver Integrated Networking and Collaboration to Enterprises.
LinkedIn’s VP of platform products, Jamie Templeton, explained the new applications recognize that members are typically short on time and not interested in entertainment, according to LinkedIn Adds New Collaboration Apps, an article by Channel Wire.
Each of the new applications was created to ease the collaborative process, and establish a collaboration infrastructure.
Posted in Collaboration, LinkedIn | Tagged Collaboration, LinkedIn, new applications, online collaboration | 1 Comment »
Facebook has become an online collaboration tool, allowing businesses to reach millions, inexpensively in specific demographics. Today, the online networking site claims more than 100 million active users.
The original target audience of Facebook were college students, who used the social media tool to write wall posts, share photos, or poke a friend. Today, businesses are exploring its collaboration uses, such as chat rooms or the use of MyOffice, according to Collaboration on Facebook: Serious Business, an article by Nudge, a social media agency.
Companies use Facebook to create a group or page, which supports their company initiative or promotes a product. Instead of meetings, companies are using chat rooms, within Facebook, to share ideas. The Facebook application, MyOffice, allows users to collaborate with clients, organize events, and schedule meetings. Each of these uses enables companies to avoid the barriers of space and time.
Ernst and Young was the first company to create a Facebook page to recruit college students. Their page offered information about the company and described the application process. Employees answered any of the candidates’ questions.
Since then, numerous companies have explored the collaboration uses of Facebook, and the following paragraphs explain their successes.
The car company, BMW, used Facebook to promote its new series, the BMW1-Series, a compact coupe and convertible. The company launched the Graffiti Car Contest, and received more than 9,000 submissions within the first seven days. Facebook users designed virtual cars and shared them with friends. BMW collaborated directly with the consumer to create a superior new product.
Senior Media Manager of Sun Microsystems Global Communications division, Sumaya Kazi, organized Sun Facebook Fridays, a page which encourages employees to discuss social media. The group has over 1,800 members, and continues to grow,
In 2008, Visa launched a Facebook application for small business owners, which offered articles and guides from sources such as, The Wall Street Journal and Forbes, to its members for free. Members of the group are able to find other small business owners and exchange ideas.
Each of these success stories should encourage companies to embrace the collaboration tools offered by new social media.
Posted in Collaboration, Facebook | Tagged Collaboration, Ernest and Young, Facebook, Graffiti Car Contest, members, small business owners, Sun Facebook Fridays, Visa | 1 Comment »
In 2006, the social networking and micro-blogging service, Twitter, was launched. Using only one hundred and forty characters, users post their latest updates, known as tweets. An update can be posted through three methods: the Web, text message, or instant message, and it seems everyone is joining.
Company CEOs, soccer moms, professors, and teenagers are tweeting to stay connected and collaborate.
Various social media tools, such as e-mails and blogs, often involve time-consuming reading. Twitter allows users to share short messages about their daily life and creates connectedness
Companies are using Twitter to stay connected and collaborate with their audience. Customers are tweeting, and companies are actively listening and responding. Companies use Twitter to increase their online presence and manage their brand identity. Twitter allows customers to engage in public discussion about brands. By participating in the conversation, companies provide instant customer service and feedback. They collaborate with the customer to improve their service and products.
In the article, How Companies Use Twitter to Bolster Their Brands, Rachael King explained that a single Twitter message has the capability to instantly reach thousands, and influence customers. The message could be a negative or positive comment about company service. A customer could tweet in frustration of a defective product or could rave about the latest innovative product. By joining Twitter, companies quickly interact and collaborate with the customer to solve a problem.
Joining Twitter is easy, and free!
The video below describes the importance, and offers a guide to start tweeting.
Posted in Collaboration, Twitter | Tagged 140 words, micro-blogging, tweet, Twitter, updates | Leave a Comment »
Companies across the world are joining Twitter to become part of the online conversation. Comcast, Dell, General Motors, H&R Block, Kodak, Zappos, and Whole Foods Market, are a few companies who are managing their brand identity and providing customer service via tweets. Their online collaboration allows them to instantly interact with the customer.
Rachael King, in her article, How Companies Use Twitter to Bolster Their Brands, explained the value of joining the conversation on Twitter, by describing the following events.
Jonathan Fields, a JetBlue customer, saw actor William Shatner waiting to board a JetBlue flight. Then, Fields used his laptop to post a tweet to share the sighting with friends. Surprisingly, within ten seconds he received an e-mail informing him JetBlue was following him on Twitter.
JetBlue instantly connected with their customer, and they have an interest in their customer.
The company Zappos embraces the value of Twitter. Its CEO, Tony Hsieh, enjoys interacting and collaborating with his customers, while establishing a positive company brand. He follows more than 10,000 people on Twitter, and tweets about everything from company products to his lunch.
He encouraged his employees to tweet, and now more than four hundred have joined. Employees collaborate and establish a corporate identity. He posted a guide to using Twitter online, so employees have no hesitation or questions about the social media tool.
Each of these examples shows how the use of Twitter allows internal and external collaboration. Whether it is customer-to-company or employee-to-employee, Twitter is an easy way to connect online.
Posted in Collaboration, Twitter | Tagged JetBlue, micro-blogging, tweet, Twitter, Zappos | 2 Comments »
Before the use of social media and Web 2.0, consumer interaction with a company CEO was rare. Today, the use of an executive blog allows CEOs to internally and externally communicate with the audience.
According to SocialCorp, an executive blog allows CEOs to interact with customers, investors, employees, business partners, and the media. This encourages collaboration among various stakeholders in the company, which facilitates idea sharing. Customers’ comments provide constructive feedback. Investors gain insight to future financial decisions. All employees are able to interact with those in a senior-management level position.
Jack Santos, author of How to Make a Great Executive Blog, suggests CEOs write in an informal, friendly tone, but addresses specific topics, relevant to the company’s identity and goals.
By choosing specific topics, the CEO is enforcing brand identity, but encouraging the participation of the audience, as well.
In order to ensure success, a CEO should make a commitment to frequent updates and the approval of comments. Commenting may be the best way to collaborate with the audience. CEOs should respond timely to customer comments.
According to Santos, the use of the executive blog may replace the print-edition, internal newsletter with an interactive dialogue, in which employees can collaborate and communicate directly with the CEO.
Santos proposes several guidelines for a successful executive blog:
Sun Microsystems’ CEO Jonathan Schwartz has fully committed himself to his executive blog. His frequently updated blog informs the audience about company accomplishments, financial statements, and the latest industry advancements. The blog also embraces the use new social media tools.
Santos also included information from The Burton Research Group, who identified the top executive blogs.
Posted in Collaboration, Executive Blogs | Tagged blogging, blogs, CEOs, collaborate, interaction, participation, Sun Microsystems' CEO Jonathan Schwartz, The Burton Research Group | 1 Comment »
Many of us have completed a team project, in which meetings were too time consuming and often unproductive. Online collaboration now eases the stress within and between teams. The use of wikis facilitates the exchange of information within a team.
Ward Cunningham defined the term wiki, and it originates form the Hawaiian phrase wiki wiki, which means quickly.
A wiki is created and maintained by a number of users who collaborate to update the site with current content. Users contribute to a wiki based on various skill levels. Some may only read the information. Editors change the content and administrators modify the layout of the site and authorize new users.
Users create an organized site structure, which is specific to their collaborative goal, and the wiki automatically creates a record of who makes each update. Users can not only post on the wikis, but also upload PDFs or Microsoft Word files.
The most commonly know wiki is Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, which is updated by volunteers around the world. Anyone can add information to Wikipedia, and its editors approve and correct the entries.
Wikispaces is another hosted service that allows anyone to create a wiki for collaboration.
Several large companies use wikis to facilitate internal and external collaboration. The best-known vendor of wiki software is Socialtext. Nokia Corp. uses the software to exchange information within its Insight & Foresight group. Yahoo Inc. uses Twiki helping its development team to collaborate from a variety of separate locations. Companies such as, Cingular, Disney, Kodak, and Motorola also collaborate using wikis.
The social media of the Web 2.0 continues to expand and wikis offer a collaborative solution to our fast-paced world. Users can facilitate the exchange of information anytime, anywhere.
Would you like more information about wikis? Read this article or watch the video below.
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Posted in Collaboration, Wikis | Tagged collaborate, group work, interaction, participation, teamwork, wikipedia, Wikis | 1 Comment »
Internal Company Collaboration
March 2, 2009 by Kimberly Seese
Communication failure, unread or misread e-mails, and unaccountability are all problems within a company. To better develop internal communication, many companies have created company blogs. Blogs function as open platforms to share ideas, encourage discussion, and generate feedback.
An internal company blog allows direct employee participation among its departments, which creates a sense of community. It is useful for individual teams or the entire company.
According to C.G. Lynch, author of Seven Reasons for Your Company to Start an Internal Blog, information on the blog can replace a time-consuming meeting. Meeting agendas can be posted, so employees are up-to-date about the latest company news. It eliminates any conflicting meeting times or locations, and brings all employees to a central hub for collaboration.
Transparency is increased between all departments, not just the organization as a whole.
Participation from all employees is essential for successful internal collaboration. Some employees actively voice their opinions at meetings, while others sit and listen. The blog offers each employee a platform to express their ideas, as well as constructively criticize others.
Comments allow employees to express their opinion, but also holds them accountable for their criticisms.
According to SocialCorp, the U.S. government’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is an excellent example of effective internal communication. In 2008, the CIA launched A-Space, which is a social network site that allows intelligence agencies to share information. Analysts provide information, detailing the projects they are working on.
The internal blog also updates the CEO and upper management about new developments in each department, therefore encouraging collaboration among everyone.
For more information about blogs, watch the video below.
Posted in Collaboration | Tagged A-Space, blogging, blogs, CIA, Collaboration, comments, company communication, internal communication, participation | 3 Comments »