REACHING CUSTOMERS THROUGH EMPLOYEE NETWORKING

I was watching a service industry employee lay tile the other day. While he worked, we talked. We shared a love of art. He stopped to show me pictures of a couple of pieces he’d done. The next day, I added him to my friend's list on Facebook. As a result, he will connect with a lot of my friends. Friends who will eventually need tile. Because the employee was willing to link me, the customer, to his social media account, he inadvertently created a powerful tool for his business to be in my peripheral vision on a consistent basis. Employee networking on social media has proven itself to impact a company in positive ways when employees and employers have shared values.

Employees and social networks

Social networks present tremendous opportunities for small businesses, since connecting with people brings more customers. In our last blog, we talked about how having employees who share your values keeps your goals aligned. Another unintended consequence of having employees who share your values is that if they also share their enthusiasm for their work with their friends. Through this sharing, your business has the opportunity to reach more potential customers. 

Conversely, an employee who dislikes their job is not likely to be shy about going on a rant about it to his friends on social media. Employees also have access to sensitive information, which can portray the business in a negative light. An employee's friends will take his word at face value, so that word becomes a crucial aspect of how he portrays the company. 

Customer engagement

Also, as employers catch on to the value of social media, more and more they’re using it to engage customers on a social platform by sharing their business through their employees. Thus, it becomes clear why it’s critical for an employee with shared values, and a passion for their work becomes such a valuable marketing asset. It isn’t an unreasonable to ask an employee to share or tweet something which might benefit his circle of friends.

In the end, it’s a win for the business, the employee, and customers when we can connect through shared goals and interests. And that’s what matters.