Learning Journal Entry# 7: Social Media & The Workplace

The most interesting portion of the readings this week was viewing the apparent disconnect between employers, their employees, and their views on social media and technology in general- in the workplace. This idea is represented in the article The Impact of Social Media at the Workplace by John Cleary. The author explains that research has found that social media in the workplace “may simultaneously contribute to productive behaviors (task-oriented and relationship-building) as well as unproductive behaviors (deviance) at work"(Cleary, para. 6, 2019). This speaks to social media’s ability to facilitate a productive environment but also hinder it at the same time.

Companies may be able to combat this by having clear social media/technology policies and encouraging their employees to use both within the boundaries of those policies (Cleary, para. 8, 2019). I believe that it would be impossible to cut down on personal use entirely but this method would help.

I’ve personally always viewed social media use as something that falls into the personal/for entertainment categories over a professional tool. However, in today’s social landscape, I do see some of the merits of using social media in a professional setting-specifically when it comes to networking and collaboration efforts.

In the marketing and advertising career field, social media use could a useful device to help companies expand and maintain brand recognition. Employers can use social media to discover influencers to partner with to expose their brands to new potential customers. The immense value of influencers is examined in the article Under the Influence: The Power of Social Media Influencers by Jelle Fastenau. The author links the ability of influencers to “shape and influence audience opinions on matters through blog posts, videos, pictures, tweets, and so on” to psychology (Fastenau, para. 13, 2018). Influencers also need to fulfill several main factors to cultivate and maintain a following some of which are credibility, social proof, relatability, and attractiveness. 

Companies can also use social media to monitor their brand by looking at trending pages and their social media metrics. They can also use social media to protect their brand and its social value against misinformation campaigns and fake news.

References

Cleary, J. (2019, July 23). The impact of social media at the workplace. InhouseLegal. Retrieved April 30, 2023, from https://inhouse-legal.eu/in-house-managment/social-media-workplace/Links to an external site.

Fastenau, J. (2018). Under the influence: The power of social media influencers. Retrieved April 30, 23023 from https://medium.com/@jelle_27973/under-the-influence-the-power-of-social-media-influencers-5192571083c3