By Lesley O’Bryan, Practice Area Leader
Business travelers are diverse. They belong to multiple departments, have different job titles, and span across the spectrum of demographics. That’s why engagement strategies should include a range of creative communication tactics. A social community provides an online environment where individuals — regardless of title or position — can engage on topics to create a more knowledgeable audience. It’s a place to quickly share opinions, stay connected with peers, and gain insight from subject matter experts.
The advent of the social community as a business tool is a byproduct of the evolution of the entire social media movement. Today, 72% of all internet users are active on social media. Now that mainstream social media sites have proven their ability to influence behavior, it only makes sense to use them internally for business.
Internal social communities breed a close network of advocates with shared interests. If properly managed, they create a safe space where travelers can feel comfortable giving regular input. An active social community will attract new users who are more influenced by colleagues, which will encourage even more group participation (because people prefer to give advice if they believe they are being heard). This growth in knowledgeable audience, interaction, and employee trust is the potential a social community has when given the proper attention.
Read about how a social community helped a financial services organization in our case study.
Contact us to learn more about launching a social community for your travelers.