Infographic: Is an internal social network right for your organization?

Internal social networks can be a hard sell to executives.

When you pitch the idea, executives will probably ask, “Isn’t that an internal Facebook?” “Won’t it keep employees from doing their work?”

OK, so internal social networks are essentially an internal Facebook, but they can help employees do their jobs better.

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An infographic by Alive With Ideas lists the pros and cons of having an internal social network, as well as some tips for successfully launching one.

If you’d like to introduce the platform at your organization, these lists can help you prepare for your meeting with the head honchos. Here are some of the points you’ll want to highlight—and a few of the arguments you’ll have to counter:

Advantages of internal social networks:

• They can increase productivity up to 35 percent.

• They create a searchable database.

• They cut down on email.

• They connect employees companywide.

• They increase transparency within the organization.

Disadvantages of internal social networks:

• Depending on your corporate culture, an internal social network won’t appeal to all employees.

• Employees may be confused as to whether they should visit the intranet or internal social network for information.

• It may be difficult to get employees to use the internal social network properly.

• You can end up with myriad groups and long feeds that are hard to navigate and fail to provide value.

Does your organization have an internal social network? What do—or don't—you like about it? Please share your experience and advice in the comments.

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