Burton Group Report: Social Networking Within the Enterprise

Recently, Mike Gotta -- from Burton Group -- wrote about an in-depth study the firm conducted in order to help clients understand the various factors (business, organizational, and technical) to consider when formulating social networking strategies.  The key findings of the study:

• starting a social network, while difficult, is far from impossible
• addressing both cultural and business needs at the outset is critical
• fostering user participation requires out-of-the-box thinking
• facilitating "social environments" is not an easy task for IT organizations

The study also concluded that organizations would be wise to pay special attention to "adoption strategies" when launching social networks, as these are crucial for success.  Some examples include:

• making early adopters feel "special"
• realizing that a mix of different approaches to foster participation may be necessary
• singling out particularly active contributors

The study also concluded that social networking and community building are inextricable and must go hand-in-hand.  "A side effect of social networking initiatives is the realization that community building becomes an essential part of gaining employee adoption," the report said. 

If you're interested in this subject and want to learn more, you can download Mike's report here.  You may also view a joint University of Michigan-NewsGator webinar, "Successfully Launch & Maintain Web 2.0 Initiatives," which provides tips and tricks for getting new online communities and social networks to critical mass as well as best practices for motivating contributions after launching an online community or social network.