What Do We Use Our Social Media Software For, Anyway?

So, we have social media software and that makes us cool and progressive :-) But what are we actually using it for?

That's a big question that I am trying to answer, myself. You see, when you have more than 4500 people using a system, it's hard to know what they all are doing. So, I'm trying to get them to tell me (see my post on Wiki Win of the Week) -- and most important, tell each other.

Here's a brief, somewhat random list of some of the ways we're using our social business software:

• Replacing endless email threads with discussions online that are available to all, not just those on the "cc" list. No need to file an entire long email thread and hope you can find it later, since it's online. Nice that the discussion flows down, too, instead of forcing you to scroll up and down as an email thread does, to catch up or review it.
• Thought-provoking discussions started in one division that spread to include input and ideas -- and more questions -- from people in other divisions, areas, functions and countries.
  
• Blogging by executives to communicate important ideas or toss out thoughts on their minds. These blog posts inspire comments that form discussions among people at all levels, including people who would never be bold enough to email the exec directly.
• Blogging by individuals on topics they care about. Some fascinating ideas are emerging from people who never would have had a voice, so to speak, otherwise.
  
• Cutting down on emailing large files back and forth. We upload them, instead, and it's easy for people to find them and makes sure they always grab the latest, current version.
• Posting policies, procedures, etc. online. It's like a self-administered intranet, with no need for a webmaster or knowledge of HTML.
  
• Project management among teams producing conferences, building websites and doing any other kind of work where collaboration, task tracking and a shared calendar is helpful.
• Building bonds among employees through social groups of shared interest. We encourage this non-work usage (preferably out of work or on breaks) and have groups on everything from gardening to video gaming.
• Coordination and collaboration among management teams in private groups where they can share ideas and keep each other informed even if they are located in different offices or traveling.
• Skunkworks projects where people can explore and collaborate on potentially valuable ideas that are not yet ready for prime time.
• Connecting with experts and resources in different locations and divisions. For example, finding a vendor in another country (and saving tens of thousands of dollars as a result). Also, we have groups formed by individuals on topics such as SEO, for example, that now have hundreds of staff (most of whom have never met and would not have known of each other otherwise) exchanging best practices, comparing vendors, asking and answering questions and even offering training sessions for each other -- all without any management involvement. Pure initiative!
• Increase awareness throughout the enterprise of all the different offerings our businesses have, including products and services that can add value or save money if used internally or in partnership for clients.
  
• Coordinating talent and expertise from different divisions to bid on new business. The software facilitates and enables this very effectively across time zones and geography.

I could go on. But that should give a pretty good impression of how we're using social media internally. And we're only seven months in! I'm excited about the many possibilities that we haven't even discovered, yet.