We have become regular participants in a great weekly twitter chat for Internal communities also often known as Enterprise Social Networks or ESNs called #ESNchat. Last week’s talk centered on behavior in those communities around the holidays. For the complete conversation from the chat go here. Below are some of the highlights from that chat that may be helpful as we approach this year’s holiday season:
Ideas to increase engagement in your ESN during the holiday:
- Uploading holiday photos
- A place to post offline get togethers that are happening within the company
- Stories/pictures around corporate charitable activities happening, volunteer opportunities
- Ask employees which charities they support and possibly crowdsource which charities the company will give to this year
- Aggregate holiday travel tips
- “I’m thankful for…” posts – which can be a good way to get executives engaged in the community
But beware of:
- Holiday party photos – particularly of employees who may have been celebrating a bit too much
- Alienating those who may be lonely or without family and friends at this time of year
- Overly religious postings promoting one religion or holiday over another
- Behavior that does not conform to community standards
Examples of successful holiday themed campaigns mentioned include:
- Halloween costume contest – one company did #pethalloween with pictures of dressed up pets
- Turkey drive for the homeless that got 1400 turkeys donated from one company
- SAS software’s #lovethehub centered around Valentine’s Day
Your ESN may seem a bit too chatty and not enough business-like over the holidays, but don’t panic. That’s one way to bring an unengaged employee into the fold and get them started using it. Good luck and happy holiday posting! You can catch #ESNchat every Thursday from 2-3p on twitter.
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