Short Workplace Messages

and Digital Media

5
Chapter

INSTRUCTOR: Visit the

Instructor Companion
­Website for lecture notes,
solutions, discussion guides,
and other resources.

Learning Outcomes
After studying this chapter,
you should be able to do
the following:

1 Understand e-mail,
memos, and the
­professional standards for
their usage, structure, and
format in the digital era
workplace.

2 Explain workplace
instant messaging and
­texting as well as their

racorn/Shutterstock.com
­liabilities and best
practices.

3 Identify professional
applications of podcasts
and wikis.

4 Describe how ­businesses

use blogs to connect with 5-1 Writing Digital Age E-Mail Messages
internal and external
audiences, and list best and Memos
practices for p­ rofessional
blogging. We are social and mobile. Communication is rapidly changing in this digital era.
The Web has evolved from mere storage of passively consumed information to a
5 Define the advantages dynamic, hyperconnected environment. Users are empowered, active participants
and risks of business uses who create and edit content, review products, and share information as well as
of social media networks.
media. To engage, they are increasingly using mobile electronic devices. Messages
are shorter and more frequent, and response time is much speedier. Social media
114 Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages
Chapterand
XX: Digital
Lorem Media
Ipsum

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter have transformed
communication from one-on-one conversations to one-to-many transmissions.
Social media and networking apps have also revolutionized the way we keep in
Learning
Outcome
Understand e-mail, memos,
1
touch with friends and family. and the professional
In many businesses, desktop computers are becoming obsolete. They are being standards for their usage,
structure, and format in the
replaced with ever-smaller laptops, netbooks, smartphones, and tablets. These and
digital era workplace.
other powerful mobile devices access data and applications stored in the cloud, in
remote networks, not individual computers. Virtual private networks (VPNs) offer
secure access to organizations’ information from any location in the world. For bet-
ter or for worse, businesspeople are increasingly connected 24/7.
As a likely digital native, you are probably Internet savvy, but you may need to
know how businesses use communication technologies to transmit information.
This chapter explores short forms of workplace communication, beginning with
e-mail, which many workers love to hate, and memos, which are disappearing but
still necessary in many organizations. Focusing on newer media, you will learn
about workplace messaging and texting, podcasts, wikis, corporate blogs, and social
networking for business. Understanding these workplace technologies and mas-
tering best practices can save you time, reduce blunders, and help you excel as a
professional.
Predictions of e-mail’s
demise are premature
5-1a E-Mail: Love It or Hate It—But It’s Here to Stay despite fast-growing
E-mail in the workplace is unlikely to go away. Despite the growing importance communication tools
of social media for business, most workplace messages are still sent by e-mail, the such as Slack and
most effective digital tool for Internet-using workers.1 Not only that: the volume of Asana: “People use
workplace e-mail is expected to grow.2 Tech expert Alexis Madrigal is one of many email because it’s the
staunch defenders of e-mail. “You can’t kill email!” he claims. “It’s the cockroach best, most reliable way
of the Internet, and I mean that as a compliment. This resilience is a good thing.”3 to get anybody on the
Neither social media, texting, and video chatting, nor phishing, hacking, and planet and none of
spam have diminished the importance of e-mail in the workplace. Not even popu- these other tools let
lar applications such as the collaboration tool Slack are likely to replace e-mail you do that; none of
anytime soon.4 Even Stewart Butterfield, cofounder of the “e-mail killer” Slack, them.”8
admits he spends up to five hours a day on e-mail and boldly predicts that e-mail Ted Schadler, VP, senior
will last for millennia.5 ­technology analyst with
E-mail has replaced paper memos for many messages inside organizations and ­Forrester Research
some letters to external audiences. A majority of businesspeople (as high as 70 per-
cent) now first open their e-mail on mobile devices.6 Trailing only text messaging,
e-mail is a more widely used smartphone feature than social networking, watching
videos, or using navigation.7 Because you can expect to use e-mail extensively to
communicate at work, it’s smart to learn how to do it expertly. You may have to
adjust the writing practices you currently use for texting and Facebook, but turning
out professional e-mails is an easily attainable goal.

5-1b Why Workers Complain About E-Mail

Although e-mail is recognized as the mainstay of business communication, it’s not
always done well. In a study of 547 business professionals, 81 percent considered
ineffective writing a huge time waster. Workplace documents and e-mails, the man-
agers said, were long-winded, disorganized, fuzzy, and jargon-filled.9 Businesspeople
are tired of “untangling a snarl of email threads” and resent “that most people don’t
take the time to reflect on what they have written or to proofread it before hitting
SEND.”10 A Wall Street Journal article reported that many business schools were
ramping up their writing programs or hiring writing coaches because of complaints
about their graduates’ skills.11
E-Mail Overload. In addition to the complaints about confusing and poorly writ-
ten e-mails, many people are overwhelmed with too many messages. Currently, the
Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media 115

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 average worker receives 121 e-mails per day or more than 44,000 e-mails per year12
and checks e-mail 77 times per day; some people peek at their inboxes as often as
373 times daily.13 Each day approximately 215 billion e-mails are sent across the
globe.14 Some of those messages are unnecessary, such as those that merely con-
firm receipt of a message or ones that express thanks. The use of Reply all adds
to the inbox, irritating those who have to plow through dozens of messages that
barely relate to them. Others blame e-mail for eliminating the distinction between
work life and home life. They feel an urgency to be available 24/7 and respond
immediately.

“Email never goes E-Mail—Everlasting Evidence. Still other e-mail senders fail to recognize how dan-
away, ever, ever, ever. gerous e-mail can be. After deletion, e-mail files still leave trails on servers within and
The rule of thumb is if outside organizations. Messages are also backed up on other servers, making them
you wouldn’t say it to traceable and recoverable by forensic experts. Long-forgotten messages may turn
your mother, don’t put up in court cases as damaging and costly evidence—for example, against German
it in an email. Emails auto executives following Volkswagen’s cover-up of its emissions cheating scandal.16
are archived like crazy. After the explosion of BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil platform, incriminating e-mails
They are on servers prompted the company to agree to a settlement currently at $28 billion.17
you have never heard Organizations can legally monitor their staff’s personal e-mail accounts if the
of.”15 workers access them on the company’s computer network. Moreover, if employees
Judith Kallos, etiquette expert
set up their company’s e-mail on their smartphones, they have given their employer
the right to remotely delete all personal data on that mobile device.18 Even writers
with nothing to hide should be concerned about what may come back to haunt
them. Etiquette expert Daniel Post Senning suggests following the “headline rule”:
envision what you are writing in an e-mail as a news headline.19 Also, be sure that
you know your organization’s e-mail policy before sending personal messages. Esti-
mates suggest that almost 30 percent of bosses have fired an employee for Internet
or e-mail-related misuse.20
Despite its dark side, e-mail has many advantages and remains a prime com-
munication channel. Therefore, it’s to your advantage to learn when and how to use
it efficiently and safely.

5-1c Knowing When E-Mail Is Appropriate

E-mail is appropriate for short, informal messages that request information and
respond to inquiries. It is especially effective for messages to multiple receivers and
messages that must be archived (saved). An e-mail is also appropriate as a cover
document when sending longer attachments.
E-mail, however, is not a substitute for face-to-face conversations or telephone
calls. These channels are much more successful if your goal is to convey enthusiasm
or warmth, explain a complex situation, present a persuasive argument, or smooth
over disagreements. One expert gives this wise advice: “Sometimes a conversation
is more productive than a chain of emails. If you’re frustrated with people’s inabil-
ity to understand what you’re getting at, just walk over or pick up the phone.”21
­Messages that “require a human moment”—that is, those that are emotional, require
­negotiation, and relate to personnel—should be delivered in person.22
Managers and employees echo this advice. They are adamant about using face-
to-face contact, rather than e-mail, for critical work situations such as human
resources annual reviews, discipline, and promotions.23

5-1d Composing Professional E-Mails

Professional e-mails are quite different from messages you may send to friends.
Instead of casual words tossed off in haste, professional e-mails are well-considered
messages that usually carry nonsensitive information unlikely to upset readers.
Therefore, these messages should be organized directly with the main idea first.
The following writing plan will help you create information e-mails quickly.
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 Information E-Mails
Summarize the main idea in condensed form.
Subject line:
Opening: Reveal the main idea immediately but in expanded form.
Body: Explain and justify the main idea using headings, bulleted lists,
and other high-skim techniques when appropriate.
Closing: Include (a) action information, dates, or deadlines; (b) a summary
of the message; or (c) a closing thought.

Draft a Compelling but Concise Subject Line. The most important part of an
e-mail is its subject line. Avoid meaningless statements such as Help, Attention, or
Meeting. Summarize the purpose of the message clearly and make the receiver want
to open the message. Try to include a verb (Need You to Prepare a Sales Presenta-
tion). Remember that in some instances the subject line can be the entire message
(Meeting Changed from May 3 to May 10). Also be sure to adjust the subject line
if the topic changes after a thread of replies emerges. Subject lines should appear as
a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters—never in all lowercase letters or
all caps.
Include a Greeting. To help receivers see the beginning of a message and to help
them recognize whether they are the primary or secondary receiver, include a greet- “The difficulty of
ing. The greeting sets the tone for the message and reflects your audience analysis. expressive writing isn’t
For friends and colleagues, try friendly greetings (Hi, Sandy; Thanks, Sandy; Good new . . . but what’s
morning, Sandy; or Greetings, Sandy). For more formal messages and those to out- relatively recent is
siders, include an honorific and last name (Dear Ms. Richards). the overwhelming
Organize the Body for Readability and Tone. After drafting an e-mail, ask your- amount of electronic
self how you could make your message more readable. Did you start directly? Did exchanges we have
you group similar topics together? Could some information be presented with bul- with people whose
personalities we
leted or numbered lists? Could you add headings—especially if the message contains
only know digitally.
more than a few paragraphs? Do you see any phrases or sentences that could be
Without the benefit
condensed? Get rid of wordiness, but don’t sacrifice clarity. If a longer sentence is
of vocal inflections
necessary for comprehension, then keep it. To convey the best tone, read the message
or physical gestures,
aloud. If it sounds curt, it probably is.
it can be tough to
Close Effectively. At the end of your message, include an action statement with tell e-sarcastic from
due dates and requests. Although complimentary closes are unnecessary, you might e-serious, or e-cold
include a friendly closing such as Many thanks or Warm regards. Do include your from e-formal, or
name because messages without names become confusing when forwarded or when e-busy from e-angry.”24
they are part of a long string of responses. Eric Jaffe, editor and author
For most messages to new contacts, and in all external e-mails, include full
contact information in a signature block, which your e-mail application can insert

Poor Subject Lines Improved Subject Lines

Presentation Need You to Prepare a Sales Presentation

Division Meeting Pacific Division Meeting Rescheduled for May 18

Important! Please Respond to Employee Satisfaction Survey

Parking Permits New Employee Parking Permits Available From HR

Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media 117

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 automatically. Figure 5.1 illustrates a typical information e-mail that follows the
writing plan and displays proper formatting. It also illustrates how a draft can be
revised to improve readability.

Figure 5.1 Creating an Informational E-Mail Message

T
AF
DR
Options... HTML
Send
To: Jaden Drury <[email protected]>
From: Lincoln White <[email protected]>
Uses meaningless
Subject: Problems subject line
Fails to reveal
Pursuant to your recent request, I am responding. Your inquiry of May 2 suggested purpose quickly
that you wanted to know how to deal with the database problems.

The biggest problem is that it contains outdated information, including customers Buries two problems
who haven’t purchased anything in five or more years. Another problem is that the and three-part
old database is not compatible with the new Access software used by our mailing solution in huge
service, and this makes it difficult to merge files. I think I can solve both problems paragraph
by starting a new database. This would be where we put the names of all new
customers. And we would have it keyed using Access software. Next we need Forgets to conclude
to learn whether our current customers wish to continue receiving our e-mail with next action and
updates and product announcements. Finally, we would rekey the names of all end date
active customers in the new database. Make sense?

ON
ISI
EV Options... HTML
R
To: Jaden Drury <[email protected]>
From: Lincoln White <[email protected]>
Includes informative
subject line Subject: How to Improve Our Customer Database
To:
From:
Jaden,
Date:
States purpose Subject:
As you requested, I am submitting my recommendations for improving our cus-
concisely in the tomer database. The database has two problems. First, it contains many names of
opening and high- individuals who have not made purchases in five or more years. Second, the for-
lights two problems mat is not compatible with the new Access software used by our mailing service.

The following three steps, however, should solve both problems:

1. Start a new database. Effective immediately, enter the names of all new
customers in a new database using Access software.
Organizes main
points in numbered 2. Determine the status of customers in our old database. Send out a mailing
list for readability asking whether recipients wish to continue receiving our e-mail updates and
product announcements.

3. Rekey the names of active customers. Enter the names of all responding custom-
ers in our new database so that we have only one active database.
Closes with key These changes will enable you, as team leader, to send mailings only to active
benefit, deadline, customers. Please let me know by May 10 whether you think these recommenda-
and next action tions are workable. If so, I will investigate costs.
Tips for Formatting E-Mail Messages
Lincoln
• After To, insert the receiver’s electronic address.
Lincoln White | Senior Marketing Manager In most e-mail programs, this task is automated.
[email protected] | 818-435-4009 • After From, type your name and electronic address
if not done automatically.
• After Subject, present a clear description of the
message.
• Include a salutation (Jaden; Hi, Jaden) or honorific
and last name (Dear Mr. Jones, especially in mes-
sages to outsiders).
• Double-space (skip one line) between paragraphs.
• Do not type in all caps or in all lowercase letters.
• Include full contact information for messages to
outsiders; perhaps shorten for insiders.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
5-1e Controlling Your Inbox
Business communicators love to complain about e-mail, and some young people even
deny its existence. In the business world, however, e-mail writing IS business writ-
ing.25 Instead of letting your inbox consume your time and crimp your productivity,
you can control it by observing a few time-management strategies.
The most important strategy is checking your e-mail at set times, such as first
thing in the morning and again after lunch or at 4 p.m. To avoid being distracted,
be sure to turn off your audio and visual alerts. No fair peeking! If mornings are
your best working times, check your e-mail later in the day. Let your boss and
colleagues know about your schedule for responding, or ask to use instant or text
messages in urgent situations. Another excellent time-saver is the two-minute rule.
If you can read and respond to a message within two minutes, then take care of it
immediately. For messages that require more time, flag and add them to your to-do
list or schedule them on your calendar. To be polite, send a quick note telling the
sender when you plan to respond.

5-1f Replying Efficiently With Down-Editing

When answering e-mail, a useful skill to develop is down-editing. This involves
inserting your responses to parts of the incoming message. After a courteous open-
ing, your reply message will include only the parts of the incoming message to
which you are responding. Delete the sender’s message headers, signature, and all
unnecessary parts. Your responses can be identified with your initials, if more than
one person will be seeing the response. Another efficient trick is to use a different
color for your down-edits. It takes a little practice to develop this skill, but the down-
edited reply reduces confusion and saves writing and reading time. Figure 5.2 shows
a number of additional best practices for managing your e-mail.

5-1g Writing Interoffice Memos

In addition to e-mail, you should be familiar with another workplace document
type, the interoffice memorandum. Although e-mail has largely replaced memos,
you may still be called on to use the memo format in specific instances. Memos are
necessary for important internal messages that (a) are too long for e-mail, (b) require
a permanent record, (c) demand formality, or (d) inform employees who may not

Figure 5.2 Best Practices for Better E-Mail

Getting Started Replying Observing Etiquette Closing Effectively

• Don’t write in another • Scan all e-mails, especially • Obtain approval before • End with due dates, next
channel—such as IM, those from the same forwarding. steps to be taken, or a
social media, or a phone person. Answer within 24 • Soften the tone by including friendly remark.
call—might work better. hours or say when you will. a friendly opening and • Add your full contact
• Send only content you • Change the subject line if closing. information including social
would want to be the topic changes. Check • Resist humor and sarcasm. media addresses.
published. the threaded messages Absent facial expression • Edit your text for readability.
• Write compelling subject below yours. and tone of voice, humor Proofread for typos or
lines, possibly with • Practice down-editing; can be misunderstood. unwanted auto-corrections.
names and dates: include only the parts from • Avoid writing in all caps, • Double-check before hitting
Jake: Can You Present at the incoming e-mail which is like SHOUTING. Send.
January 10 Staff Meeting? to which you are
responding.
• Start with the main idea.
• Use headings and lists.

Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media 119

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 have work e-mail. Within organizations, memos deliver changes in procedures, offi-
cial instructions, and reports.
The memo format is particularly necessary for complex, lengthy internal mes-
sages. Prepared as memos, long messages are then delivered as attachments to e-mail
cover messages. Memos allow for attractive formatting and printing. They seem to
function better as permanent records than e-mail messages because the latter may
be difficult to locate and may contain a trail of confusing replies. E-mails also may
change the origination date whenever the file is accessed, thus making it impossible
to know the original date of the message.
When preparing e-mail attachments, be sure that they carry sufficient identifying
information. Because the attachment may become separated from the cover e-mail
message, it must be fully identified. Preparing the e-mail attachment as a memo
provides a handy format that identifies the date, sender, receiver, and subject.
Comparing Memos and E-Mails. Memos have much in common with e-mails.
Both usually carry nonsensitive information that may be organized directly with
the main idea first. Both have guide words calling for a subject line, a dateline, and
the identification of the sender and receiver. To enhance readability, both should be
organized with headings, bulleted lists, and enumerated items whenever possible.
Similarities. E-mails and memos both generally close with (a) action information,
dates, or deadlines; (b) a summary of the message; or (c) a closing thought. An effective
memo or e-mail closing might be Please submit your written report to me by June 15
so that we can review your data before our July planning session. In more detailed mes-
sages, a summary of main points may be an appropriate closing. If no action request is
made and a closing summary is unnecessary, you might end with a simple concluding
thought (I’m glad to answer your questions or This sounds like a useful project).
Differences. You need not close messages to coworkers with goodwill statements
such as those found in letters to customers or clients. However, some closing thought
is often necessary to avoid sounding abrupt. Closings can show gratitude or encourage
feedback with remarks such as I sincerely appreciate your help or What are your ideas
on this proposal? Other closings look forward to what’s next, such as How would you
like to proceed? Avoid closing with overused expressions such as Please let me know if
I may be of further assistance. This ending sounds mechanical and insincere.
In Figure 5.3, notice how memos are formatted and how they can be created to
improve readability with lists, tables, and white space.

Learning
Outcome 2
Explain workplace instant
5-2 Workplace Messaging and Texting
Instant messaging (IM) and text messaging have become powerful communication
messaging and texting as
tools beyond teens and twentysomethings. IM enables two or more individuals to
well as their liabilities and
best practices.
use the Internet or an intranet (an internal corporate communication platform) to
chat in real time by exchanging brief text-based messages. Companies large and
small now provide live online chats with customer service representatives, in addi-
tion to the usual contact options, such as telephone and e-mail. Popular free mes-
saging apps—for example, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, WeChat, Skype, and
Snapchat—provide consumers and small businesses with features such as IM, voice
and video calls, and photo sharing.
Text messaging, or texting, is another popular means for exchanging brief mes-
sages in real time. Usually exchanged via smartphone, texting requires a short mes-
sage service (SMS) supplied by a cell phone service provider or Wi-Fi access. Both
instant and text messages are mostly sent from mobile devices as 68 percent of Ameri-
cans now own smartphones and depend on them for access not only to voice calls and
texting, but also to location-based services, streaming TV or radio, and shopping.26
Fueled by online security and legal compliance concerns, business enterprises
are combining multiple communication functions behind corporate firewalls. For
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
example, Adobe Systems has developed Unicom. The Unified Communications
Tool is an all-in-one internal communication platform connecting coworkers any-
where by chat, Twitter-like microblogging, and employee directory access, as well
as by e-mail and phone. Figure 5.4 shows a screenshot of such an integrated inter-
nal communication system.

5-2a Impact of Instant Messaging and Texting

Text messaging and IM are convenient alternatives to the telephone and are replac-
ing e-mail for short internal communication. French IT giant Atos reduced e-mail
use by 70 percent after shifting its in-house communication over several years to a
Facebook-style interface and instant messaging.27 More than 3.2 billion IM accounts
worldwide28 attest to IM’s popularity. Sixty-seven percent of business professionals
use IM in the United States.29

Figure 5.3 Formatting an Interoffice Memo

Point Red Associates, Inc.

MEMORANDUM

Date: September 16, 2019

To: Board of Directors
Aligns all
heading words From: Noah Silva, Ad-Hoc Carpool Committee Provides
with those writer’s initials
Subject: Proposing a CarpoolUniverse Ridesharing System for Business after printed
following
Subject name and title
In response to your request, we have identified the ideal platform for managing
one of our most pressing clean-air efforts, voluntary ridesharing. We suggest
that Point Red subscribe to CarpoolUniverse cloud software and create a new
carpool system.

Employee participation in car sharing has dropped. You asked us to find a Uses ragged line
user-friendly system that would allow workers to search for potential rideshare endings—not
Leaves side partners. The thought behind this initiative was to promote car sharing by
margins of making it easy and in the process lessen emissions and maximize limited
1 to 1.25 inches parking facilities.

After much research, we find that CarpoolUniverse stands out with these
benefits:

• A dedicated carpooling system • Free maintenance and support

• Personalized carpool and carbon footprint
• Group privacy options reports
• Mass in emergencies
Here is a brief summary of the three plans CarpoolUniverse offers to businesses:
Free Groups Standard Groups Premium Groups Presents data in
No cost $25/month/1,000 users Negotiable rates bulleted lists and a
Basic features Advanced features Advanced features, plus table with headings
• Matching technology • Guaranteed ride home • Emergency mass alerts for white space and
• Own carpool web • Import/export data • Periodic activity reports easy reading
portal • Stats (e.g., page views) • Invitation for registration

CarpoolUniverse provides free demonstrations, but as a new startup, the

company requires 30-day notice for in-house visits. If you let us know this
week, we will be able to schedule an in-house sales presentation no later
than October 21.
Omits a closing
and signature

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Figure 5.4 All-in-One Messaging on an Internal Enterprise Network

Search

Favorites Logs Chats All

To create a
platform for
Gary Goreman
Go ahead, post!
secure and legally
Senior Studio Designer
Monica Meyer
compliant internal
Update your status Any idea how the voicemail feature works in other communication,
locations (like Hamburg, Germany) ...?
large companies
Calendar Available
All
have introduced
Phone 408-635-5000 Ext. 87045
Gregorio Sanchez powerful networks
Is anyone reading the feedback or bugs?
I've submitted a bunch and had no responses at all.
behind corporate
Video Start a video session Want to know I'm not wasting my time. firewalls that
Chat Start a chat session
All combine various
Stephen Robinson
capabilities in
Email [email protected] Why do I always show as "not connected"? I tried connecting one: e-mail, chat,
via VPN, no help... can't make any calls, yet can use vibes
Location San Jose, CA Twitter-like short
All
messaging, and
Department Global Design
James Ridell directory access
Can we have some Emoticons please?
Manager Wes Cooper by phone. All
All workers need to
Type Regular
Vicky Ramirez-Villa
be professional;
About Me Part of the global studio No vibes during SJ shutdown? Come on... :) they are always on
design team located in
San Francisco and Beijing,
All
display. Everyone
I use Aruba tools to tell
stories with video. from mailroom clerk
Carole McKaye
Is it possible to retrieve chat history? to CEO is on the
system.

Benefits of IM and Texting. The major attraction of IM is real-time communi-

cation with colleagues anywhere in the world—so long as a cell phone signal or a
Wi-Fi connection is available. Because IM allows people to share information imme-
diately and make decisions quickly, its impact on business communication has been
dramatic. Group online chat capabilities in enterprise-grade IM applications allow
coworkers on far-flung project teams to communicate instantly. An application such
as Slack can replace e-mail for collaboration and real-time messaging.
Low cost, speed, and unobtrusiveness. Both IM and texting can be low-cost sub-
stitutes for voice calls, delivering messages between mobile phone users fast, qui-
etly, and discreetly. Organizations around the world provide news alerts, financial
information, and promotions to customers via text. Credit card accounts can be set
up to notify account holders by text or e-mail of approaching payment deadlines.
Verizon Wireless sends automated texts helping customers track their data usage.
Aeropostale, Best Buy, Pizza Hut, Staples, Vans, and hundreds of other businesses
connect with consumers by opt-in text messaging. Text alerts sent by Old Navy are
shown in Figure 5.5.
Immediacy and efficiency. The immediacy of instant and text messaging has cre-
ated many fans. A user knows right away whether a message was delivered. Messag-
ing avoids phone tag and eliminates the downtime associated with personal telephone
conversations. Another benefit is presence functionality. Coworkers can locate each
other online, thus avoiding wild goose chases hunting someone who is out of the
office. Many people consider IM and texting productivity boosters because they
enable users to get simple answers quickly and allow multitasking.30
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 Risks of IM and Texting. Despite their popularity among workers, some organi-
zations forbid employees to use IM and text messaging for a number of reasons.
Employers consider instant messaging yet another distraction in addition to the tele-
phone, e-mail, and the Internet. Some organizations also fear that employees using
free consumer-grade IM systems will reveal privileged information and company
records. The financial sector is particularly vulnerable to charges of impropriety
such as insider trading; firms ranging from JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, and Citi-
group to RBS have banned IM for external use.32 Large corporations are protecting
themselves by taking instant messaging behind the firewall where they can log and
archive traffic.
Liability burden. A worker’s improper use of mobile devices while on company “[B]ear in mind that
business can expose the organization to staggering legal liability. A jury awarded messaging sessions
$18 million to a victim struck by a transportation company’s big rig whose driver can be stored, then
had been checking text messages. Another case resulted in a $21 million verdict to copied and pasted
a woman injured by a trucker who had used a cell phone while driving a company elsewhere. . . . The
truck. A construction firm had to pay $4.75 million to a man injured by a driver term ‘confidential’
using a company-­provided cell phone.33 Overall as many as 34 percent of Americans is somewhat rubbery
admit to having texted while driving. In one year alone, 1.3 million crashes, or 23 these days, so . . . stop
percent of all collisions, involved cell phones.34 Unfortunately, 77 percent of young and think before you
adults are confident that they can safely text and drive.35 hit that enter key.”31
Security and legal requirements. Companies also worry about phishing (fraud- Michael Bloch, T­ aming
ulent schemes), viruses, malware (malicious software programs), and spim (IM the Beast, e-commerce
­development and Web
spam). Like e-mail, instant and text messages as well as all other electronic records ­marketing consultant
are subject to discovery (disclosure); that is, they can become evidence in lawsuits.
Wall Street regulatory agencies NASD, SEC, and NYSE require that IM exchanged
between brokers and clients be retained for three to six years, much like e-mail and

Figure 5.5 Old Navy Uses SMS Marketing

Source: Tatango
Source: Tatango

Messages 655-671 Details

Old Navy encourages consumers to sign up for
Text Message its mobile alert program. Once customers opt
Today 10:28 PM
Old Navy Deal Alerts: Reply Y 6046 in by texting their nearest store’s number to the
to agree to 1 automated msg/wk Old Navy Deal Alerts: Reply Y dedicated short code 653-689 (old-navy), they
with deals to this number. Not to agree to 1 automated msg/wk
with deals to this number. Not receive text messages announcing sneak peeks
required for purchase.
Msg&data rates apply
required for purchase.
Msg&data rates apply at new merchandise, rebates, and exclusive
offers.
www.oldnavy.com/text
www.oldnavy.com/text
Jacek Lasa/Alamy Stock Photo; Source: Tatango

Y
Old Navy Deal Alerts: Thanks,
your $5 off $35 offer will be
sent to you tomorrow! 1 msg/
Old Navy Deal Alerts: Thanks, week. Reply STOP to quit Reply
your $5 off $35 offer will be HELP for help. Msg&data rates
may apply.
sent to you tomorrow! 1 msg/
week. Reply STOP to quit Reply
HELP for help. Msg&data rates Text Message Send
may apply.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 printed documents.36 Businesses worry that tracking and storing messaging logs to
comply with legal requirements may be overwhelming. In addition, IM and texting
have been implicated in inappropriate uses such as bullying and the notorious sex-
ting. Currently, banks are terrified that employees will fall prey to spear phishing
(clicking links that give hackers access to sensitive information).37

5-2b Best Practices for Instant Messaging and Texting

Instant messaging and texting can save time and simplify communication with
coworkers and customers. However, before using IM or text messaging on the job,
“Wikis are where work be sure you have permission. Do not download and use software without checking
gets done. A blog can with your supervisor. If your organization does allow IM or texting, you can use it
disseminate informa- efficiently and professionally by following these guidelines:
tion to a wider audi- ▪▪ Follow company policies: netiquette rules, code of conduct, ethics guidelines, as
ence, but to get work well as harassment and discrimination policies.38
done, you go to a wiki, ▪▪ Don’t disclose sensitive financial, company, customer, employee, or executive
where you collaborate, data, and don’t say anything that could damage your reputation or that of
iterate, pull informa- your organization.
tion together from
▪▪ Steer clear of harassment and discriminatory content against classes protected
disparate sources and
then hammer some-
by law (race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, and
thing into actionable disability).
information.”39 ▪▪ Don’t forward or link to inappropriate photos, videos, and art.
Aaron Fulkerson, cofounder ▪▪ Don’t text or IM while driving a car; pull over if you must read or send a
and CEO of software provider message.
MindTouch
▪▪ Separate business contacts from family and friends; limit personal messaging.
▪▪ Avoid unnecessary chitchat and know when to say goodbye.
▪▪ Keep your presence status up-to-date, and make yourself unavailable when you
need to meet a deadline.
▪▪ Use good grammar and correct spelling; shun jargon, slang, and abbreviations,
which can be confusing and appear unprofessional.

5-2c Text Messaging and Business Etiquette

Texting is quick and unobtrusive, and for simple routine messages it is often the
best alternative to a phone call or e-mail. Given the popularity of text messaging,
etiquette experts are taking note.40 Figure 5.6 summarizes the suggestions they offer
for the considerate and professional use of texting.

Learning
Outcome 3
Identify professional
5-3 Making Podcasts and Wikis Work for Business
Empowered by interactivity, individuals wield enormous influence because they
­applications of podcasts can potentially reach huge audiences. Far from being passive consumers, today’s
and wikis. Internet users have the power to create Web content; interact with businesses and
each other; review products, self-publish, or blog; contribute to wikis; and tag and
share images and other files. Businesses often rightly fear the wrath of disgruntled
employees and customers, or they curry favor with influential plugged-in opinion
leaders, the so-called influencers. Like social media networks, podcasts and wikis
are part of the user-centered virtual environment. All these communication tech-
nologies are social and mobile, too.
The democratization of the Internet has meant that in the online world, even
extreme views reach audiences of thousands or even millions. The dangers are obvi-
ous. Fact checking often falls by the wayside, buzz may become more important
than truth, and a few keystrokes can destroy a reputation. The latest concern is how
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Figure 5.6 Texting Etiquette

Addressing
Responding
Check that you are texting to the

Timing correct phone number to avoid embar-

rassment. If you receive a message by
mistake, alert the sender. No need to Don’t expect an instant
Don’t text when calling would be respond to the message itself. reply. As with e-mail, we
inappropriate or rude; for example, Avoid sending confidential, private, don’t know when the
at a performance, a restaurant, in a or potentially embarrassing texts. recipient will read the
meeting, or a movie theater. message.
Don’t text or answer your phone
during a face-to-face conversation.
If others use their cell phones while
talking to you, you may excuse
yourself until they stop.

Expressing
Don’t use text messages to
Introducing notify others of sad news,
sensitive business matters, or
Identify yourself when texting urgent meetings, unless you
a new contact who doesn’t wish to set up a phone call
have your phone number: about that subject.
“Hi—it’s Erica (Office World).
Your desk has arrived. Please
call 877-322-8989.”

Internet users can identify fake news and evaluate the trustworthiness of a source.
This section addresses prudent business uses of podcasts and wikis because you are
likely to encounter these and other electronic communication tools on the job.

5-3a Business Podcasts or Webcasts

Perhaps because podcasts are more elaborate to produce and require quality hardware,
their use is lagging behind that of other digital media. However, they have their place
among contemporary business communication strategies. Although the terms podcast
and podcasting have caught on, they are somewhat misleading. The words broadcast-
ing and iPod were combined to create the word podcast; however, audio and video files
can be played on any number of devices, not just Apple’s. Webcasting for audio content
and vcasting for video content would be more accurate. Podcasts can extend from
short clips of a few minutes to 30-minute or longer digital files. Most are recorded, but
some are live. They can be streamed online or downloaded as media files.
How Organizations Use Podcasts. Podcasting has found its place among
user groups online. Major news organizations and media outlets podcast radio
shows (e.g., National Public Radio, Harvard Business Review) and video con-
tent such as news and entertainment, from ABC to Fox. Perhaps you are familiar
with TED talks, intriguing podcasts on any imaginable topic in technology,
entertainment, and design (TED). Entrepreneur On Fire (EOFire), shown in
­Figure 5.7, provides popular podcasts on many business topics of particular
interest to entrepreneurs.
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 Figure 5.7 Entrepreneur On Fire (EOFire) Podcasts
Courtesy of EOFire

With its engaging daily episodes, John Lee Dumas’ Entrepreneur On Fire is among the most popular business
podcasts today. Dumas hosts experts discussing topics relevant to entrepreneurs. A tally of Dumas’ monthly
earnings in the upper right corner of the screen may be a potentially noteworthy and motivating feature for aspiring
business tycoons who visit the EOFire podcast portal.

Podcasts are also common in education. You can access instructors’ lectures,
interviews, and other media files. Apple’s iTunes U is perhaps the best-known exam-
ple of free educational podcasts from prestigious universities. Podcasts encoded as
MP3 files can be downloaded to a computer, a smartphone, a tablet, or an MP3
player to be enjoyed on the go, often offline. Businesses are slowly catching on.
Delivering and Accessing Podcasts. Businesses have embraced podcasting for
sending audio and video messages that do not require a live presence yet offer a
friendly human face. Because they can broadcast repetitive information that does
not require interaction, podcasts can replace costlier live teleconferences. IBM is
training its sales force with podcasts that are available anytime and providing video
podcasts for software engineers and others. Real estate agents such as the Corcoran
Group in New York create podcasts to enable buyers to take virtual walking tours
of available homes. Human resources policies can also be presented in the form of
podcasts for unlimited viewing on demand.
Podcasts are featured on media websites and company portals or shared on
blogs and social networking sites, often with links to YouTube and Vimeo. A Pew
survey found that podcasting is growing in audience and programming. However,
only 21 percent of Americans age twelve and older listened to a podcast in the past
month, and half of the respondents didn’t know the term podcasting.41
Experts advise business podcasters first to provide quality content with an
authentic voice to build value, and to consider money making second.42 To browse
and learn from popular favorites, search the iTunes Store or free smartphone apps
to discover your favorite podcasts, some business related (e.g., Freakonomics Radio,
Planet Money, and TED talks).

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5-3b Collaborating With Wikis Figure 5.8 Four Main Uses for Business Wikis
Wikis are another important feature of our social
and mobile virtual environment. A wiki is a cloud- The global wiki
based tool that employs easy-to-use collaborative
For companies with a global reach, a wiki
software to allow multiple users collectively to cre-
is an ideal tool for information sharing
ate, access, and modify documents. Think Wikipe- between headquarters and satellite
dia, the well-known online encyclopedia. You will offices. Far-flung team members can
find wikis in numerous subject categories on the easily edit their work and provide input
Internet. Wiki editors may be given varying access to the home office and each other.
privileges and control over the cloud-based mate-
rial. Not surprisingly, some organizations with a
top-down culture fear the openness of wikis, and The wiki knowledge base
adoption rates have slowed despite the need of larger Teams or departments use wikis to collect
businesses for rigorous knowledge management.43 and disseminate information to large
audiences creating a database for know-
Advantages of Wikis. Two major advantages ledge management. For example, human
of wikis come to mind. First, wikis capitalize on resources managers may update
crowdsourcing, which can be defined as the practice employee policies, make announcements,
of tapping into the combined knowledge of a large and convey information about benefits.
community to solve problems and complete assign-
ments. Second, working on the same content jointly
eliminates the infamous problem of version confusion. Wikis for meetings
Most wikis store all changes and intermediate versions Wikis can facilitate feedback from
of files, so that users can return to previous versions employees before and after meetings
if necessary. and serve as repositories of meeting
Benefits of corporate wikis include enhancing minutes. In fact, wikis may replace some
the reputation of expert contributors, making work meetings, yet still keep a project on track.
flow more easily, and improving an organization’s
processes.44 IBM, for example, uses numerous
wikis to share documentation for its IBM Collabo- Wikis for project management
ration Solutions software and WebSphere products
Wikis offer a highly interactive environ-
and to interact with the community of adopters. ment for project information with easy
How Businesses Use Wikis. Enterprises using access and user input. All participants
wikis usually store their internal data on an intranet, have the same information, templates,
and documentation readily available.
a private network. An enterprise-level wiki serves
as an easy-to-navigate, efficient central repository
of company information, complete with hyper-
links and keywords pointing to related subjects and
media. The four main uses of wikis in business, shown in Figure 5.8,45 range
from providing a shared internal knowledge base to storing templates for business
documents.
Consider starting a free wiki for your next classroom project requiring teamwork.
Browse the Internet for wiki hosting service or wiki farm. Explore Wikispaces and
Wikia—popular free wikis. MindTouch, Yammer, Microsoft Office 365, Atlassian
Confluence, and MediaWiki are just some of many enterprise collaboration platforms.46

5-4 Blogging for Business

The biggest advantage of business blogs is that they potentially reach a far-flung,
Learning
Outcome
Describe how businesses
4
vast audience. A blog is a website or social media platform with informal posts use blogs to connect with
internal and external
and articles on any imaginable topic usually written by one person, although most
audiences, and list best
corporate blogs feature multiple contributors. Typically, readers leave comments. practices for ­professional
Businesses use blogs to keep customers, employees, and the public at large informed blogging.
and to interact with them.

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 Marketing firms and their clients are looking closely at blogs because blogs can
invite spontaneous consumer feedback faster and more cheaply than such staples
of consumer research as focus groups and surveys. Employees and executives at
companies as varied as such as Exxon Mobil, Target, General Motors, Patagonia,
and Whole Foods Market maintain blogs. They use blogs to communicate internally
with employees and externally with the public. Most recently, 181 (36 percent) of
Fortune 500 companies are blogging, and blog use is up again after a downward
trend. Researchers note “excitement among . . . corporate giants” around Instagram
with its 300 million active users.47
In this section you will learn how businesses use blogs. You will also find guid-
“Blogging on a regular ance on professional blogging practices.
basis represents an
enormous opportunity
for growth, creating
5-4a How Companies Blog
a more powerful and Like other social networking tools, corporate blogs create virtual communities,
far-reaching online build brands, and develop relationships. In other words, blogs are part of a social
presence. There is no media strategy to create engagement, resulting in customers’ goodwill and brand
better or simpler way loyalty. Companies use blogs for public relations, customer relations, crisis com-
to add content to your munication, market research, viral marketing, internal communication, online
website that is unique, community building, and recruiting.
relevant and of inter- Public Relations, Customer Relations, and Crisis Communication. One of the
est to your target prominent uses of blogs is to provide up-to-date company information to the media
audience.”48 and the public. Blogs can be written by rank-and-file employees or by top managers.
Adam Houlahan, social Consider these examples: Executive chairman Bill Marriott is an avid blogger. His
­entrepreneur and author
Marriott on the Move blog about leadership, his family history, volunteer work,
and more, feels personal and honest. Just one of several General Electric blogs,
­Edison’s Desk, operated by GE Global Research, addresses industry insiders and
the interested public. In its Blogger Network, Best Buy, the electronics retailer, gives
a voice to average Joes and Janes who review all kinds of gizmos as brand ambas-
sadors. The Best Buy blog acts as a forum actively soliciting customer input by using
crowdsourcing—that is, asking the public for ideas.
An organization’s blog is a natural forum for late-breaking news, especially
when a crisis hits. Jim Murphy, president of General Mills’ cereal division, swiftly
apologized in an effective blog post just minutes after also publishing a contrite press
release about a Cheerios recall.49 The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
maintains official blogs addressing product safety, recalls, and agency activities.
Although a blog cannot replace other communication channels in a PR crisis or an
emergency, it should be part of the overall effort to soothe the public’s emotional
reaction with a human voice of reason.
Blog adoption varies across industries. Predictably, semiconductor and electron-
ics makers (56 percent), entertainment firms (50 percent), and general merchandisers
(40 percent) are most likely to use blogs, followed by telecommunications firms (36
percent) and commercial banks (22 percent).50 Social media networks Instagram and
LinkedIn have added a blogging feature, a move that may rival stand-alone blogs.
Market Research and Viral Marketing. Because most blogs invite feedback, they
can be invaluable sources of opinion and bright ideas from customers as well as
industry experts. Starbucks is a Fortune 500 company that understands blogging
and crowdsourcing in particular. My Starbucks Idea blog, depicted in Figure 5.9, is
a public forum for sharing product ideas. Members vote and comment on the sug-
gestions and eliminate poor ideas.
In addition to inviting and monitoring visitor comments on their corporate blogs,
large companies employ social media teams. These experts scrutinize the blogo-
sphere for buzz and positive and negative postings about their organizations and
products. The term viral marketing refers to the rapid spread of messages online,
much like infectious diseases that pass from person to person. Marketers realize
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Figure 5.9 Starbucks Blog Is Betting on Crowdsourcing

Source: Starbucks
the potential of getting the word out about their products and services in the blogo-
sphere, where their messages are often picked up by well-connected bloggers, the
so-called influencers, who boast large audiences. Viral messages must be authen-
tic and elicit an emotional response, but for that very reason they are difficult to
orchestrate. Online opinion leaders resent being co-opted by companies using overt
hard-sell tactics.
Online Communities. Like Twitter, which is now drawing a loyal core follow-
ing to businesses and brands, company blogs can attract a devoted community of
participants. Such followers want to keep informed about company events, product
updates, and other news. In turn, those enthusiasts can contribute new ideas. Few
companies enjoy the brand awareness and customer loyalty of Coca-Cola. With its
colorful blog Coca-Cola Conversations, the soft drink maker shares its rich past
(“Coke Bottle 100”) and thus deepens Coke fans’ loyalty. Coca-Cola’s marketing is
subtle; the blog is designed to provide a “unique experience” to fans.
Internal Communication and Recruiting. Blogs can be used to keep virtual teams
on track and share updates on the road. Members in remote locations can stay in
touch by smartphone and other devices, exchanging text, images, sound, and video
clips. In many companies, blogs have replaced hard-copy publications in offering
late-breaking news or tidbits of interest to employees. Blogs can create a sense of
community and stimulate employee participation. Furthermore, blogs mirror the
company culture and present a priceless opportunity for job candidates to size up a
potential employer and the people working there.
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 Lev dolgachov/Syda Productions/AGE Fotostock
Employers worry about disengaged workers, particu-
larly millennials. To boost motivation, companies are
introducing gamification. From recruiting to training
and development, organizations are adopting gaming
to introduce fun, play, and competition. PwC Hungary
challenges applicants with Multipoly, a game that
tests their workplace readiness. Walmart has used
gamification to deliver safety training to 5,000 associ-
ates. As they connected emotionally with the game,
workers were more likely to follow safety protocols.
As in the Boy Scouts, participants’ performance is
posture, and more. Employers believe the devices can
logged as they earn badges and compete.
help them save on health-care costs. They argue that
A related type of workplace surveillance and data lifestyle choices affect job performance. Critics fear
collection is wearable technology—think heart rate poor morale if workers fear that their data are not pri-
monitors. Wearables measure worker productivity vate.51 How do you feel about these types of workplace
and lifestyle by recording brain activity, movement, monitoring?

5-4b Blogging Best Practices: Seven Tips for Master Bloggers

Much advice is freely accessible online, but this section offers guidelines culled from
experienced bloggers and communication experts that will lead you to successful
blog writing. As with any public writing, your posts will be scrutinized; therefore,
you want to make the best impression.
Craft a Catchy but Concise Title. The headline is what draws online readers to
even click to go your post. Some will be intriguing questions or promises. Online
writers often use numbers to structure their posts. Here are some examples: Six Apps
You Don’t Want to Miss; 5 Tips to Keep Spear Phishers Out of Your Inbox; Create
Powerful Imagery in Your Writing; How Financially Sexy Is Your Household?; The
False Choice of Mediocrity.
Ace the Opening Paragraph. The lead must deliver on the promise of the headline.
Identify a need and propose to solve the problem. Ask a relevant question. Say some-
thing startling. Tell an anecdote or use an analogy to connect with the reader. The
author of How Many Lives Does a Brand Have? opened with this:
It’s said that cats have nine lives, but how many lives does a brand have? The
answer, it seems, is definitely more than one. Recently, in Shanghai, a friend
took me to one of the city’s most sophisticated luxury malls . . . .52
Provide Details in the Body. Consider the So what? and What’s in it for me? ques-
tions. Use vivid examples, quotations and testimonials, or statistics. Structure the
body with numbers, bullets, and subheadings. Use expressive action verbs (buy for
get; own for have; travel or jet for go). Use conversational language to sound warm
and authentic. Use contractions (can’t for cannot; doesn’t for does not; isn’t for is not).
Consider Visuals. Add visual interest with relevant images and diagrams. Keep
paragraphs short and use plenty of white space around them. Aim to make the look
simple and easy to scan.
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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
Include Calls to Action. Call on readers in the title to do something, or provide a
take-away and gentle nudge at the end. Chris Brogan, writing in his blog Become
a Dream Feeder, had this to say: “So, how will you make your blog into a dream
feeder? Or do you do that already? What dreams do your readers have?”53 Ask open-
ended questions or tell the reader what to do: So, be sure to ask about 360-degree
security tactics that aim to stop inbound attacks, but also to block outbound data
theft attempts.
Edit and Proofread. Follow the revision tips in Chapter 4 of this book. Cut any
unneeded words, sentences, and irrelevant ideas. Fix awkward, wordy, and repeti-
tious sentences. Edit and proofread as if your life depended on it. Your reputation
might. The best blogs are error free. “In the past the local
dry cleaner could
Respond to Posts Respectfully. Build a positive image online by posting compel- mumble whatever he
ling comments on other bloggers’ posts. Politely and promptly reply to comments wanted behind the
on your site. This reply to Guy Kawasaki’s infographic makes a positive observation register, but online the
about the post and adds a valuable thought albeit with a glaring spelling error and repercussions can be
missing commas: so much greater. Any-
thing can go viral.”54
Great graphic portrayal of the human connection. Three other areas might
include 1) use people’s first name (something pretty basic but often forgotten) Shama Kabani, author of
The Zen of Social Media
2) listen before you talk (a great one for bosses when meeting with employees) Marketing
and 3) don’t be afraid to pay complements [sic] when they are warranted.55
If you disagree with a post, do so respectfully. Don’t ramble. Remember, your com-
ments may remain online practically forever and could come back to haunt you
long after posting. Your blog posts can benefit from the journalistic pattern shown
in Figure 5.10 by emphasizing the big news up front, supported by specifics and
background information.

5-5 Social Networking for Business

Popular social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter are used by busi- Define the advantages and
Learning
Outcome 5
nesses for similar reasons and in much the same way as podcasts, blogs, and wikis. risks of business uses of
Social networking sites enable businesses to connect with customers and employees, social media networks.
share company news, and exchange ideas. Social online communities for profes-
sional audiences (e.g., LinkedIn),
discussed in Chapter 13, help
recruiters find talent and encounter Figure 5.10 Writing a Captivating Blog
potential employees before hiring
them. Today, about 84 percent of Applying the Five Journalistic Ws to Blogs
organizations use social media to
recruit suitable candidates.56

5-5a Tapping Into Social

Big Idea First
Who? What? When? Why? How?
Media
Clearly, business social networking
is a big deal. Globally, a whopping
Key Facts
97 percent of organizations use Explanations
Evidence • Fact check.
social media to market themselves.57 • Earn your readers’ trust.
At the same time, workers report Examples
• Credit your sources.
that social media play a very small Background • Apply the inverted pyramid.
role (4 percent) in their day-to-day Details • Edit, edit, edit.
job tasks. They list e-mail (61 per- • Proof, proof, proof.
cent) and the Internet (54 percent) as
their most important work tools.58
Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media 131

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Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
 However, business interest in social networking is not surprising if we consider that
the average millennial’s smartphone is in use more than three hours a day. Moreover,
71 percent of this desirable Gen Y demographic use social media daily. Older age
groups are catching up, though, while also earning higher incomes. Social media
users sixty-five and over now comprise 34 percent of that demographic.59
Predictably, businesses are trying to adapt and tap the vast potential of social
networking. With 79 percent of American adults as users, Facebook is by far the
most popular social network, followed by Instagram (32 percent), Pinterest (31 per-
cent), LinkedIn (29 percent), and Twitter (24 percent).60 A noteworthy 97 percent
of Fortune 500 companies are now on LinkedIn, 86 percent have corporate Twitter
accounts, and 84 have established a Facebook presence. Instagram use among the
Fortune 500 has shot up fivefold in three years reflecting millennials’ preferences.61

5-5b How Businesses Use Social Media

The key to all the social media is that they thrive in a mobile, interactive, and
hyperconnected environment. However, the social Web has also spawned internal
networking sites behind corporate firewalls. Tech giant IBM has created Connec-
tions, a business social network, to help organizations share knowledge, improve
decision making, and foster innovation. Investing heavily in cloud computing to the
tune of $16 billion, IBM wants greater employee engagement and productivity.62
However, the adoption of enterprise social networks has been slow. It is highest
in companies in which the top executives are heavily connected.63 The advantage
of enterprise social media networks is that they are searchable, enabling workers to
tag, follow, view activity feeds, and more. Users can access and send information
more efficiently than by e-mail alone.64
Adopting the Facebook Model. Some companies have found that the Facebook
model can be adapted to internal networks, many of which run on the Chatter
or Yammer enterprise social networking platforms. For one thing, staff members
already intuitively understand how a corporate social network operates because they
are familiar with Facebook. Red Robin’s Yammer-based corporate social network,
dubbed Yummer, gave a voice to employees who normally don’t have a say. It led to
a better burger recipe and became a mine for creative ideas.65
Connecting Far-Flung Workers. Because social networks are about connections,
they also enable companies to connect dispersed employees. Rosemary Turner, the
president of UPS in northern California, manages a far-flung team of 17,000 work-
ers who drive delivery trucks, work the loading docks, and make sales calls. She uses
Twitter to update her team about road conditions but also to highlight employee
accomplishments, posing with them in photos that she shares online. UPS employees
are comfortable with Twitter; its open dialogue mirrors the transparent company
culture and fosters trust.66
Crowdsourcing Customers. Social networks and blogs also help companies invite
customer input at the product design stage. On its IdeaStorm site, Dell has solicited
almost 26,000 new product ideas and suggested improvements, including glossy
4K monitors and improved power cords. Lay’s brand is getting a lot of traction
for its annual “Do Us a Flavor” contest. One lucky participant wins a cool million
dollars for pitching a new potato chip flavor and being chosen by the most Lay’s
fans.67 As Figure 5.11 shows, large companies have established successful social
media presences.

5-5c Potential Risks of Social Networking for Businesses

Public social networks hold great promise for businesses while also presenting some
risk. Most managers want plugged-in employees with strong tech skills. They like
to imagine their workers as brand evangelists. They fantasize about their products
132 Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media

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Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.
becoming overnight sensations thanks to viral marketing. However, they also fret
about incurring productivity losses, compromising trade secrets, attracting the wrath
of huge Internet audiences, and facing embarrassment over inappropriate and dam-
aging employee posts.68 Moreover, network administrators worry about legal com-
pliance, privacy laws, and the protection of data from malware and cybercrime
introduced by employees’ sharing.69
Businesses take different approaches to the dark side of social networking. Some,
such as Zappos, take a hands-off approach and encourage employee online activity.
Others, such as IBM, have drafted detailed policies to cover all forms of self-expres-
sion online. According to one survey, 80 percent of businesses have social media
policies; 36 percent block access to social networking sites, and in most countries, “As employees engage
they are well within their legal rights in doing so.70 in sales and networking
Several top German corporations, including Volkswagen and Porsche, have across social networks,
banned social media outright, fearing a loss of productivity and industrial espio- new pathways into
nage.71 However, some experts believe that organizations should embrace positive the business open up
word-of-mouth testimonials from employees about their jobs, not quash them and cyber criminals know
with rigid policies.72 how to exploit them. . . .
Many users do not under-
5-5d Using Social Media and Keeping Your Job stand how cyber crimi-
nals leverage social tools
Experts agree that, as with any public online activity, users of social networking sites
and technologies to gain
would do well to exercise caution. Privacy is a myth, and sensitive information should
access to businesses and
not be shared lightly, least of all risqué photographs. Furthermore, refusing friend
their data.”73
requests or unfriending coworkers could jeopardize professional relationships.
The advice to think twice before posting online applies to most communication Anna Frazzetto, chief ­digital
technology officer and SVP at
channels used on the job. Among the many risks in cyberspace are inappropriate Harvey Nash, IT recruiting
photographs and tagging. Social media users should always ask permission before

Figure 5.11 The Brands That Rule on Facebook

Source: facebook.com/CocaColaUnitedStates
Source: facebook.com/McDonaldsUS

Facebook has reached 2 billion active monthly

users. The nearest social media competitor,
YouTube, boasts 1.5 billion users. For
comparison, Instagram has 700 million users
and LinkedIn 500 million; Twitter claims more
than 328 million monthly active users. Facebook
allows registered users to create individual
Source: facebook.com/redbull

home pages as well as group pages based on

their interests. The top three brands with the
most fans after Facebook itself are Coca-Cola
(105.3 million), McDonald’s (72.7 million), and
Red Bull (48 million).

Chapter 5: Short Workplace Messages and Digital Media 133

Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-203
Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s).
Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it.