Companies in new age of networking

"Social media can be very helpful for a company to get ideas and receive instant feedback, and it's a way to get the word out about products and events. It's a publicity technique but more importantly, it's an engagement technique to make people feel connected."

A June survey conducted by The Internal Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and Buck Consultants reported almost 80 percent of organizations frequently use social media, outranking even e-mail. The most used form is blogs, which have become a very common feature of business web sites.

Businesses have an opportunity to reach their clients and prospects in a new way. If your business or organization is not using some form of social media to communicate your message, you are "leaving something on the table". In this competitive world, that is not a good idea.

Julie Freeman, president of International Association of Business Communicators, who was interviewed for this article, emphasizes the importance of thinking through what you want to communicate and what you want to accomplish before you undertake an effort to use this medium. That sounds like good advice for just about anything you do!

The basic message here is that the world is constantly changing, and to keep up with it, you have to be changing as well. Stay on top of these types of developments and make use of them as you determine they work best for you. You will be glad that you did!