The Two Faces of Social Networks

By Anastasiya Gogoleva

I am not a person who "lives" in the virtual reality of the Internet, but where do I find inspiration when I desperately need it?  At Odnoklassniki, Vkontakte, YouTube, Facebook, and other online social networks where I can find my friends and other people I know and lots of interesting content. Communication unites people. It inspires. And you know, it does help us in our work lives as well.

Companies today are asking whether social networks do more good than harm, and whether they can be used to reach goals.  I believe that the good outweighs the bad and that they can be an effective business tool.   There are other tools to reach different audiences with various needs and behaviours, but there is never a 100% guarantee that things will work.  There is one thing that I'm sure about with social networking sites - they are a great tool for reaching the online audience.

Ukraine, like the rest of the world, is adopting use of the Internet with great speed. Why?  To communicate, to create, to share.  Is it good?  Yes.  Can it be harmful? Yes; if you don't manage communication, communication will manage you and your image.

So why use the social network websites?

First, they are an irreplaceable tool for people who have common interests, hobbies, or  ideas, and who want to share them on a daily basis.  They also provide a forum for those with questions, and others with answers.

Communicating in a social network is the same as talking at a party. If you are a leader who drives communication and are interesting to others, people will start gathering around you and your audience will grow. However, to keep the group's interest, you'll need to have a constant presence, be active, be impressive, and discuss topics that others will find interesting.  You'll also need to be prepared to answer questions.  Be prepared for the occasional barb - there are always people in the crowd who don't like you.   
A couple of months ago, we created a Telenor Planet site on Odnoklassniki.ru to target employees of one of the companies we own. The group has been very successful, attracting more than 700 members in less than two months.  In short order, we drew two negative questions.  They were aggressive and harsh, and got the discussion off to a lively start. 

Another advantage to using social networks to communicate with your target audience is feedback - which is honest and immediate.  People are not shy in the Internet. They may never say to your face something that they will write in an e-mail or post on a social site. It's not always pleasant, but if you dare, you will be rewarded. It definitely gives you a chance to hear your audience.

Another point - and one that may be seen as a disadvantage and even a big risk - is that online social networking provides a self-controlled communication flow. In social groups, you may not always have the chance to answer questions addressed to you. The moderators here are the active users.  On our Telenor Planet site, we have several devoted persons who create topics every week, share their experience and ideas, moderate discussions and answer questions posed by other participants before we see them. With a little effort, we have attracted a group of loyal moderators who save our time and keep Telenor Planet interesting to our target audience.

Why let people talk about you elsewhere when they can talk to you and about you in a social networking group that you create?
We ask our employees to spend time in social networks, since they permit direct communication with our stakeholders. As a result, they appreciate that we have become closer to them, and this is good.

Anastasiya Gogoleva is communication director for Telenor Ukraine.