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The Impact of Social Media within the Internal Corporate Environment

NEW YORK, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

The Impact of Social Media within the Internal Corporate Environment
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Use of Companies' Own Social Media Tools is Growing

This research service examines the use of social media in the U.S. corporate environment based on a survey conducted in 2012. Individuals use social media on a personal level more than as a part of the workplace, but enterprises are increasingly using social media as they begin to understand the benefits. While external use of social media is more prevalent than internal use, internal use has its place, especially among large organizations. Overall, social media is primarily used to inform staff, foster team spirit, and train. Internal social media can offer a sense of community and less formal means of communication that otherwise could not be provided as effectively and cheaply, and this appeals to all organization sizes and types.

Individuals use social media on a personal level more than as employees of the organizations for which they work, but enterprises are increasing their use of social media as they begin to understand the benefits.

While external use of social media is more prevalent, internal use of social media has its place, especially in larger organizations. Overall, most ( percent) organizations currently have their own corporate social network for employees, and approximately three-quarters of the largest organizations (those with employees or more) have and use a company-based social network. In contrast, only percent of the smallest organizations (fewer than employees) have and use a corporate social network.

Overall, internal social media is primarily used to keep staff informed, but among mid- to large-size businesses, social media is used to meet multiple goals, including fostering team spirit and training. E-mail is the primary method used to encourage internal social media use, with sales/marketing departments having the most involvement.

Within organizations, internal social media can provide a sense of community and a less formal means of communication, which is appealing to companies of all sizes and types.

Top 10 Social Media Sites for Organizational Use Google+ appears to be a newly discovered tool for organizations because the data behind this research in 2011 was collected in May (of 2011), and Google+ was launched on June 28, 2011. However, within its first year, Google+ made it into the top five most frequently used social media sites among organizations. While Google+ is unlikely to threaten the social media giant Facebook, other frequently used sites, such as Twitter and YouTube, may find the field even more competitive in the future.

LinkedIn is somewhat immune to the Google+ threat. LinkedIn is inextricably connected to organizational social media, as it defines itself as "the world's largest professional network on the Internet," with at least million users. Another factor that will likely bolster LinkedIn's usage among organizational users is LinkedIn's acquisition of SlideShare in May 2012. The combination of LinkedIn's professional networking capabilities with SlideShare's presentation-sharing capabilities may result in corporate usage uptake.

Table Of Contents 1. Research Background, Objectives, Methods, and Respondent Profile2. Executive Summary and Implications 3. General Organizational Use of Social Media

Top 10 Social Media Sites for Organizational Use: Facebook, Foursquare, Google+, LinkedIn, Lotus Connections, SlideShare, Twitter, Yammer, YouTube, and company's own

4. Social Media Use for Internal Client Relations