(photo by shahriarhkhan)

Social networking has grown and spread through all ages and fields since its birth in the market about 24 months ago.  Everyone, if not the majority, has adopted the social networking fashion. 

An interesting article talks about the social networking strategies that middle market companies are implementing these days.  Corporate leaders are beginning to see the value in social networking and how it can make business better by increasing business and employee efficiency, decreasing training and development costs. "Employees are actually interested in using social networking; thereby increasing the likelihood of adoption and decreasing the time, budget, and resources required for training and education."

3 things that companies or enterprises can benefit from social networking are as follows:

• Employees welcome the use of social networking.
  Most employees have already become familiar with the concept of social networking, thus, dramatically reducing the learning curve.

• Enterprises can start with smaller and contained initiatives.
  Some projects can be implemented within weeks or even days, allowing the enterprise to learn and adjust without committing significant budgets up front.

• Communities will develop and be grown organically by the employees themselves. 
  As employees participate and get involved with forming and evolving communities, they take ownership and become more committed, thus, ensuring more success.  The social networking phenomenon is largely based on the masses creating the value, rather than on a top-down approach.

For these reasons, middle market companies find it advantageous to invest in social networking strategies from within their firewall or what we may call intranet.  ELGG is just one of the many softwares that cater to the social networking needs of most middle markets. It may be a good move to look into how ELGG can answer your own company's social need.

To read more about the article, click here.