豆知识 2011-02-27&03-05 工作需要社会化媒体

 These days, people have new powers. Notthat kind, I mean on the web. We can create websites and post messages to theworld with the click ofa button. Blogs, social networking sites and twitter, all make it easy. But this power comes with new responsibilities,especially when it comes to the workplace. This is Social Media and theWorkplace Explained by Common Craft. 

Organizations often monitor what is said about them in the media and control every message that comes from the company.But these days, blogs and social networking sites mean that companies can'tkeep up. The media has become social. New ways to understand and react towhat's being said online are now needed. That's why organizations are beginningto encourage employees to understand and be a part of online conversations. 

Consider this. Chair Hero has made quality chairs for twenty years. Recentlysomething happened. One of their chair models was defective¹ and people werefalling down. Soon enough, blogs, social networking sites and Twitter were all writing about their defective chairs. Within two days,they were overwhelmed². The company started to panic. What could they do? What would workin this new world? 

At first, they wrote press releasesand posted information on their website. It helped a little. But they could seethe³ conversations were happening elsewhere. They felt powerless like they hadlost control.

A potential solution to this problem requires a new way of thinking aboutcompany communication. These days, customers want more than just another pressrelease. They want to have an honest conversation with someone from the company, often outside the companywebsite. To make these conversations productive⁴ and reduce the risks, companiesneed to have a few things in place.

First, official accounts on popular social media sites. Second, a way tomonitor what's being said about them, usingservices like Google alerts⁵ or Twitter Search. Third,

guidelines⁶. They give employees clear direction. Let's look at how this works. 

Silas recently went through Chair Hero's training sessions on using socialmedia. It's now a part of his job to identify and respond to people talkingabout the company online. Before responding to a recent blog post, Silas goesthrough a quick checklist. He asks himself, does this need a response? In thiscase, yes. He can offer valuable information. Is he the right person? Yes, heknows the facts. Does he know the culture? Yes, he knows the blog and what'sbeen said there before. So Silas decides to get involved. Following theguidelines at his company,he introduces himself as a company representative and provides a shortdisclaimer. He's careful to speak in the first person and focuses on thesubject and not the person. His goal is to be personable, respectful and neverangry. In this case, he may just need to provide a link to clear up the issueand an offer to help in the future. Beforeposting it, he quickly makes sure no confidential⁷ information has been shared.The next day, Silas receives a quick thank you and an added benefit. Hisresponse will now be seen by others, and evenappear in search results. Silas was able to take a risky⁸ situation and turnedit into an informative⁹ message without taking him the rest of the company'svaluable time. He added value and built trust with customers. And that's the main role of employees using social media,whether is a crisislike a defective chair model, everyday customer support or just sharinginformation. 

The web is too wide for a company to control every communication.But a company can understand the growing influence ofsocial media and create an environment where employees are empowered toparticipate and build trust with their customers.

1 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

2 overwhelmed   

[ overwhelm ]的过去式

参考例句：

• She was overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. 她感到愧疚难当。
• If (one was) overwhelmed by passion, it could lead to serious blunders. 当感情完全淹没理智时，就可能铸成大错。

3 seethe   

vi.拥挤，云集；发怒，激动，骚动

参考例句：

• Many Indians continue to seethe and some are calling for military action against their riotous neighbour.很多印度人都处于热血沸腾的状态，很多都呼吁针对印度这个恶邻采取军事行动。
• She seethed with indignation.她由于愤怒而不能平静。

4 productive   

adj.能生产的，有生产价值的，多产的

参考例句：

• We had a productive meeting that solved some problems.我们开了一个富有成效的会议，解决了一些问题。
• Science and technology are part of the productive forces.科学技术是生产力。

5 alerts   

n.警戒( alert的名词复数 )；警报期间；警戒状态；报警信号v.使（某人）保持警觉( alert的第三人称单数 )；使意识到；提醒（某人）注意（某事）；使（部队）处于待命状态

参考例句：

• Folder level alerts are not available on this server. 此服务器上不支持文件夹级的通知。 来自互联网
• Monitor daily customer FTP site for Compatibility Matrix & Quality Alerts. 实时注意客户FTP上的兼容性列表和质量警报。 来自互联网

6 guidelines   

n.指导方针，准则

参考例句：

• The government has drawn up guidelines on the treatment of the mentally ill. 政府制订了对待精神病人的指导方针。
• Planners seem a little uncomfortable with the current government guidelines. 规划师似乎不太接受现行的政府指道方针。

7 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

8 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

9 informative   

adj.提供资料的，增进知识的

参考例句：

• The adverts are not very informative.这些广告并没有包含太多有用信息。
• This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative.这本引人入胜的书既有思想性又富知识性。