Social media platforms are a scary new front for most businesses. There are so many differing opinions about social media in the workplace. However, besides the main players like Facebook and Instagram, there are many social-related platforms that can evolve your business and increase communication and productivity amongst employees and clients.

Social platforms and related software are part of the natural progression and evolution of business. Its currently being used in most businesses for collaboration, feedback, and research to name a few. It’s understandable to be hesitant, but could this improve your current processes? The answer is yes.

Currently, social media platforms offer business utilization. This alone can cut out a lot of the daily customer service calls your office manager may be receiving each day. It won’t take the place of techs if work is needed, but many simple questions or inquiries can be answered. By doing that, you can also boost the number of leads your sales team are receiving too. Now your office manager can get off the phone and answer questions through the platform while they are working on other items. This can also help marketing ventures by visually showing you a slew of analytics that can assist in knowing what people want from you or like to see.

Communication between employees can also be enhanced and done more efficiently with social platforms. Microsoft Office offers a platform called Teams. Instead of walking all the way to someone’s office or trying to multitask while needing answers without a phone call, you can type in a name and message anyone in the company. It cuts time in half, you get quick on the spot response or support. Techs don’t even have to leave their desk. Contact them via teams and they can begin to fix an issue remotely. This isn’t your only option, simply an example. There are several platforms that service so many areas of SMBs.

Employee to employee communication isn’t the only thing that benefits from social tools. Client communication does as well. Many of these platforms offer things like instant messages, video conferencing, screen shares and team sites. Think about the amount of time that is saved for both the employee and the client. Your tech can be in the office working remote instead of spending an entire day at a client’s office. You can share documents, walk a client through a simple fix with a quick screen share. This is a huge win for employee productivity and efficiency, not only that but client expectations will be exceeded in a timely manner.

Finally, social media, social tools, and social platforms are all shown to increase morale within a business. They are allowing employees to streamline their jobs without the stress and hassle of attempting to collaborate with different people via email or an office visit. It also shows them that you trust them to use these things on work time and not abuse the privilege. Taking a small break to check Facebook or network with a client makes a surprising difference in the workplace. Do some research and find out what would work best for your business. It never hurts to give it a try. For all you know, the results may surprise you.