Where is the study and related article on how much companies are making from social media outlets? We all know that a lot of people use these sites for networking and generating new business.
I just think these articles feed the fear of these new technologies and ways to interact with each other. I feel sorry for those that would rather censor than learn the benefits!
Joanne Fritz
· 1 month ago
I suggest that instead of banning social sites that companies educate their employees about how to use social media productively....how to find industry news, make contacts for the company, etc. Perhaps suggest that personal social networking be done on breaks and at lunch. An employee who is fluent in the newest communication channels is a more valuable employee.
jaylawrence
· 1 month ago
I think more and more businesses should implement the use of these social networking sites for their businesses in order to grown in a constant changing world of technology.
Sardar Mohkim Khan
· 1 month ago
I agree.. If they know employees spend so much online, they ought to find ways they can utilize the time spent on social networks for their benefit. I mean there is always the marketing aspect
amy wilsch
· 1 month ago
spare me the lame justification. 95% of the people are poking friends, spying on their kids and checking out past classmates to see if old/bald yet. They are not evangelizing their company in the least.
Puneet
· 1 month ago
Lame-ass. Do you want twitter to be flooded with spam content? Whatever happened to social networking? And by the way discussion is about employees wasting time on twitter, how can a company market something to their own employees?
beeks
· 1 month ago
I won't be re-tweeting this, haha. That is all.
Elie
· 1 month ago
First.
But seriously, I agree with your last line: I’d rather have happy employees who sometimes go to Facebook and Twitter than unhappy ones who never do anything personal or fun online.
advocatus
· 1 month ago
This was on Digg about 2 hours ago.
Joe
· 1 month ago
hell, i'm on facebook right now... i have an 8 hour day and i can honestly say i spend about 6 hours a day on facebook. keep in mind, its actually part of my job to post on facebook, but most of my time spent is personal use. it probably cuts my productivity to 1/4 of what it would be without facebook :)
Brad F.
· 1 month ago
I wouldn't mind finding a job like that. O_o
Puneet
· 1 month ago
u wouldnt have a job without facebook. Gotcha..... :)
Name
· 1 month ago
40 minutes a week?Seriously?That's probably lesser than the total amount of time you spend going to the bathroom at the office in a day. So is that a loss of productivity? People are not machines. If a machine is down for 40 minutes I can understand that there is an obvious productivity loss. I don't understand why they are isolating social networks. There are plenty of other ways to waste time at work.
Brad
· 1 month ago
While I agree with your overall argument, if you're spending 40 minutes in the bathroom every day you may want to consider adjusting your eating habits! Doesn't sound healthy...
Puneet
· 1 month ago
Agreed. On both counts. 40 minutes a week is 8 minutes a day. what the hell
@themusci
· 1 month ago
Wrong to assume that time spent on social networking sites does nothing to improve those workers' knowledge and value to their companies -- that their activity is virtual watercoolerism.
Likely that they'll get industry news on Twitter or catch up with a friend on Facebook who's just moved to a new firm and has some interesting info to share. Until we know how these employees are using social networking sites, the headline and thesis ring a little hollow. Could be this time makes workers more productive (less time working, but higher value product).
John LoFranco
· 1 month ago
Agreed. Social networking is not the black hole of work productivity. Social networking websites allow many opportunities for employees to stay current with the news in their field. With facts and news flying around these sites constantly, the ability to gather information becomes easier for those active in social media.
This doesn't mean if you allow employees to use social media outlets they'll only use it for news and research, but it is better to offer the freedom to do so then strip them of their opportunity.
Karen
· 1 month ago
In South Africa most corporates block access to social media sites - we have very expensive bandwidth and the rationale is the hard cost of bandwidth.
Name
· 1 month ago
Who knows what actual business contacts might be made while on those sites? My last boss knew that while I worked in Business Development, every contact that I made with a colleague from the past might be a business opportunity.
Jon
· 1 month ago
My opinion is that you don't run a productive company
Sam
· 1 month ago
These numbers seem to ignore the hidden benefits of employees using social media while at work. They assume that every minute (dollar) spent on a social media site is a lost dollar, which is not the case, given the usefulness of those sites to business. As with anything, there is such a thing as excess--if an employee spends half their day taking facebook quizzes and updating their status or tweet every 10 minutes, there is very little benefit to the company. But declaring that all time spent on a social networking site is lost productivity is a overly-simplified way of looking at the issue.
Dana Twichell
· 1 month ago
The irony is that social networking is where business is happening too. Even if you spend time on it for personal reasons, you are still exposed to business ideas that you can implement. Was there any R&D at the water cooler? Are these companies also complaining about the sales to employees of other companies that hear about products and services on their social media work time?
bilal
· 1 month ago
if one is not working on a production line, I dont think it weakens the productivity. After all, an employer should be knowing his/her expactations from a worker and every workplace should have a procedure to understand how much work is done and is it acceptible for available human resources and relative working hours. This issue is magnified by firms that are doing the research because most rich men / company tended to pay people who claims that we have found a possible thiever that steal from you. people who do social research with non-sense results. By the way, I am at the office, at the moment and I didnt have anything to do, when i read this post. :)
Name
· 1 month ago
So we know that staff spend a lot of time on these sites, but wonder what percentage is work related content! To me it shows there is a culture of Web 2.0 within the business but no tools to channel this! If they had, then they could benefit on the conversations (i.e. someone unhappy because their monitor keeps flickering (health & safety) or somebody potentially slagging off a customer (reputation).
Melissa
· 1 month ago
Whether it's true or not - it does highlight the importance of having something about Computer / Internet use in that good ol' employee handbook. If everyone knows what the expectation is, there is no perceived loss on either side. To your point – I do agree. I find it hard to believe the amount of hours / dollars that are being tossed out.
purple martin house
· 1 month ago
They are definitely bad for the majority of users out there. However, when they are used for business purposes, we're talking differently. ;)
locklandworth
· 1 month ago
A slacker, is a slacker. If it's not Social Media killing their time, they will find another distraction. Period.
rshevlin
· 1 month ago
The analysis is seriously flawed. Productivity is measured by dividing output by input. There's no way you can simply conduct a survey and make any valid conclusions about the impact on productivity.
So this will lead firms to ban sites like Facebook. And what good will that do? Do they think the people who have been spending two hours a day at work on the site are going to say “damn, they banned Facebook — I guess I’ll get back to work now”?
and you are the reason why many "first world' countries are in decline. Because employees feel entitled and are lazy. "I DEMAND my right to mess around online every day!"
dumb asses
When you go get your own business, started with your own money, then come back and tell me you're ok with people wasting 40min a day on their personal crap. And let me say one thing - they are not 40 minutes INSTEAD of the water cooler/ bathroom/ excessive phone talking. They are in ADDITION to them.
keegan_shoutz
· 1 month ago
I agree one hundred percent that it's more important to have happy employees, ones that are familiar with online social media and making connections with others via these kinds of sites. If people don't enjoy their job, in my opinion they more than likely won't be very productive regardless of what they do in the work place. I work a lot harder and more efficiently for places and people I enjoy.
Dayna Steele
· 1 month ago
If employees are going to use social media no matter what, then find a way to harness that energy and knowledge and promote the company.
Jaimy Szymanski
· 1 month ago
We recently had a related conversation at work, too - Regarding how much time employees are spending on social media during the workday. We're currently working to begin tracking it more diligently, to try to get some sense of its impact. I'll be interested to see how it all adds up.
I agree that before social media sites, employees networked in other ways in-person at work, and that no one can be 100% productive. Time spent on social sites isn't all unproductive though - I think that point is missed here. If time spent on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. is a means to an end (i.e. increased leads, awareness, etc.), then it is worth its investment.
Brad F.
· 1 month ago
I think reports like this are ridiculous, and here's why:
People are going to waste time at work. That's just a given. Whether they do it on Facebook, Twitter, browser based games, games on their phones, listening to music, daydreaming, picking their nose, digging in their butt, gossiping with co-workers...
Well, you get the point. It's going to happen one way or the other. The only thing that changes is what the person does while they waste time. No one can work nonstop all day long. You have to have a few mental distractions to keep your day interesting.
Web 2.0
· 1 month ago
Well don't worry the $2.25 Billion is probably in Facebook's safe now :)
Renato Sa
· 1 month ago
Yeah, but how much money is being saved with brand awareness, external communications etc?
aw
· 1 month ago
haha, close to 0. But also depends on the medium. If you're typing as @joeblow on twitter then 0. Facebook marginally better IF you list your work etc on your bio (note that MANY people do not). Also depends on what you're posting, but my guess is 90% of all posts are personal and nothing to do with brand awareness or external (business) comm.
YMM
· 1 month ago
Of course they don't look at how companies can take advantage of that usage to benefit their own goals,whether in terms of marketing, sales, market research or customer service, what they should do is channel that interest in social media and networks and help the company take advantage of a powerful audience that can benefit the bottom line.
But nope, too many traditional companies can't make that leap, and guess what, then they're surprised when they're customers go elsewhere.
Kirk Abraham
· 1 month ago
Guess this depends on what your job is...highly subjective. As a recruiter, it's a part of job function to be connected in the market ~ so to is it subjective the topic of discussion...
Am I networking for relevant topic, or you know, just making a comment on social media hub like Mashable? Dooooh!!! :)
Batman
· 1 month ago
I've always believed that all work and no play, makes Jack or Jill really dull. Show me the office where 100% of the employees are working 100% of the time, and I'll show you the next office murder/suicide story....
Henry
· 1 month ago
great article as far as i am concerned, more and more businesses are gonna pay attention to the use of these social networking sites for their businesses
Nicole
· 1 month ago
Most people are good at multi-tasking to stay current in the modern work world. This study doesn't take that into account. I.e., workers on Facebook and Twitter are probably also accomplishing other tasks simultaneously.
BigSharpie
· 1 month ago
A couple of things: Are the employees as busy as they were before? Would love the see how they conducted the "study" and who funded it. Did they include fantasy football, baseball, and other "browsing" activities. If the job is getting done, i could care less about social networking, AOL chat has been around for a long time, too...
KirstMcL
· 1 month ago
When I was a dept manager for a company in the UK I HAD to let my staff go for cigarette breaks - 5min walk to the smoking shelter, 10mins to smoke, 5mins to walk back...usually morning and afternoon so 40mins per day!
Social media taking 40mins per week is a much better option...and better for your health too :o)
Bilal Jaffery
· 1 month ago
Maybe it's time for companies to bring back this 'social' crowd on to their own networks. Collaborate outside of the email? IBM's Lotus Connections or Microsoft's Sharepoint allows you to do that.
Jeff Hora
· 1 month ago
In cases where we are at least tangentially identified with the companies we work for, our engagement online via social media may do more to humanize our company than a thousand PR dollars. Considering the blurring of the lines between the personal and the professional (do you do work e-mail on the weekends instead of spending time with your significant others?) and the cross-over between our personal brands and the corporate sheen we inevitably have at times, I think that "lost productivity" actually requires a better definition of what productivity means.
The Wandering Foodie
· 1 month ago
I have personally been responsible for at least $200,000 of that.
lizpope
· 1 month ago
As a young professional in the field of public relations, social media is king. It’s important to be able to use LinkedIn, Twitter and other social networks to connect with those who can (1) provide mentorship in terms of professional development and (2) become strategic contacts in regards to business development. The primary issue isn’t that employees are using social media during the day to eat up time, it’s how they’re portraying the company and the impact this can have on communications. This is why companies need to have a social media policy, they need to monitor what is being said about them on the internet and they need to have a plan on how to respond.
kdurham
· 1 month ago
I agree with you! and some of that social media can turn into company profits! (But, I'd say 40 minutes a week could be a great understatement in time ..)
GodMode
· 1 month ago
These are really costing a heck amount to the office.
daxcallner
· 1 month ago
What a load of crap - I agree with you that employees would do other thing. Also...ever heard of NETWORKING as part of doing your job?
davereinhardt
· 1 month ago
Who hasn't taken a few minutes out of their day to do some personal web browsing? Facebook is just another site to do that on. This is just a different variant of the pieces that appeared as the web started becoming available at people's desks. Banning Facebook just sends the message that you don't trust people to separate personal and professional time. If people are going to waste time, they'll still do it with their mates over coffee, email, etc.
gblast
· 1 month ago
Soc networks have been around now for some time and is part of the new generations communication channel. What large corporations dont understand also is that gambling sites or sport sites that host fantasy anything probably hijacks more time if not equal to soc networks, but no one is gathering info on that. I don't see any company benefiting from those sites, but they do benefit from soc sites if done correctly.
LinksMonkey
· 1 month ago
Internet access was severely restricted @ my last job - a major reason I'm no longer there.
Jeremy Campbell
· 1 month ago
As long as employees are using social media mostly for professional reasons then this trend should be fine. Otherwise I can see where companies may have concerns around Twitter, Facebook, etc. if it's used primarily for personal reasons.
Mark Smiciklas
· 1 month ago
If they are blogging/posting/tweeting about their company, products, services, culture, etc. does that change the "productivity cost" to a "investment in brand"?
patrickmurphy
· 1 month ago
How much business does it generate would be the flip side? Inbound marketing is about targeting twitter etc. I would the people who have stopped working are they purchasing?
RedShift
· 1 month ago
People are clearly using social media for personal as well as professional ways and staying on the clock. And, I admit this is not optimal for worker productivity. BUT...While this is horribly outrageous and all that jazz, if social media is unavailable, workers will find other ways to waste time. If you emploees are NOT actively engaged in a task or project, wasting time is easy. And maybe easier and more amusing when facebook is available, but as someone who formerly worked in a corporate giant who had websites like facebook and youtube blocked, i know for a fact time was still wasted by ALL employees sending texts, reading, crossword puzzles, books, aimlessly staring at the clock...
FACT: Social media isn't at fault. Poor managing of employees is.
arustad904
· 1 month ago
First it was the desk phone at the office and the concern over employees making personal calls. Then it was the internet and how that would that would distract employees from getting their work done. Then the ultimate productivity killer, the cell phone. I can't even imagine how much Social Media will harm work force productivity. What a joke,... Just think 2 years from now we'll be discussing what a great productivity tool Social Media is for business.
Ninja
· 1 month ago
its not social media but free riders that are wastefull! will lead to spam
neilkevin
· 1 month ago
What an awesome news you have shared here. I am very much thankful to you , I didn't know that social media can earn this much business. Very huge amount of money . Truly social media is playing an important role in business development .
All Comments
I just think these articles feed the fear of these new technologies and ways to interact with each other. I feel sorry for those that would rather censor than learn the benefits!
But seriously, I agree with your last line: I’d rather have happy employees who sometimes go to Facebook and Twitter than unhappy ones who never do anything personal or fun online.
Likely that they'll get industry news on Twitter or catch up with a friend on Facebook who's just moved to a new firm and has some interesting info to share. Until we know how these employees are using social networking sites, the headline and thesis ring a little hollow. Could be this time makes workers more productive (less time working, but higher value product).
This doesn't mean if you allow employees to use social media outlets they'll only use it for news and research, but it is better to offer the freedom to do so then strip them of their opportunity.
So this will lead firms to ban sites like Facebook. And what good will that do? Do they think the people who have been spending two hours a day at work on the site are going to say “damn, they banned Facebook — I guess I’ll get back to work now”?
Wrong. Here's more on why it's a bad idea to ban FB:
http://marketingteaparty.com/2009/10/25/dont-ba...
dumb asses
When you go get your own business, started with your own money, then come back and tell me you're ok with people wasting 40min a day on their personal crap. And let me say one thing - they are not 40 minutes INSTEAD of the water cooler/ bathroom/ excessive phone talking. They are in ADDITION to them.
I agree that before social media sites, employees networked in other ways in-person at work, and that no one can be 100% productive. Time spent on social sites isn't all unproductive though - I think that point is missed here. If time spent on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. is a means to an end (i.e. increased leads, awareness, etc.), then it is worth its investment.
People are going to waste time at work. That's just a given. Whether they do it on Facebook, Twitter, browser based games, games on their phones, listening to music, daydreaming, picking their nose, digging in their butt, gossiping with co-workers...
Well, you get the point. It's going to happen one way or the other. The only thing that changes is what the person does while they waste time. No one can work nonstop all day long. You have to have a few mental distractions to keep your day interesting.
But nope, too many traditional companies can't make that leap, and guess what, then they're surprised when they're customers go elsewhere.
Am I networking for relevant topic, or you know, just making a comment on social media hub like Mashable? Dooooh!!! :)
as far as i am concerned, more and more businesses are gonna pay attention to the use of these social networking sites for their businesses
Social media taking 40mins per week is a much better option...and better for your health too :o)
FACT: Social media isn't at fault. Poor managing of employees is.
will lead to spam
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