Our social media hippie clan from Mamby-Pamby Land has been talking so much about what works in social media and the cost of not participating, that I thought it interesting when I came across a Workforce Management article last week titled Social Media Won’t Work for Benefits Information, Survey Suggests.
And just as the title suggests -- according to a survey that the National Business Group on Health:
- 47% of full-time U.S. employees surveyed by NBGH said they use Facebook either daily or weekly for personal reasons, but only 7 percent said they use the social networking site for business.
- 75% of workers said they were not interested in receiving information via Facebook about their employer-sponsored health benefits, tips on improving their health or saving money on health care.
- 80% said they had no interest in being “tweeted” with health benefits information via the Twitter website.
- Less than 20% of employees younger than 34 said they would like to receive information such as how to choose a health plan or exercise tips via Facebook.
Social networks hold their social dear, like a childhood stuffed animal worn with age and a button eye missing.
They don't want read the undecipherable legalese of their latest health benefits rate increase.
Being personable, sharing original or other's content, networking and building relationships may work on these social platforms most of the time, but obviously companies sharing internal employee information should either share on internal social platforms, or they shouldn't abandon the tried-and-true methods of benefit communications, including print mailings and workplace distributions and e-mail.
Granted the survey, which was conducted in March, included responses from only 1,500 full-time workers ages of 22 to 64, but it's still telling as to what employees don't want to use social media for.
But I do extrapolate that there is still value to some strategically targeted print direct marketing and the fact that e-mail marketing isn't going anywhere anytime soon.
So there you have it. Now, where's my teddy bear? Time for a tea party.
Post by Kevin W. Grossman (join me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - and now join HRmarketer on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!)
Labels: Employee Benefits, marketing communications, social media
Social networks hold their social dear, like a childhood stuffed animal worn with age and a button eye missing.