Wondering how to use social media internally? Try these 7 tips

Now that many organizations seem to use social media externally through Twitter or Facebook, the focus of corporate social media is turning within.

At a recent Twitter chat moderated by Sean Williams, owner of Communication Ammo, communicators offered many ideas of how best to use social media internally.

Williams and participant Jennifer Graybeal of Aviat Networks spoke with Ragan.com about some of those ideas:

1. Think like talk-show hosts, not librarians.

Intranets are evolving from repositories of information to tools that facilitate discussions and enable employees to work more effectively, Williams says.

Social media tools such as Yammer-like micro-blogging and Twitter applications are spreading, and employees are beginning to expect video on demand, he says. They are also looking to build social relationships inside the firewall.