How companies are using social media for learning and development

Many organizations encourage employees to augment instruction gained via traditional LD platforms so they can do so on their own time, at their own pace and For workers like Masiello, social media tools provide the same, if not better, insight than formalized instructor-led training programs offer, largely because employees can pick and choose the content they consume. Because most mainstream social media is free or low-cost and plentiful, there’s nothing stopping workers from hopping around sites until they find the materials that suit them best.

“It’s such an awesome way of democratizing information,” Gayane Margaryan, digital marketing manager for the conservation organization African Wildlife Foundation, said of Twitter. Margaryan loves how Twitter chats allow her to directly communicate with innovative executives, including search engine optimization guru Rand Fishkin, co-founder of Moz, which creates marketing analytics software for SEO.

“He has ‘Whiteboard Fridays’ where he does a video update and shares information,” said Margaryan, who appreciates how social media gives her an immediate path to insight from such renowned leaders as Fishkin. “It’s almost better than going to a conference.”

Similarly, learning through YouTube has become so effective for Joshua Feinberg, CMO at Vic.ai and co-founder and advisor at SP Home Run, a consulting firm in West Palm Beach, Fla., that he now attends industry conferences usually only when he is giving a talk.

Every morning, while he works out on an elliptical machine for 30 minutes, Feinberg places his smartphone within sight and watches YouTube for a wide variety of topics, including content management systems, e-commerce platforms, startups and product management. Through the video sharing site, Feinberg said he often learns more about topics that help his firm and clients than he would “sitting in a hotel ballroom.”

Feinberg is an example of a collaborator — learning as well as teaching. He offers learning content via his YouTube videos, which outline the particulars of client value, web traffic generation and business development.

Take note that that idea — employee-led instruction — is another concept that smart companies are embracing within the enterprise. For example, at the marketing software company HubSpot, employees lead “master classes,” which allow workers to learn from one another in a classroom setting on a range of subjects.

“Everyone is trying to get their teams trained,” Feinberg said. “What you’re going to see more is companies relying on social sites. It’s all about making use of time. There’s much more demand for training than a willingness to go to traditional conferences. And you can go always go back and rewatch a video.”