This is slightly edited version of a Yammer introduction I wrote for staff in our network. Use here is growing quickly. It will be interesting to see whether it is just a fad, or if it proves to have lasting value.
What is it?
Yammer is a social networking tool, similar to Twitter but focused on the enterprise/business user. A Yammer network is open only to people with your company email address. Our company’s network was started by a small group late last year and the growth rate of new members has recently skyrocketed. In July there were some 50 members—today membership is over 200 and growing quickly.
Why Bother?
So called micro-blogging tools in a business setting make it easy to share ideas, links to interesting web sites, or post solutions to problems. Other users can respond with their own ideas, and discussion organically builds around topics of broad interest. For instance a user recently posted a notice about an upcoming free Drupal webinar, another user offered to host a group viewing of the session, and several other users pitched in find a meeting room. This type of spontaneous cross-department, dynamic community building is one of Yammer’s real benefits.
How do I start?
Sign up for an account at Yammer.com using your company email address. Fill in your profile with details such as your title, department—and don’t forget a picture. Then explore the member directory and find people to follow. Unlike the real world it is not creepy to follow people you don’t know or work with— in fact on Yammer it is encouraged. Look for people posting items of interest to you and follow them. Reciprocity is not expected—you don’t need to follow someone just because they follow you. Power tip: Install the Yammer desktop client for quick and convenient access to the network.
What do I say?
In any social network only a small percentage of the community actively contributes content. Watching and reading is as much of a contribution as posting. When you’re ready, start by commenting on other people’s posts and joining in on a discussion of interest. Try to always give something of value. Share an example from your work, or post a link to an article relevant to the discussion. Yammer also includes a ‘like’ button that lets you record a positive reaction to an idea, another way to contribute.
Keep it professional?
Yes! Remember your postings and profile can be seen by everyone on your company Yammer network: co-workers, your boss, even people you don’t know. Statements you make will be seen by many as official statements from your department, whether that is your intention or not. Freely sharing information and open discussion are what make Yammer a powerful tool—but as with any workplace communication it is important to match the tone and content you share to the environment.
The best way to get a feel for how Yammer works is to just dive in, sign up for an account, and start listening. So what are you waiting for?
Want to start using social media in your workplace? This article has some good ideas: Internal Social Media: Building A Case
Comments / 2 COMMENTS
RodeWorks » Blog Archive » Yammer the gateway drug on Feb 24 10 at 5:22 am[...] Yammer made a big splash in our workplace late last fall. But lately the number of user posts has dropped off pretty steeply. It is not clear quite why this is. For me I find my Twitter feed more useful. Workplace colleagues of interest are already there, plus I can follow external people as well. And in its free version Yammer doesn’t really offer much over what Twitter has to offer. According to a recent ReadWrite post Yammer seems to be doing well, at least in the VC marketplace. [...]
Steve Apfelberg added these pithy words on Dec 10 09 at 1:43 pmRandy,
Well said. Thank you for posting. Please let me know if you’d like to connect to discuss Yammer in more detail.
Best,
SteveVP, Marketing at Yammer
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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