Good news for Westpac Bank’s social networking employees! According to ZDNet Australia, all Westpac employees are now able to access their Facebook profile at work. Westpac’s CTO David Backley, seems confident that Facebook can be self managed with most people doing the right thing and ensuring others do the same.

The bank is also experimenting with their own Facebook-like social networking application that will feature firewall protected confidential information for Westpac staff only.

And wait for it! Australia’s oldest bank has bought a virtual branded island on “Second Life”. That’s right. Westpac have been experimenting with the application, conducting centralised induction meetings for new employees from branches and offices around the country and are very pleased with their results.

While Westpac is by no means the only corporation or bank practicing this new style of managing internal communications and HR, just the fact that they are a “bank” is definitely news worthy. If one of Westpac’s main objectives is to attract the brightest new talent over the next few years, they are definitely on the right track.

Related Links:
Westpac turns to Web 2.0 free for all - ZDNet Australia
Is Facebook good for the workplace? - News.com.au
Do You Facebook, MySpace, Bebo or YouTube @ Work? - Plastic Cup

Something to ponder:
Allowing employees the freedom to socially network, in and around work can be a good thing (even if it’s not business-oriented). These same tools can encourage more effective collaboration and communication within the organisation. For it doesn’t matter how amazing your communication technology is, it’s the people-factor that makes it sparkle and come to life.

Now is not the time to turn a blind eye and hope that this social networking hysteria will just go away. If you are not engaging in some sort of social activity online, you are not going to get it when the internet world moves on from Web 2.0 to Web 3.0. And trust me, if you are running a business, you will not want to be in that space.

We fear only the things that we do not know.
Up until about 2 months ago, I was not an active online social networker. I was always putting it off, with excuses like “I don’t have time”, “I’ve got too much to do”, blah blah blah! It wasn’t until I found out that half of my family was on Bebo that I realised that I was seriously out of touch. (A person who considered herself very much on the pulse).

After that I went mad, digging out my passwords for MySpace, FaceBook and YouTube. I joined Bebo, Squidoo, StumbleUpon, Weebly, Lemonade, LinkedIn…and more.

And then a funny thing happened. Friends, family and business associates found me. A friend of mine in New Zealand, posted a welcome greeting on my Bebo wall. I had only just joined and been logged in for 15 minutes. It was incredible! Suddenly my email box had email notifications from people wanting to be my friend. I felt really special.

Since then I’ve written on friends’ walls, poked people, left gifts, shared photos and videos and laughed with them online. I’ve also become a Squidoo lens master, joined forums and met new people with similar interests around the globe. It has been a fascinating adventure and I’m so glad that I took the big leap into the unknown.

So how about you?… Which social networking groups do you belong to?
If you haven’t joined a group yet, then I urge you to make an effort to join one very soon. Don’t put it off with a blah blah excuse. Social networking is liberating. It gives you an opportunity to connect with friends and other like-minded people and to find your own voice online.

Yes, you have to invest time into it. But if you are serious about finding ways to improve and expand your business online, this is a small price to pay for the satisfaction that it can bring. As your online experience grows, social networking encourages you to express your unique story in different ways. Helping you to lighten up, have fun, and enjoy the journey.

Something to ponder upon:
“The Internet is a rich and compelling resource; jam-packed with billions of different stories from around the world. It is the ultimate business marketplace - colourful, vibrant, engaging and very competitive. Ideally suited to the brave and fearless.” MAF

If you are looking to build or redesign your business web site, then your timing couldn’t be better. Today, there are some great online marketing tools available to you that are easy to use, well designed and very affordable. And the exciting news is that there are more people connected and communicating online then ever before.

Your customers are ready!
That’s right folks. Your customers have seen the light and are using the Internet for domestic, business, educational, government and entertainment purposes. It is the new “TV” and people are just getting started. So…

10 reasons why it is a good time to build your web site.

1. Many of your customers now have access to the Internet and fast broadband connections.
2. They use the Internet on a daily basis both for work and socially.
3. They can connect 24/7 via computers, laptops, mobile phones, blackberries, and palm pilots…
4. They do their banking online, pay their bills, shop for groceries, book travel, books, gifts, download music, watch You Tube videos, send emails, do research, write their own blogs, talk to friends… and the list goes on and on.
5. Some of your customers are participating in social networks that are powered by intelligent software applications. Professionally designed, these networks are interactive, fun, very sticky and absolutely free. (Think Facebook, Bebo, MySpace, YouTube, Squidoo…just to name a few.)
6. Your customers are developing higher online expectations due to their frequent use of the Internet. Their online experiences are now positive and fun.
7. Your customers have very short attention spans and need to be persuaded in less than 10 seconds to stay and have a look around. They are attracted to web sites that can help them in some way or are new and unique. If you can achieve this then the rewards are great.
8. Many of your customers stumbleupon web sites and recommend them to their friends, and their friends’ friends, and their friends’, friends’, friends and even to people they have never met before.
9. Many of your customers may not necessarily come to you via your website, but they will expect to see you there on the Internet if they decide to take a peek.
10. Many of your customers will take your business more seriously if you have a well-designed web site that tells a unique story and provides them with all the information they need to make an informed decision about your products and services.

There you have it. Ten very good reasons that have hopefully got you all fired up, and helped to fuel your online journey.

Need more inspiration? Read my next article “10 More Reasons To Build Your New Business Web Site Now!”

Something to ponder upon:
“The internet is constantly changing and evolving. Continually stretched and challenged by more and more Internet savvy, unique individuals. As they experiment and test the boundaries, gaps naturally appear, allowing new ideas to filter through, engaging people in a multitude of different ways.” MAF