We have evangelised for many years that the best way of creating widespread involvement is through powerful and effective live experiences and events. That’s certainly the message we were conveying at last month’s Melcrum Live conference anyway.

However over the last few years the way we communicate and involve has changed.  Twitter, Facebook and the increasingly integrated nature of the mobile web are allowing us to connect in ways we’d never previously considered. In our personal lives, the way we interact, share and communicate is evolving at an exciting rate.

So, why are most companies still using the same internal communications channels as they did 5 years ago?

What are Enterprise Social Networks (ESNs)?

By the end of this year Deloitte has predicted that 90% of Fortune 500 companies will have at least partially implemented some form of company wide ESN.

An ESN is basically a social network for business. It’s secure, sociable and designed to open up channels of communication within your organisation to increase crowdsourcing, collaboration and co-creation.

At the moment it seems like a new one pops up every week, but for now we think these are the most effective ESNs out there.

1. Tibbr

Tibbr is probably the most interactive of all the major ESNs. In many ways, it behaves almost exactly like Facebook. Though there are other networks that might present a slightly more ‘professional’ hub for your employees, the visual nature of Tibbr makes it a great option for encouraging participation and  involvement.

2. Yammer

Yammer has been around for a while now and it’s still one of the most popular ESNs out there. Its major selling points are its security systems and it’s advanced integration with many other online applications and networks.

3. Jive

From our point of view Jive is probably the most exciting ESN out there at the moment. As well as performing all the basic functionality of Yammer and Tibbr, Jive also adds some exciting new ideas into the mix. From what we’ve seen it has huge potential to increase collaboration and productivity (Jive actually claim an average figure of 15%), but it’s social functionality is also very insightful. Just like LinkedIn, Jive will recommend people within your company who, it thinks, you should get to know. These recommendations are based on your interests and professional profile and have proven to increase interactions within companies across the world.

ESNs are just one way that the digital world is reshaping engagement and internal communications. Want to know more about how you could put these tools to work for your organisation?

Please feel free to get in touch, we’ll be more than happy to help.