Social Networks Target Businesses By Extending Collaboration Features

LONDON, UK (RPRN) 10/30/09 — The incorporation of the lists feature into Twitter shows that social networks are looking towards extending their potential as collaboration tools and increasing the use of their communities in business, says PR Company Punch Communications.

The recent Beta launch of Google Wave has caused a great stir in the online world, as the application seeks to unite all of the aspects of email, social media and wikis into a single media solution. One of its benefits is the freedom of collaboration between users, and this is a feature that Twitter has also recently adopted through its “lists” feature.

Twitter lists allow users to create conversations for specific groups of people, whilst also allowing users to subscribe to public lists so that they can see what certain groups of users are talking about. As well as adding collaboration possibilities, lists provide users with a way of categorising their followers, an aspect of the social network that takes inspiration from the abilities of the many Twitter clients such as Tweetdeck or Tweetie.

Punch Communications has indicated that this shift towards providing online collaboration features and services is a sign that social media is looking towards other audiences, and that businesses should start to use the networks more frequently and make the most of their benefits for communications purposes.

Pete Goold, Managing Director of Technology PR experts Punch Communications, said: “Online collaboration tools certainly seem to be pointing the way in terms of the future of social media. One of the key opportunities that social media has to grow is through its use in business, and both Google Wave and Twitter lists are aiming to improve the use of the internet for business purposes.”

Punch Communications has a great deal of experience in the many facets of the public relations profession, from traditional media relations to more recent developments in the industry such as Digital PR. Punch has also demonstrated its ability to adapt with changing times, through its acquisition of search engine marketing abilities. Punch has gone on to hone these skills, and now offers SEO agency services to clients.

For more information, please call 01858 411 600, or visit punchcomms.com.