Best Enterprise Social Networking Software

What is Enterprise Social Networking Software?

In a broad sense, enterprise social networking software creates an environment in a company where employees can engage in conversation and share important information. More specifically, enterprise social networking software is for employees to use when they need to collaborate on a task. For example, you can use them to share media files to collaborate on tasks.

Enterprise social networking software systems are essentially equivalent to a social network you might use in your downtime; the critical difference with enterprise social networking software tools is that they optimize specifically for business purposes.

Social networking tools center around employee communication for company purposes, such as tasks, brainstorms, and general employee communication.

Specific elements of enterprise social networking software include a team messaging product for cohesive communication, project and task management tools, and tools for employee collaboration. These elements are all in one social networking package.

How We Rank the Best Enterprise Social Networking Software

At SaasGenius, we apply a detailed rating methodology to assess and rank enterprise social networking software vendors. Our comprehensive approach considers key factors such as ease of use, features, and support. 

In addition, we use the Genius Score, a unique rating system that rates each vendor based on external reviews and internal testing. To learn more about our rating process, visit our rating methodology page.

What Does Enterprise Social Networking Software Do?

Enterprise social networking software provides an excellent platform for employee communication. A great enterprise social networking software should be accessible to anyone in the company, with tools and systems for employers and employees to use.

The idea of an enterprise social networking software product is to make it accessible for everyone to encourage communication.

Main Features of Enterprise Social Networking Software

Enterprising social networking software can help streamline the company’s processes and channels for communication. Here are some specific ways an enterprise social networking software product can streamline company communication:

Team Messaging Tool: There is a team messaging tool that can have multiple messaging channels. You can message an individual colleague or message within a group (you can create message groups for tasks or projects).

Customizable Profiles: Enterprise social networking software can include customizable profiles so employees can personalize their profiles and post their thoughts and ideas; when they post ideas, other employees can see this and connect with them.

Software Integration: Integration with other software and tools, such as cloud server software or website creation software like SharePoint.

Project Management Tools: Tools for managing projects are a critical feature of enterprise social networking software products. You can send and collaborate on ideas and send media files with these tools.

Key Benefits of Using Enterprise Social Networking Software

Enterprise social networking software is essential for companies that need to collaborate and communicate to succeed. These platforms offer numerous advantages that directly impact productivity, employee engagement, and business outcomes.

Enhanced Team Collaboration and Group Formation

The easiest way to use the software is to communicate with your colleagues. You can do this by directly messaging anyone in the company or by messaging in a group. These groups can be for sectors or teams within the company or groups made for a specific task or project.

Streamlined Project Management

You can use enterprise social networking software to create groups specifically for tasking and project management. During the project or task, you can use the group to start a conversation about ideas for the task, or you can send links and media files relevant to the task or project.

Centralized Company Communications

Through the larger groups in the company, they will often send essential updates to the staff. Within many enterprise social networking software products, there are tools to pin specific comments or set them as must-read or high alert. These tools make it so your staff can keep updated with important company updates.

Unified Communication Hub

The best benefit of enterprise social networking software is that it is a singular location for all company communications. So whether it be conversations, news, or collaboration on projects, everything you need to do involving communication in the company can be in one place (which makes it easier for employers and employees).

Improved Employee Engagement

Although you can use enterprise social networking software products for communicating about business tasks and projects, they also serve as a social networking hub for colleagues to converse. Having this as a possibility allows the software to feel like something the company employees want to use instead of feeling like a mandatory tool.

Advanced Project Collaboration

Finally, you can use enterprise social networking software to create groups for projects and use those groups as a tool to complete the project. Some examples of how you can use project management tools include using the chat to collaborate on ideas, ask questions about the project, and insert links and media files to help with the project.

Enterprise Social Networking Software by Company Size

An enterprise social networking software product is worth considering for any company type or size because it allows for excellent communication and collaboration to improve the company’s processes.

Small Businesses

Although small businesses can communicate without an enterprise social networking software product, there are multiple benefits if they use one. For example, an enterprise social networking product can help small business employees to coordinate and arrange shifts.

Medium Businesses

Medium-sized businesses and companies are big enough to use enterprise social networking software daily. They can use it for conversation, group tasks, and more. It is especially useful for a remote business because it connects everyone in the business and keeps a steady flow of communication.

Large Companies and Enterprises

Large companies and enterprises can get the most out of enterprise social networking software because it can allow them to create multiple groups for different tasks or company sectors. The software can streamline communication in a large company and make it easy for all employees to access information.

Enterprise Social Networking Software Pricing Guide

There are multiple price brackets for enterprise social networking software products; they differ based on their features and the number of employees who can access them.

Some enterprise social networking software products have a free version with basic features. However, most will have an entry-level tier, a mid-range tier, and an enterprise tier. The first two tiers will have a reasonable monthly price for most software products.

The enterprise tiers often require a quote to work out the price because there are often many extra features you can add to the software package.

Types of Enterprise Social Networking Software

While most enterprise social networking software products have similar features, some software products will prioritize and specialize in a specific feature. Understanding these different types can help you choose the right solution for your organization’s needs.

Internal Social Networks

Internal enterprise social network software products focus on improving communication and collaboration between employees. They focus on many channels of communication to strengthen connectivity between employees. For example, they include channels for social conversation, collaboration on tasks, and groups for receiving company information.

Corporate Social Networks

Corporate enterprise social network products mainly focus on formal communication between teams in the company. They have multiple features for improving team communication, such as dedicated team communication channels, features for linking information and media files for tasks, and pinning features to pin vital posts for teams.

Integrated Social Networks

Integrated social networks focus on critical integrations with other software products. These software products aim to provide added value to the company, as well as improve communication. For example, some integrated enterprise social network products integrate with the Microsoft suite to offer valuable resources for teams on projects and tasks.

Intranet Social Networks

Intranet social network products focus on an internet system with news and essential information for the company. These systems also have directories for everyone in the company.

Implementation Best Practices for Enterprise Social Networking

Successfully deploying enterprise social networking software requires careful planning and strategic execution. These best practices can help ensure your implementation drives adoption and delivers results.

Planning Your Rollout Strategy

Start with a pilot group of enthusiastic early adopters from different departments. This allows you to identify potential issues and create internal champions who can help drive broader adoption across the organization.

Training and Adoption

Provide comprehensive training that goes beyond basic functionality. Show employees how the platform will make their daily work easier and more efficient. Consider creating video tutorials, hosting lunch-and-learn sessions, and establishing super users who can provide peer support.

Governance and Guidelines

Establish clear guidelines for appropriate use, content sharing policies, and communication standards. This helps maintain professionalism while encouraging open collaboration.

Integration Strategy

Connect your enterprise social networking platform with existing tools like project management software, email systems, and file storage solutions to create a seamless workflow experience.

Security Considerations for Enterprise Social Networking

Enterprise social networking platforms handle sensitive business communications and data, making security a critical consideration when selecting and implementing these tools.

Data Protection and Privacy

Ensure your chosen platform complies with relevant regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or industry-specific requirements. Look for features like data encryption, secure file sharing, and user access controls.

Access Management

Implement role-based access controls to ensure employees only have access to information and conversations relevant to their roles. This includes managing guest access, external collaborator permissions, and administrative controls.

Monitoring and Compliance

Choose platforms that provide audit trails, content monitoring capabilities, and compliance reporting features to help maintain security and regulatory compliance.

Measuring Success: KPIs for Enterprise Social Networking

To ensure your enterprise social networking investment delivers value, establish key performance indicators that align with your business objectives.

Engagement Metrics

Track active users, message frequency, file shares, and group participation to measure how effectively employees are using the platform for collaboration.

Productivity Indicators

Monitor project completion times, reduction in email volume, faster decision-making processes, and improved cross-departmental collaboration.

Employee Satisfaction

Regular surveys can help measure employee satisfaction with communication tools, perceived improvements in workplace collaboration, and overall platform usability.

Future of Enterprise Social Networking Software

The enterprise social networking landscape continues to evolve rapidly, driven by technological advances and changing workplace dynamics.

Virtual and Augmented Reality Integration

Future platforms may incorporate VR and AR technologies to create immersive collaboration experiences, particularly valuable for remote teams and complex project visualization.

Advanced Analytics and Insights

Expect more sophisticated analytics that provide insights into communication patterns, team dynamics, and organizational network analysis to help optimize collaboration.

Hyper-Personalization

AI-driven personalization will continue to improve, delivering more relevant content, smarter notifications, and customized user experiences based on individual work patterns and preferences.

Integration with Emerging Technologies

As technologies like blockchain, IoT, and advanced AI continue to mature, enterprise social networking platforms will likely integrate these technologies to provide new collaboration capabilities and enhanced security features.

Enterprise social networking software represents a fundamental shift in how organizations approach internal communication and collaboration. By choosing the right platform and implementing it strategically, companies can create more connected, productive, and engaged workforces that are better equipped to succeed in an increasingly digital business environment.