Social media has introduced substantial and pervasive changes to communication between organizations, communities and individuals. It has amplified the power of consumer-to-consumer conversations in the market place by enabling one person to communicate with literally hundreds or thousands of other consumers quickly and with relatively little effort. This research study focuses on the current and potential usage of social media within the construction industry. To expound, it investigates the social media platforms currently being utilized amongst construction organizations, analyzes the potential rewards and risks, and examines the innovation they provide specifically to make communication and collaboration more effective. To achieve these objectives, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from individuals and organizations within the construction industry. A social media log was developed to track activities on Facebook, Linkedln, and Twitter platforms for ten construction organizations with social media presence. Additionally, a survey questionnaire was distributed to construction industry professionals. Finally, open-end interviews were conducted with individuals from three construction organizations familiar with social media as a company resource. Results of data analysis reveal that many construction organizations are beginning to take advantage of social media benefits, but in general, the construction industry lags behind most other industries in terms of social media usage. The construction companies are using social media for the following applications: (1) recruitment; (2) disseminating company's and/or projects' news; (3) client networking; (4) brand awareness; and (5) Showcasing innovations. It is found that most companies have not explored the full potential of social media and only using it as a sporadic one-way communication tool. Construction organizations must invest sufficient time and resources to support daily operations, maintenance, and security of social media resources in order to gain best results. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
