Setting the scene - Social Media beyond marketing
Both consumers and the media are obsessed with social media. Popular social networking sites, such as Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, are experiencing unprecedented growth and inspiring marketers in new and exciting ways. Smart companies—large and small—realise that the opportunities presented by social media are too good to pass up. And why wouldn’t an organisation want to be involved! Facebook with 500 million active users, and with Fans spending an additional $71.84 annually on consumer goods than non-fans, Twitter with 106 million accounts and users sending 55 million tweets per day! 89% of organisations in the USA use social networks for recruiting (83% of companies using LinkedIn and 51% using Facebook).
It is obvious that social media doesn’t have to be all social LOL—it can be an extremely profitable marketing tool and a powerful mechanism for creating a BUZZ around your brand. BUT going social doesn't happen overnight, so don't expect it to. Of most importance is to define and plan your ‘engagement’ strategy across multiple departments. Simply ‘plugging’ social media into one function, commonly marketing, just doesn’t work. Like any organisational ‘culture’ change, to create real momentum and buzz internal adoption and engagement is key. Create this and an organisation is capable of building real communities which transcend the boundaries of the company. ‘Social’ then becomes a mind-set which is integrated in to every facet and touch point of the business.
Next week: 8 Ways to Succeed on Facebook