In a July 29, 2011 posting, TechCrunch (http://techcrunch.com/ ) referenced a recent study by social enterprise giant Jive that provides a glimpse into how executives at large and mid-sized U.S. companies view the social media phenomenon. Not surprisingly, these executives don’t see social media as a passing fad. In fact, 78 percent of them admit that having a social strategy is critical to the future success of their businesses.
Here are some specifics from the survey:
- Sixty-six percent of executives believe social applications for business represent a fundamental shift in how work will get done.
- Fifty-three percent of executives believe they must adopt Social Business or risk falling behind.
- 57 percent anticipate “increased revenue or sales” as a result of implementing a Social Business strategy.
- Seventy percent of executives have downloaded at least 1 web-based application for work use.
- Fifty-eight percent of executives did not seek or receive permission from a systems administrator or an IT professional before downloading or using apps in the workplace.
- Eighty-nine percent of executives believe that they and their teams would be more productive if they could dramatically reduce the time spent writing and reading emails.
What does this mean for you?
It doesn’t mean that you need to whip out your iPhone or Droid and download every social media app you can find. It does confirm that the way we do business now has changed. And businesses (large, mid-size, or small) need to be comfortable with social media tools and know how to take advantage of them in communicating with customers and constituents.
There are lots of applications out there, but remember: Not everybody uses every application. Do some research. What do your customers or constituents use? How do they like to receive information? Bear in mind that social media may not be appropriate for every kind of communication. But the more you can engage your customers and constituents—the more they feel like part of your “team”—the more loyalty you’ll generate.
Where is social media working for you? Where are you struggling?