SocialMedia404

Organizations can no longer ignore social media. You have to define how you will participate or others will for you. Many organizations have not done this yet, so it is not too late to start.

People are still experimenting. There is little consensus on exactly how and when social media should be used. Not surprisingly, there is no agreement on its financial value or return either.

A few things are becoming clear. It is about business, it is not a technology trend. To reap the full benefits, your organization will need to learn new ways of doing things. Done correctly, it can extend a company’s reach and enhance its ability to communicate, learn and grow. This can improve a number of key activities such as product development, customer service and brand management.

There are risks. The greatest one is not participating. Social media is a global trend so it will impact you inevitably. If you do not learn to participate, others will dictate your role, you will lose control. If it is not implemented wisely, it can also damage your brand affecting your employees, customers and shareholders.

Consider some key issues before you begin including governance, measurement and monitoring. If you do not tackle these upfront you will do so later, at a cost. Also, invest in adoption of the program it is key to success.

People want to talk with your organizations, but they expect you to listen, they expect you to answer, and they expect you to learn.

Good luck.

Related articles by Zemanta

• From product creation to marketplace creation - How Indian product companies can create 46th NASSCOM Friday’s 2.0 sessio (slideshare.net)
• Twitter Is My Help Desk (ducttapemarketing.com)
• Why Is It Important to Listen? (kylelacy.com)
• Being Social is Better than Silence (kylelacy.com)
• Lewis Green: Businesses Will Take Social Media to the Bank (mpdailyfix.com)
• A Social Media Gut Check (altitudebranding.com) This one is really good!