Advancements in mobile technology have not
only streamlined how quickly we get our news and information today, but it has
also reconfigured our sources as well.
From the Pony Express, to newsboys with a published “Extra!”, to talk
radio / TV evening news, and now social media.
Civilization has always had a thirst to be the first in the know. The news has not changed, only the speed and
method in which it has been delivered.
Marketing has been no different, of which I
want to explore the impact of social media specifically on the enterprise. Recently, more and more companies have felt
an importance to be recognized by tools the younger generations have gravitated
towards. Tools such as Facebook, Twitter,
and LinkedIn, seem to lead the way for a social media presence for different
companies and corporations. Employees as
well are using these tools, albeit primarily for personal reasons. So what are the enterprises benefits for
embracing this paradigm shift in news and marketing?
There has been reluctance in recent years
for companies to adapt. The reason for
this has been singled out due to a lack of social media familiarity and
expertise in organizations at an upper management level. Harvard Business Review published an article
(Click
here to read article) in January 2013 recognizing this trend stating “Too
many companies have kept social platforms separate from their essential
business.”
Lets face it, nobody likes being told what
they have to do, and my thought is that social media is no exception to this
rule. Organizations are being pushed
into a direction that manages communication differently than what they have
come to accept. The sooner they
recognize that the shift towards a social ecosystem isn’t going away, the more
accepting they may be of potential ROI.
Many enterprises have already recognized
this trend and are putting more effort into their social media platforms to
ensure at least on the outside, a willingness to adapt. Or is it perhaps to capitalize on the
financial upside potential? After all,
social media does not discriminate against any demographic. Corporate trends such as Bring Your Own Device
(BYOD) programs are being adopted more every day ensuring a personal conduit to
the consumer more than ever. An audience
the size that some social media platforms provide, previously could only be
found during a commercial spot during Super Bowl, for a short three to four
hour interval.
Social media may not revolutionize how we
consume our information, but if more than a billion people adopted a cellphone
for more than just making phone calls, an enterprise presence may simply be a
necessity.
I'm Mike M.
