This past week I had the privilege of presenting on Social Media to the
But first, why does being online matter and isn’t a website enough? As I shared in a previous post, Web 2.0 and Social Media Marketing is about being interactive, engaging your members, customers… it is about your organization being human, engaged and responsive. Some people believe this is a fad and will be going away soon. Currently, over 350 million people are on Facebook and Twitter has over 50 million.
There is also a common misunderstanding that social media is just for young people. However, the facts tell a different story. Women age 55 to 65 is the fastest growing segment of Facebook (grandmothers connecting and engaging their grandchildren) and the number of people over age 35 on Facebook is doubling every two months. Weblogs or Blogs are being read with great interest. They are becoming the key news and information source for many. Ninety percent of congressional offices use blogs to help determine constituent opinions. LinkedIn (a business oriented social networking site designed for professionals) has around 50 million users.
When I shared these thoughts with the various company risk officers and internal auditor directors present, I stressed the need to have a plan and a policy. Many organizations simply lock out social media and let a “corporate spokesperson” provide all communication with the public. Under this approach, their reach and impact is very limited as many consumers are skeptical of the corporate message. They want to be engaged. Each organization must decide for itself what the right amount of social media should be, to embrace it, and if they are going to crawl, walk, run or fly.
If you would like my top ten must haves for your social medial policy, please contact me.
.jpg)
.jpg){kind=logo}
Comments