Everyday Influence

If Every Company is a Media Company…Then Who Owns Social Media?

Answer: Everyone!

Social media has evolved significantly from its roots in marketing and corporate communications to the point that it should no longer be viewed as merely a function or a discipline within a company. 

In a business context, social media is no longer just a destination or a set of tools and features.  It has evolved into a very powerful extension and dimension of work…a new way of thinking about how business is done.

Asking the question (today) 'who owns social media?' in business is like asking the question 'who owns email?' 

Everyone does. 

Email has traditionally played an important role in how people communicate, collaborate and share information.  In many ways, social media represents a massive evolution (or revolution) as to how we do the same – but in a different context and with greater benefit.

Everyone in a corporate environment needs to understand, appreciate and own how social media is used in the context of what they do.

Resistance is futile

A mistake that many companies make is to relegate social media to just marketing and/or corporate communications and associate it as only relevant to the youngest generations of people. 

Adjusting to the use and rules of social media and social thinking is not easy for everyone.

For many people, the idea of something 'new' is not always welcome.  After-all, many people have built great careers and resumes based on doing things a certain way and in an environment where they have influence and control. Anything new and as disruptive as social media is often adverse.

Success will come to those who embrace and understand how principles of social thinking can help them be more successful in what they do.

Politics and ownership

Another mistake that often stalls progress in big companies (related to social media) deals with the nasty issue of 'ownership.'

Ownership in business is one of those words that for something as ubiquitous as social media can only lead to frustration and political discourse.  The moment someone claims ownership (usually associated with people and budget) a line is drawn...which creates a divide that fuels politics and bureaucracy...which slows everyone and everything down.

Thought Leadership – A New Social Currency

Social media is a tremendous environment for B2B companies to establish competitive advantage through compelling thought leadership.

In a social environment, thought leadership allows companies to frame and stimulate conversation and collaboration around important and sometimes complex ideas and real-world business and socioeconomic problems – where their solutions are uniquely positioned to help address.

Through social media, companies can reach highly targeted audiences by role (CEOs, CIOs, developers, etc.), industry orientation and geography through any form of generic or specialized social network or community (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MyVenturePad.com, YouTube, etc.).

If compelling, people will contribute, share and internalize the thought leadership – giving companies a tremendous opportunity to influence agendas and establish standards in the market.

As outlined in a recent post by Rob Leavitt, in order to make an impact - thought leadership requires focus, depth and continuity.

For many companies this represents a big challenge due to a lack of skilled and trained staff (in house) to produce good, deep and continuous thought leadership - on their own.

Where resources are limited (in-house) many companies rely on external 'thought leaders' and influencers such as high profile academics, analysts, consultants and industry experts to help shape industry conversations.

Every company is a media company

Tom Foremski has made a passionate and compelling case for why every company is now a media company - in the wake of a disrupted and distributed media industry.

The cascade of the strengthening forces behind the disruption of the media industry (that Tom outlines) has forever changed how corporations manage their communications, reputations, brands and execution of business strategies.

On the positive side, companies now have the ability (and forced accountability) to communicate directly with its key audiences – giving them greater reach and more influence than traditional media has ever offered as a primary channel in the past. 

On the flip side, success in a new media environment requires a shift in how companies use their cadre of resources including employees, customers, partners and external influencers to be successful.

As every company is now a media company...every person is now (also) a media entity. 

Those companies that maximize and mobilize its employees and external stakeholders around important ideas and issues - will be successful.

This is where thought leadership can play a powerful role.

Horn Group Panel Event: Suprise! You're a Media Company!

I had the pleasure to participate in a panel this week hosted by the Horn Group and moderated by Sam Whitmore, of Sam Whitmore Media Survey.  The panel included the following people (including me):

• Charlene Li, Founder of Altimeter Group, Author of Groundswell, and of “Open Leadership,” due out in May from Jossey-Bass 
• John Byrne, former Editor-in-Chief of BusinessWeek.com and Chairman and Founder, C-Change Media
• Karen Wickre, Senior Manager, Global Communications and Public Affairs, Google

The topic for the panel was inspired by Susan Etlinger at the Horn Group who wanted to convene a group of practitioners, thought leaders and media professionals to discuss the convergence of media, social media and business and what it means for every company to be a media company.  It was a provocative topic that made for a great discussion.

Social Media: Why Business Leaders Should Care [Updated]

I had a great discussion last week with Mike Kelly and Peter Auditore about social media and why business leaders should care.

If you agree with the premise that we now live and work in a world that is increasingly becoming more and more ‘social’ then it is easy to understand that new rules in business are being written for companies to be successful and compete.

Social media now thrives in a dynamic environment as a result of the convergence of many great enabling technologies built around the Internet, Web 2.0, and mobile along with advancements in bandwidth and connectivity (among other things).

We now operate in a world where hundreds of millions of people are seamlessly connected through devices and the Internet - sharing billions of pieces of content, information and experiences on a daily basis.  It is just amazing.

In many ways, social media has evolved to become a very powerful medium to channel emotion, context and experience.

• Emotion: How I feel…
• Context: What I think or where I am…
• Experience: What I did and how I will act as a result of...

Perhaps the most important component for business leaders to understand and appreciate in a social world is 'experience.’

A bad experience shared on the Internet can travel at a velocity that can reach millions of people over night. 

As people begin to identify with or share their own similar (bad) experiences - the impact on a company’s reputation and sales can be dramatic.  This alone should be enough to cause concern for any business leader. 

Perhaps more important though, is that every bad experience exposes a root issue (e.g. product or service quality, sales experience issues, etc.) that if ignored or not addressed in a timely manor can further expose a company to massive short and long-term business challenges.

…and in today’s social environment, the spark that often ignites the flame comes via a tweet, a blog post or a status update to a social media peer group.