The word evolution, when applied to business, tends to trigger one of two reactions: excitement over the possibilities and opportunities it presents, or fear of the unknown. Nowhere is that more apparent than in social media. It’s relatively new and it has a technology component—both of which can trigger apprehension in the decision makers charged with generating ROI.
But Lion Brand Yarn VP of Marketing Ilana Rabinowitz, on Social Media Explorer, shares nine ways businesses need to evolve to function competitively in a digital world. One of those ways is that being speedy matters. As corporations grow, often, so do response times. From committees and approvals to ladders and flowcharts, big business becomes, well, big—and slow.
It’s not a paradigm that fits well with using social media effectively. In fact, using social to listen to the conversation and engage stakeholders requires a good amount of nimbleness. Brands need to govern social media, but do so without a ponderous bureaucracy. Social media guidelines and policies, Ilana suggests, are one way to create the speed that matters so much in the digital space.
Have you been stymied by corporate bureaucracy while trying to communicate through social channels, either as a brand rep or as a consumer?
Image courtesy of Lysanne Ooteman on www.sxc.hu