Expert: Companies miss chances on Twitter

several people have asked me for an English translation of the article by Thomas Lövgren in Metro Teknik (22 April 2010) So here, it is.  I hope the translation is ok.

Many companies have no strategy when they use social media, according to advisers. A clear policy is needed to encourage businesses to make better use of employees' social skills.  Social media is a buzzword reminiscent of blogs, micro blogs and Facebook. For many, social media is a way to talk with friends and meet people with similar interests.

This is also a the perception that many companies have. But it also means that companies are in danger of missing out on the opportunities social media can offer, "says Heidi Forbes Öste, Adviser in communication and social media.

Companies with a clear strategy would be able to channel the workers' social skills in order to gather tips, information and establish important contacts.

Each company also has a background story, to attract people through social media, it is important that the story be communicated clearly. 

- It is important to know who they want to be, to explain their company's identity, "says Heidi Forbes Öste.

For employees to use social media at work requires a vigorous but brief policy so that people know what they can say and not say.

- If it is ten pages long, no one reads it says Heidi Forbes Öste.

TIP!

Heidi Forbes Öste's five tips to consider when investing in social media in your business.

1st Have a strategy that clearly communicated internally.

2nd Invest only in social media, that are value added for your business.

3rd Be consistent and relevant with information that employees use externally

4th Be patient: Building relationships takes time.

5th Social media should affect all areas of the organization to get the best returns.

6th Invest in one's own social platform, where employees can share information and knowledge internally that is accessible to all employees where relevant.

10 Truths about Social Strategy

1. You must cultivate an environment of trust for social tools to be effective.

2. Social requires people interacting, the tools enable the interaction.

3. People are individuals, effective social draws on their strengths and passions.

4. Social impacts every part of your business that is not automated by a machine.

5. You do not have to be a "people person" to be successful in social business.

6. Listening is more than monitoring.

7. Social tools are not just on-line, they begin with face to face interactions.

8. The extensive power of social is in engagement and resonance.

9. Communities do not get authentic commitment by force, but rather by seeing value.

10. Social strategy must be aligned with your business strategy.

The Art of Social Optimization

Bringing all the elements of social together to consider the benefit and impact on organizations and their influence has become an increasingly important. To speak about being "a people oriented organization" social must be taken into account. My recent workshops in Egypt and Ethiopia followed by strategy sessions with a global company and executive trainings for business leaders have all had a common thread. In revising my presentation for the Ethiopia (note, 0.4% Internet penetration) to provide context, I removed the social media tools themselves(that all clients seem to want to jump ahead to). Doing this, the opportunities and the pitfalls of social became more distinct. I have returned to my "social optimization" theory that requires developing and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships for growth and sustainability in a social economy. This mean you have to look at how and why you interact with your human capital first BEFORE you apply to on-line tools. It is the cultivation part that is so critical and often overlooked.

The above presentation, of course, had much discussion that lead in different paths depending on the context for the audience. The workshops in Ethiopia and Egypt were more focused on growing businesses to compete in the global marketplace, and emphasized Networking and Communications. We spent a lot of time bringing clarity to their stories and finding context for growth. The corporate and executive presentation and workshops were held in northern Europe, and had more of a business strategy and Corporate Social Responsibility emphasis. Engagement and finding ways to be more effective were the focus of conversation.

A note regarding the video, as it may not have as much context without the accompanying dialog. Aired in 2002, its re-emergence explains the power of word of mouth and sharing things in social tools beyond their original intended use. I use it often in presentations because it touches beautifully on the feeling of discovering context and connecting to something greater than ourselves by listening.

On a personal note, I have to say that I am thoroughly inspired by the people and the opportunities that working in social strategy has presented. I work with interesting and companies and executives that recognize the need to prepare their organizations for the social economy in order to sustain their company's and their markets' futures. I devote part of my work to creating change through knowledge sharing in the networks where I feel it will have the greatest impact. In this part,I am both supporting economic growth through women entrepreneurs, especially in developing markets, as well as teaching for the academic and non-profit arena where there social tools can have immense impact on change and the next generation. I look forward to connecting to more people that are working in this cross-over area. For me, that is social optimization, as I get to learn, to teach, to be inspired, and hopefully to inspire some along the way.

Social Strategy in Global Context

Perspective is thrown at me like a rocket.  Next week I fly to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to present a workshop on Social Strategy for Women Entrepreneurs.  For those of us from developed and highly connected countries (myself living in Sweden), let me put this into context. According to the Internet World Statistics, Ethiopia has the lowest rate of Internet and Mobile penetration in the world (0.4% of 28 Million people).  There is one national telecom provider, ETC, which politically filters ( censors) content.  The GNI per capita (annual individual income) is $280 (no, it is not missing a zero). 

That said, there is a concerted effort to create change and leapfrog growth via access to knowledge, education and new business through the Internet.  They are making strides in privatizing the telecommunications and building up infrastructure.  CyberEthiopia reports on progress and access such as IT programs at the universities and companies are gaining momentum.  These people are thirsty for knowledge and the desire to connect.  

I am very excited about this opportunity to learn from them and to share what knowledge and tools that I can to help them in their journey.  My greatest challenge is to provide context within realistic means for their achieving their goals.  My workshop will begin with the importance of strategy and “base social rules” for engagement.  The sections are as follows:

CULTIVATE, CLARITY, CONTEXT, COMMUNICATE, COOPERATE, CO-CREATE

The advantage they have is to not get caught up in the latest and greatest app or widget (which quite frankly is refreshing, teaching twitter is not really what strategy is about).  We can focus on the most essential tools and elements of strategy that cultivate a business that is prime for whatever social tools they can gain access to.

I look forward to writing more on this experience after my return. What are your ideas with how we can influence change and help them succeed in their efforts to leapfrog to catch up?

Davos on Growing Influence of Social Networks

This entry is in response to the World Economic Forum's commencing in Davos with the Growing Influence of Social Networks and the workshop topics they will cover.  First of all, It is great to see this critical topic put so high on the agenda at Davos.

“How are social networks changing society?”
 Working with face to face and on-line global networks, it is clear to see the benefit of the reach that on-line social networks provide. We are able to interact with our community members regardless of their location and mobility. We are introduced to secondary and tertiary communities for knowledge sharing that both sides benefit from. Knowledge is shared based on need or interest, not simply, who you know or what you can pay for. We therefore see accelerating growth in the developing markets, especially through women entrepreneurs who have been given access to knowledge previously unavailable. Women are building businesses that give back and are supporting each other through microloans, distribution of products and building networks for growth and education.

“What are the most important implications and risks for society?”
 The risks are that we ignore the conversations. Education and training are important. So is building the infrastructure to avoid creating further disparities in wealth in developing areas. One response here was that the risk is isolating those that are not connected. This is no different than with the emergence of email. Social media are a new communication form, NOT just a channel. The risk is that we treat it as a channel and miss the opportunity to communicate, share knowledge and learn.

“What should individuals and institutions do to leverage the power of social networks and improve society?”
Individuals and institutions should focus on learning and teaching effective uses of social media and networks. Face to face interaction is the foundation of networks and relationships, but social media provides a needed opportunity to have fare greater reach in depth and breadth. Knowledge sharing is critical for the future. Identify the thought leaders in social strategy (in your organization and from outside) and work with them to learn and teach you and your organization to benefit from the new tools not be left behind by them. Define a strategy, and align it to your vision. Create guidelines and policies to simplify the best practice both for yourself and for your organizations.

What are your thoughts on Social Networks at Davos and what they should be discussing?

Social Media Policy, laying the groundwork for the global market.

It is great to see some big players making concerted efforts for cultivating a collaborative culture that supports their strategy through establishing effective social media policy. Here are a few examples that stand out. Here is Adam Brown, Head Of Social Media at Coca-Cola as interviewed by Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing.

IBM-s policy can be seen here: IBM Social Computing Guidelines or heard here: IBM Social Computing Guidelines video
Social Media Governance has created an online database of Social Media policies
Interestingly enough many organizations still have no fixed guidelines or policies on a global scale. These are simple and necessary to improve effectiveness and to avoid major mistakes. The details can come at a market to market level. Kudos to those who recognize this as a top priority. Please feel free to add to the list. I am sure there are many more, although some do not share links to the greater Internet community.

Cultivating Social Business Success

Cultivating social business success requires renovating your communications to find value in your human and social capital. 2BalanceU's methodology of cultivating a landscape for maximum added value of social communications tools (dialog not broadcast based) implementation. Achieve balance between listening and broadcasting for success in the new marketplace.