Lies, Damned Lies, and Statistics - as quoted by Mark Twain

The statistics about the usage of social media are overwhelming.  A recent study showed that 70% of high-level corporate marketing executives planned new social media initiatives in 2010.  eMarketer forecasts a 55% increase in ad spending on social networking sites, from almost $2B in 2010 to over $3B in 2011.  SaleSpider found that 75% of small and medium business owners they surveyed planned to increase the percentage of marketing dollars allocated to social networking in 2011, and 83% intend that percentage to exceed 11% of marketing resources.  90% of internet users visit a social media site at least once a month according to comScore.  The statistics go on and on.

But there is a problem.  Organizations think they “have” to be in social media (see statistics above), even though it’s not really for them.  So they set up a new Social Media Department or hire a Social Media Guru.  Or they tuck social media away in PR or Communications or Marketing as another channel.  It’s like the moves from print to radio to television…bigger, broader, but with little change to the underlying operations or objectives.

To drive more than incremental success, social media first must change an organization internally.  Social media is not a channel.  It is a technology-based throw-back to the family business on the corner.  When it works, it changes how an organization is governed, how people work together, how employees approach their jobs.  Employees are both the first target market and the drivers of success; they learn to share more openly, listen more carefully, and engage more fully with the entire operation. 

Next:  how it’s done