As companies realise the impact of social media from a professional perspective, they need to make sure their brand is being represented with credibility online.
So said Neal Schaffer, social media strategy consultant, international speaker and author, presenting the keynote at the ITWeb Social Business Summit in Johannesburg today.
With social media becoming mainstream, it is to the advantage of the company to educate its employees, he added.
Schaffer, who has been named a Forbes Top 50 Social Media Influencer, points out 94% of US companies are using social media for marketing - that is companies with more than 100 employees.
However, many small businesses are still struggling with social media, because the business owners just don't understand it. "This is similar to the growth of the Web. People that didn't understand the Web didn't realise why they needed a home page.
"So the challenges that the businesses had with the emergence of the Web, we are seeing the same with social media. Bigger companies have more resources, are better educated and have widespread adoption."
Schaffer said social media is becoming a serious tool for business and a huge component of marketing, therefore organisations need to include all stakeholders.
"There is a misconception that social media only affects marketing. Other departments need a seat at the social table, too."
However, online videos, e-mail and blogs remain important channels for the business - social media replaces nothing, but complements everything, he said.
"To be successful in social media, business needs to reach out and engage with customers, prospects, partners, and its network."
The more companies participate in social media, the more that engagement will require the entire organisation to engage and collaborate. This collaboration will be culture-changing and lead to a more open brand - and some business decisions will begin to be based on insight gleaned from social media, he added.
It is becoming important for every company to have a visual voice as 90% of all information transmitted to the brain is visual, and this information is processed 60 000 faster than text, he noted.
Also, as social networks look towards advertising to generate a sustainable business model, they are offering new and unique paid offerings. "These offerings give brands a chance to accelerate the reach and potential effectiveness of their social media efforts."
Social media is one grand experiment and will continue to constantly evolve, he concluded.
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