Apr 09 2007
Is "Peer Pressure" The Business Case for Social Media in Communications?
I’d like to introduce the idea of Peer Pressure and how it sets the stage for what I believe are the five main patterns of social media’s use in communications. These patterns represent the shift in approach to managing information in communications at each stage of the information life cycle: Production (the creation of knowledge), Adjudication (assessment of knowledge), Communication (knowledge dissemination – think a “community of communicators”), Storage & Retrieval (institutional memory) and Aggregation (making information available and helping people find it).
In speaking to senior executives both at SAP and elsewhere, I’ve found they often ask for evidence that social media projects return clear and measurable benefits to the business. That’s a difficult question to answer – not because the benefits are unknown (there are a growing number of case studies in the public record: Socialtext and ATLASSIAN) – but because there really isn’t an easy way to frame the benefits in a way that communicates the urgency with which businesses must respond if they are going to meaningfully participate, or sit idly on the sidelines.
The real problem is deciding on the proper lens to view and understand the larger effects. Andy McAfee’s take on Enterprise 2.0: The Dawn of Emergent Collaboration is a particularly interesting viewpoint that provides you with a few perspectives to consider.
My point is this - you need to make social media work in your environment. Look to what others have done not only for inspiration but as a way of exerting the necessary “peer pressure” to apply that inspiration toward your specific objectives.
Hi Mike,
I agree that companies need to hop on the social media bandwagon or fall in danger of being left behind. The problem is that companies with old school views of the world cannot deal with the two questions:
1) How do we measure the benefits of social media in a way where we can put concrete numbers against it? In a world of management by objectives, people like to be safe and put conservative, measurable results on everything. The problem is that you can’t put on your objectives to “create 25 meaningful relationships and increase quality knowledge by 25% by Q3.” The qualities that emergent collaboration foster are not easily measured.
2) How do we put incentives on participation? Again, traditional views cannot understand that things like meaningful relationships, quality information, and volunteer participation are not only the means, but they are the ends as well. When everything is about lowering costs and increasing savings, it’s hard to see a world where social content is king.
Thanks for the nice post!
-ewH
Hi,
Great blog!
I like the office view!
If you have time, please submit the view to my new blog: http://www.viewfromoffice.com and in return I’ll include a link to your blog!
Thanks
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