Are You Ready for the Third Wave of Social Media for Business?

By Dan Limbach

The first wave of social media consisted of individuals experimenting with social media platforms and trying to understand it all. I considered this the infant stage. Most companies didn't even bother with it, letting the youth waste their time with it.

The second wave of social media involved placing social media specialists within companies, implementing dedicated teams to handle social media, and outside agencies specializing in social media on behalf of their clients. This was the adolescent stage. Smart companies started taking it seriously.

The third wave promises to expand social media usage in a big way. The medium has reached early adulthood. Everyone has a role to play. Will your company keep pace, or stay in perpetual catch-up mode?

Here is a compelling statement published in the Harvard Business Review in January, 2014.

In summary, the third wave of social business will move from enabling the few (i.e., the few marketers who manage corporate social media accounts) to mobilizing the many (i.e., the entire workforce and the “feet on the street”) to authentically engage at a personal and local level. After all, people buy from people, not companies.  People trust individuals, not corporations. It’s the way business has always been done, but now social business complements traditional methods and allows for companies and their employees to manage and measure this engagement at scale.

What does this mean? The days of people engaging with a brand will be replaced by people engaging with people associated with a brand. Instead of seeing tweets from @Pfizer, you can expect to see tweets from @PfizerJoeSmith.

Companies will need assistance more than ever in matters regarding social media strategy, messaging, design, and channel integration. The big difference is that employees will be the ones sending out the messages through their personal accounts rather than a small number if specialists managing impersonal brand accounts. Whether you are the Chief Marketing Officer or you work in the stockroom, you'll have an opportunity to have your voice heard through social media. In fact, your company will likely require your participation.

HBR Source:

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/01/whats-the-endgame-for-social-media