With over 50% of all internet users now accessing a social media network at least once a day organisations of all sizes face little choice as to whether they deal with social media in their businesses.
The latest ‘Cisco Connected World Technology Report’ reports that some 91% of students and workers believe the age of privacy is over, while a third are not concerned about personal data that is captured about them.
“More Generation Y workers globally said they feel more comfortable sharing personal information with retail sites than with their own employers’ IT departments,” says Cisco.Of course this thinking doesn’t sit comfortably with the concern many organisations have about disclosure of commercially sensitive information through social media channels and the possibility of broadcast to millions on platforms like Twitter.
And, whilst organisation are right to consider the risks of this brave new world it’s possible to manage this risk and take advantage of the huge opportunities that social media present to all sizes of business.
So, what’s the opportunity?
Simply put, it’s where your customers are. With 87% of internet users having at least one social media account you can be sure, no matter what your target demographic, that good proportion of them will be spending time on social media sites.
It’s your chance to puff out your chest and stand on an equal footing to organisations of far greater size because one well written LinkedIn post can stand equal to any other. Better yet you haven’t got huge media costs, all it costs is your time and ability to spot an opportunity and you can achieve reach beyond your wildest imagination.
Take, for example, what happened during the US Super bowl 2 years ago. Advertisers like Budweiser were paying upwards of $4million for an advertising slot during the game – an arena that only the biggest brands in the world are able to compete. But what stole the show from a marketing, engagement and brand reach perspectives was a lone tweet from Oreo. A power cut hit the stadium and Oreo quickly put out possibly the best piece of tactical marketing I’ve ever set my eyes on.
