1- Employees will waste time with social media.
Many large corporations block their employees from accessing the Internet altogether. Others try to block employees from accessing personal email or social networks like Facebook during work hours.
Many large corporations block their employees from accessing the Internet altogether. Others try to block employees from accessing personal email or social networks like Facebook during work hours.
In May, 2009, according to emarketer, there were 29 million smartphones in the United States. That's a lot of Internet access available to workers everywhere - and employers can't stop us from accessing the Internet - on breaks, at lunch, in the bathroom, you name it.
The value to workers of having Internet access - in terms of research, communication, and speed - is far greater than the threat of lost productivity. Companies have a right to make policies and rules about personal use of the Internet, but blocking it during work is just stupid.
2- Haters will damage our brand. "What about the haters?" is the first question that comes up at my corporate and conference social media workshops. "What if people say bad, mean, nasty things about our brand?"
Well, there may be things you need to change about your brand, and in that case, you should thank them for letting you know what they are. Then you should make changes.
If you have built an online community that includes people who don't hate you, that community will rise to your defense and they will handle the problem for you.
Bonus Link: Starbucks Social Media Monitoring & Community Help It Survive Brand Attack
3- We'll lose control of the brand.
Listen up: every person with a computer and even a tiny skill level has the tools to make their opinion about your brand heard by other people. They're already talking about you.
Message control is an illusion. Give it up.
Your workers are talking about you in closed Facebook groups designed to keep you out so they can talk about you in peace. Your customers are emailing, Tweeting, Facebooking, and that old standby - calling - their friends about their experience with your brand. You don't have control. You might as well join the conversation. At least that way you can influence what is being said.
4- Social media requires a real budget! It's not really cheap, or free.
While many social media tools are free, knowing how to use them takes experience and perspective.
While many social media tools are free, knowing how to use them takes experience and perspective.
The boss' friend's high school or college kid can't integrate social media into the company's overall marketing. That requires experience and perspective. Having a large social network and a stellar online reputation helps too.
Just as there are carpenters who can knock together a book shelf and master carpenters who can create objects of genuine and lasting beauty, there are thousands of social media gurus (of all ages) who've never worked for an actual client. Hire them at your own peril.
Geoff Livingston said it beautifully in a recent post:
"Parroting and/or reporting what you see on the Internet does not equate to actual savoir faire. Nor does it make someone fit to offer insights or counsel."
Bonus links:
Brand Week: Kraft Shells Out $12 million for a Trumped up Double-Stuffed Oreo Campaign
David Berkowitz: The New Pricing Model for Social Media
How much does a social media campaign cost?
5- They're scared they'll be sued.
Oh puh-lese. Next!
6- They're scared of giving away corporate secrets or that information on social networks will affect the stock price.
If you don't already have a social media policy, you need to create one.
If you don't already have a social media policy, you need to create one.
If you don't trust your employees to talk to customers, or to represent the brand, you need to look at 1) your hiring practices, 2) your training practices,
Bonus links: Everything you need to know about corporate social media policies Does your company have a corporate social media policy? IBM and Sun Do Jeremiah Owyang The Variance of Corporate Social Media PoliciesAll content copyright B.L. Ochman, Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, with the attribution: By B.L. Ochman, What's Next Blog, and a link to the post
Link to original post
Comments
Your post resonated with me. I've written about a number of related topics recently (e.g. social media teaching businesses to act like the "corner store" http://bit.ly/CYmVQ), and we certainly face these challenges as we work with small businesses to help them embrace social media. For the most part, your points hit home. In the small business space, I would replace point 5 with a different one: they are scared that it will take too much time out of their already super busy days. This is related to it not being cheap or free. As the tools get better (e.g. with www.CloudProfile.com), the time investment will be less, but it will still always be there. To combat that we use a metaphor of a restaurant who doesn't sweep the front step or wipe down their tables at night. If they fail to do that work, customers will stop coming. The web and social media are similar - you need to invest the calories to have an open and inviting and conversational presence on the web. If you don't, people won't engage with you. Thanks for the thoughtful post! |
Weight each of these and you get 2 & 3 way out ahead, and maybe they are the same thing anyway. There are not really six reasons here at all, there is one. Loss of the illusion of control. |
Good post. I hear these excuses all the time. For help with developing social media policy, the Word of Mouth Marketing Association (WOMMA) has a nice Ethics Toolkit available for download. (It's on the right nav bar under "downloads.") |
I agree that there frequently exists a knee-jerk reaction among some people when the issue of social media is raised. Many of the objections are often existing problems in any case, and it is often unfair to attribute them to social media. For example, the boss who is concerned that use of social media will encourage time wasting...in most cases people who would waste time on these sites are more than able to find other creative ways of wasting time if social media sites are not available. One frequent question I hear is "What happens if someone writes offensive posts or posts offensive images?". Once you have a social media policy, then I assume the same thing will happen as if they had posted offensive items on a physical noticeboard... It can be challenging overcoming some of these objections, but thankfully I think they are perhaps less prevalent than they used to be only a few years ago. |
Social Media marketing is a real life example of chaos theory. You set the initial conditions and let it roll, reassess, reset conditions, re-roll. Time and money are definitely committed in such a scenario, and should be. But never before has there been the opportunity for your brand to become viral. To use the above excuses to not participate or have a social media strategy is very short sighted. |
Your post is very true. However, the overall message of your post to companies is that: 1. You have to integrate social media in your overall strategies. That's fine. 2. If more problems arise from using social media it is because your company has problems. Not social media. 3. Social Media can't really fix problems they are exposing, you need to reorganize and re-evaluate your company from within. As much as you are 100% correct. How the hell are you going to sell that to high level executives or business owners? Especially in an era where Social Media is so new and is trying to penetrate the corporate world. I will re-iterate it again. 99% of what you said is true. However, I doubt that it is by saying your company has problems and you need to fix them that you can get companies/clients to use social media. Saying to a person that they have problems and they need to fix them in order to use your product/service is not a good idea in my opinion. You might as well say they are dumb to their face. :P |
Good post. I completely agree with the 2nd reason sited in your post. Brands would worry about haters if they arent confident about the customer experiences they provide. Wrote a post recently on what should the marketing priority be for social media success. You might like to have a look at it at http://bit.ly/llzXc |
Here is a similar and very interesting article (in French) on the top 7 reasons : http://www.conseilsmarketing.fr/e-marketing/les-7-raisons-qui-font-craindre-la-creation-dune-communaute |
This post really seems to have struck a chord with a lot of people. Really, i think it's more than loss of control. It's worry about doing it wrong and being thought foolish; fear that sr management won't allow enough time for a groundswell to grow. It's been exciting to see so many thoughtful comments from so many smart people all day today. Thanks guys! you rock! |
The need for control and the fear that comes from losing it are closely aligned with another fear - the unknown. Many people in senior positions have a passing knowledge of social media and what it means. By default, we humans tend to be afraid of the unknown so another angle I would consider is education - if we want bureaucratic organizations to buy in to the benefits, we will need to do a better job of educating people about it - something this site and this post is part of. I also think that there are so many (and constantly changing) options online that people often feel overwhelmed. Amid demanding schedules, the unfamiliar and daunting seldom get much airtime. |
Hi, Love the post. The only thing that I would disagree with is that (in the UK) the fear of social media has changed recently to a real race for companies to "get on board". All of the above points are so true. Social media has come of age. The (huge) community of people out there is talking about your brand whether you like it or not.... I feel that corporates and public sector organisations simply don't have a choice anymore. Well done. |
Good post, but ... you scoff at legal, do you? Well, folks need to face those internal challenges, and I offer myself as a resource: Exhibit A - The lawyer-consultant who gets it. Bring me in when you want to pull together key stakeholders, educate them about the pros and cons, throw legal into the mix, and get rolling with a campaign. Check out my post, focused on health care, but more generally applicable, too: The Lawyers Don't Always Say No: Bringing Legal into Social Media Strategic Planning |
I think this post resonates because we've all been in the position of explaining social media to someone and getting a blank look in return. I work in the nonprofit world rather than corporate. When I explain how social media will give them a better vehicle to get the issues before the public and policyemakers, they are afraid to go off into uncharted waters. The tried-and-true is not working, but the new thing is too scary to justify an additional expense. The haters thing also scares them. I try to explain that people are going to hate you anyway, but at least with social media you broadcast your own point of view. |
I work with corporations and non-profits and you are correct. Many are hesitant for all of the above reasons. I like your style of writing and agree with many of your points! It remains important for us to take the social media world seriously and address the many issues you list. Don't skip over #5 and make sure your policies address the legalities. It's not that hard but some will not be as intuitive as others. It's all about being transparent and sincerely having your heart in the game. Non profits are noted for "heart" and most of us trust them until we're proven wrong. Corporations have the opposite challenge- most of us believe they are "heartless" and not to be trusted and must prove themselves worthy. And most of us can spot insincerity immediately. Transparency and Sincerity are key. |
Thanks for sharing your ideas. I agree with you and your commentators that the fear of haters and the fear of the unknown are the biggest issues, and then the price issue follows. Concerning the first fear, I always tell my clients that their customers are already talking about them and that with a social media presence, you can at least respond to it. The second fear of the unknown is best talked out of their heads by showing them numbers and success stories of other companies. And the third issue, the price, I usually tell them, that you can get a lot for free and Social Media as well, but I ask them if they would expect that a Freebie such as free Business Cards would life up to their standards and expect people to comment on them! But I also have the feeling this is slowly changing! Businesses are getting more and more open and I am sure, Social Media will become an integral part of every Marketing strategy! All the best, Maria |
Thanks for these thoughtful, and spot on, comments. This post really seems to have hit a chord with a lot of people. Yes, education is important, but it's exasperating, at this late date, to be met with skepticism in the corporate suite. The social media train has left the station. It does seem that non-profits have embraced social media, often with stellar results, and corporations can't be far behind. Me, as always, i'm looking at what comes next. |
#2 and #3 go hand in hand. Folks talking ill about your company, your poor service, your terrible product. Companies just have a hard time understanding that regardless whether they are out there actively listening and engaging with these users or not, these conversations will still take place. Would you rather have someone talking behind your back or to your face? Or the "well, we don't want to get out there and start drumming up conversations about our business - someone who wasn't happy with our service may jump in and rock the boat." The person is going to rock the boat regardless. Kills me! They'll get it eventually.... |
Great discussion and I agree with the comments made so far. If someone is going to bash your brand, steal your industry secrets, sue your butt, that will happen with or without Social Media. Employees waste time with or with out Social Media as an excuse and the old adage, "you get what you pay for" is true if you don't have some kind of budget for Social Media Marketing & Strategic Plan. I love Social Media, have had great success, learned a lot about how to improve my business and given me many opportunities to connect with people I otherwise would not have contact with in my profession. I also love Social Media Today! |
I agree with your post that some people can damage the company's branding but we can never control people's mind and reaction. It is fun how these days social media take over the print media days. It is so powerful that it can even caused someone's reputation & popularity increase and decrease. Article Marketing is a good way to build customers trust. Anyway, I want to share what I know as well with social media. Hope we can have time to share our ideas to make social media a lot better place for marketers and companies. Thanks! |
Oddly enough the U.S. Coast Guard has been much discussed in the press for their use of Social Media to get the word out. Most social medial can't be accessed from inside the USCG domain. Coast Guard very much has a love / hate relationship with the social media. Our blog has played an important role as the mouthpiece of employees who fear reprisal and retaliation for speaking up when there is an issue with "the brand." Coast Guard is on they only branch of the military that does not have an Inspector General by statute to protect the governments interests. The small size of the service lends itself to the "you're with us or against us," mentality. Fear of reprisal is rampant and can be seen today in the modernization effort that has surprised the Commandant of the Coast Guard at the 11th hour with details he was unaware of. Admiral Thad Allen the Commandant, pushed so hard for modernization that many of his flag officers, senior officers and staff so feared for their jobs and promotion opportunities that none were willing to speak up. Decisions were made that resulted in changes much deeper in the service than he had intended and have now resulted in what Vice Admiral Currier the Chief of Staff of the service calls the 60% solution. My point here is that social media has become the Inspector General and been forced to be the footprint of transparency for the agency. Staff in the Commandant's office report to CoastGuardReport.org that Admiral Allen learned of several details of his own modernization program over the past few weeks from our blog, not his staff. That doesn't make for a happy Admiral according to his staff. |
Mr. Thomas Jackson, Thank you for providing a perfect example of Reason 2. I feel like I read this conversation once before: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/06/can-the-coast-guard-get-it-right-on-social-media/ If you really want to learn about the Coast Guard's philosophy on the emerging role in social media, the Commandant describes it pretty well himself: http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/2009/09/social-media-keynote-remarks.asp#links As to the status of the Coast Guard's modernization, it is actually going quite well: -- http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/2009/07/modernization-update-napa-study.asp -- http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/2009/09/modernization-update-collective-union.asp Some readers might ask, or Thomas Jackson might point out, that I choose to post anonymously. Mr. Jackson would probably say it is because I fear reprisal. Which is actually true, except I have know worries about what the Coast Guard would say about my postings, I just don't want to subject myself to one of Mr. Jackson's all to common personal attacks and smear jobs. As to Mr. Jackson's claims regarding the workplace climate of the Coast Guard, they certainly contradict the findings of organizational assessment surveys which regularly rank the workplace climate in the Coast Guard as one of the best in Federal government: http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2009/06/coast-guard-workplace-climate/#comment-1510 P.S. "Thomas Jackson" and his entire blog is anonymous, so draw your own conclusions about what that means regarding the credibility of anything he posts. |
We launched a blog at the Transportation Security Administration two years ago, and people thought we were crazy. They thought we'd get nasty comments from people who hated us, rants from employees and lots of other scary things. Well, two years later, we hit our 1 millionth hit on the blog. We have resident haters who comment regularly, but sometimes someone else will tell them to pipe down. Many of the things people were scared about didn't happen. And we've been able to bust some myths that have popped up over time. It's hard to have a government blog, and one in security even more, because sometimes you can't answer the question due to classified info. But we do our best and we don't put press releases on our blog. Some days are rougher than others, but it's a fun thing to work on. |
Hi there, really great subject and description of something I am faced with right now. I work for a multinational and personally launched a blog about sustainability and renewable energy systems. Because of my job I got involved in an assessment method called BREEAM and I need a tool to work with this complicated program. Well, enthousiast about my efforts I informed my employer. Instead of promoting my initiative I got confronted with all kind of company policies regarding our brand and external presentation. Of course they are right in a way, but on the other hand I am convinced this business approach won't succeed in this century. All the best and let's hook up on Facebook too. |
I would add a 7th reason for those of us in regulated industries. I think it's a wonderful post, and spot on with what I've seen while helping to pull together a social media strategy for corporate, employees, and independent field sales in the financial services sector. The biggest missing challenge, the one with real teeth in it, is the regulators. We are scrutinized very closely post Sarbanes-Oxley, and it will get heavier. We are monitored by regulators who have the power to bring down punitive damages, and reach back into time to say "you should have put XX policy in place 3 years ago" with their fines. I value the need for regulation, but currently it is coupled with no clear guidance from the regulators regarding social media. If we step forward with a policy, and after the fact, say a year from now, they think we should have done differently...ouch! There are expectations for pre-approval of any content changes, retention/archiving of any page after any change, and more. There are baby steps to approach the issues, but often they gut much of the value of social media. For example, online "testimonials" are considered taboo by regulators in some areas, so what does that do for LinkedIn Recommendations, end-user "great post, right on!" comments, or even chicklet ratings and bookmarking gadgets that put a stamp of endorsement on the content. It's an exciting time, and we're working through the challenges, but I would put this as a clear 7th key obstacle to social media enterprise use. There are some new technologies being put forth, though untested in the courts, but I would also like to see some enterprise solutions from the platforms themselves. |
Nadine - "The haters thing also scares them. I try to explain that people are going to hate you anyway, but at least with social media you broadcast your own point of view" So well stated! And in my experience, the stronger your community, the less impact the haters will have on your brand. Starbucks is a perfect example of that. Lynn: I will be quoting you to clients forever :>) "Well, two years later, we hit our 1 millionth hit on the blog. We have resident haters who comment regularly, but sometimes someone else will tell them to pipe down. Many of the things people were scared about didn't happen. And we've been able to bust some myths that have popped up over time. " Thank you so much for sharing that |
No comments:
Post a Comment