How pervasive are social media tools (such as blogs and podcasts) becoming? Here are some of the numbers (taken from my CNW seminar series Social media (Web 2.0): are you in?):
· There are approximately 55 million English language blogs – 45,000 new blogs created every day
· 44% of web users in the
· 20% of Canadians say they read blogs on a regular basis
· Three of the top 8 most trafficked sites on the Internet are social media sites that didn’t exist a couple of years ago (e.g. YouTube.com)
· 13% use RSS (real simple syndication ) for reading
· 29% of
Listen to the complete webcast of my and Brent Holliday’s presentation Social media (Web 2.0): are you in?
Also includes a link to the Social media checklist handout and the presentation slides.
Tips for adoption
- Create a prototype or pilot.
- Use stories to articulate (and capture) needs.
- Build on existing platforms.
- Use case studies from similar organisations.
- Be passionate about the right things.
See James’s complete list of tips for adopting enterprise 2.0.
My own tips for adopting social media tools:
- Social media is reinventing the Internet, creating a space where your audience can talk about you in a whole new way. On a regular basis, monitor the social web to see what is being said about you.
- Ensure you’re aware of which community websites (e.g. YouTube) are growing in popularity and evaluate how they might change the way people talk about your organization.
- Planning is an essential requisite for success. Develop a plan that is based on a thorough assessment and contains measurable success indicators.
- Leadership must set the tone. Your executives must be leading the dialogue and controlling the message.
- Relevant, up-to-date and valued content that supports, promotes and details your products, services and competitive advantages.
- Know the link between your website, sales and customer service. What is your website worth?
- Understand the ingredients of a good blog. Benchmark and cherry-pick from the leaders (e.g. Boing Boing, IntranetBlog.com, etc.)
- Keep pace with the trends and best practices, technological advancements and latest developments. Subscribe to newsletters from leaders such as CNET, eMarketer and Prescient Digital Media.
