10 Ways to Tell You’re a Social Business

Any company can set up a presence on Facebook or implement tools with social capabilities, but that alone doesn’t make a you a social business.

Here are 10 signs of a social business:

1. You’re where your customers are. Your company has presence on public social networks, but not just any social networks – you’re on the ones that your customers are on.

2. Social media features are frequently used. You have taken full advantage of the external social networks that you have presence on. For example, on Facebook you are using the timeline to showcase your company’s accomplishments over time; on Pinterest you are showcasing images of your company’s products and community service; on LinkedIn you are sharing relevant industry content; and on Twitter you are broadcasting news.

3. The content is fresh and interesting. You’re updating your social network presence at least once a day – not in a self-serving way, but in a way that benefits existing and potential customers.

4. There’s a social media support team. If you haven’t dedicated full-time staff to social, you have carved out dedicated time (and tasked specific staff) for social activities.

5. Social media policies are clear and communicated company-wide. You have developed clear and complete policies regarding what can and can’t be posted on social networks, who can and can’t post, what privacy and security precautions must be taken, and where to draw the lines between personal and professional accounts. You have also communicated this information to all staff, and you periodically update the policy (and communicate these changes) as the technology and landscape shifts.

6. Training is part of the program. While you have made it very clear through policy that care must be taken when participating in social networking activities, you encourage users to develop their voices and brands, as well as give them the training and tools to do so in an effective way.

7. Social media is not just talking to the customer; it’s about talking with them, too. You are using social networks for more than just marketing and branding—you are also conducting customer service, help desk and other business activities on social platforms.

8. Social media data is a source for business decision making. You are making use of monitoring and analysis tools to help you use the data generated from social activities to make more informed business decisions moving forward.

9. Social-focused tools are used for internal collaboration. This is allowing for improved engagement, easier identification of expertise and increased opportunity.

10. Integration of social capabilities are embraced within more traditional enterprise applications. This has enabled your company to extend the benefits of social more widely across the enterprise.

What do you think? Am I missing any signs?

via Business 2 Community http://www.business2community.com/social-business/10-ways-to-tell-youre-a-social-business-0593440?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=10-ways-to-tell-youre-a-social-business