At DNA, Digital Strategy encompasses both customer facing and internal employee communication. Examining the principles of social in the public domain enables the application of social inside the organization.
The patterns of interaction are evolving at a rapid pace with the proliferation of social applications and platforms. People are choosing to dialogue through communities or networks of common interests. Their interaction is organic and real-time, unbound by geographic, economic or social constraints. The random spontaneity we see in social posts and shares suggests that people respond best to personal or authentic and genuine posts. If someone in your network likes something you’ve posted or recommended, they may post a response or re-post it in their social feeds signifying agreement. The impact of Social Influencers, Micro & Macro, is significant; liking a brand or referencing a particular experience can influence others to like the brand or seek a similar experience. Influencers, particularly Micro, can become important brand advocates.
So, what does this mean to my business and how can I apply digital principles so that my business becomes a social business? Social channels are already outpacing email as the preferred means of communicating. The challenge for organizations is to determine the best way to embrace this new capability while considering how to connect, collaborate and engage their employees. This is especially challenging for organizations with large distributed workforces who may be on the move. To do this successfully, you need to consider some fundamental design principles in the planning phase of your social journey. These principles are: Authenticity, Participation, Shareability and Trust.

What do Participation and Shareability mean to an organization? Well firstly, you can’t have one without the other. Examine any successful social enterprise and one of the basic ingredients for success is user participation. Without participation or the ability to contribute and share of voice, the social network or community can’t grow, will be limited and yield no benefit, such as innovation, in your organization. To encourage participation, content must be instantly shareable so that ideas and inspiration can thrive. It is the open sharing of information within your community that can reveal ‘subject matter experts’ you may not have known you had. These individuals have the potential to offer insights that are particularly relevant to your business needs or to resolving issues in your organization at a faster pace than previously thought.
The principle of Trust is significant as successful social enterprises create a sense of belonging amongst users and have the effect of promoting a feeling of collaboration. You may have users who are ready and waiting for your organization to become a social business. You may also have users who are averse to any new way of working that is so different from what they have used in the past. In either case to gain buy-in you need the social platform to demonstrate its value. It may come in the form of user benefits from sharing information across the company anywhere, anytime, anyway; or it may come in the form of like-minded colleagues galvanizing around a great idea for your business. Trust needs to grow organically as the value of the social platform is revealed. The value of the Social Platform will reveal itself through improved customer experience via engaged and galvanized employees.
Connect with DNA’s Digital Strategist Stephanie Fry to find out more about the social enterprise and Social collaboration and communication strategy inside your organization.
Posted by: Stephanie