How Social Media Disrupts Conventional Business Processes

Social Media is here to stay. Not only will it stay but it is going to disrupt a number of business models. Some of the disruption will be advantageous to some business models whilst others will be negatively affected. Like any change, the introduction of Social Media into the mainstream business processes has got both threats and opportunities. For bold entrepreneurs with an innovative appetite, this presents enormous opportunity for product improvement, penetrating new markets and affirming a competitive edge. Below are five points that detail how Social Media disrupts conventional business models. Each one presents opportunities that cut across most if not all industries.

1. Social Media removes barriers that exists between businesses and their customers. Content Marketing provides organizations an opportunity to showcase products in detail. It is through the understanding of the product; the acceptance of the solution provided by the product, that influences a purchase. Inbound Marketing bares open the soul of the organization. The organization has to demonstrate its internal processes as a way of attracting clients. The main goal is to have prospecting clients engage. The organization should exude a persona that prospecting clients can identify and are comfortable to converse with. Whilst organizations rarely seek a response from their advertisements and marketing efforts, with Social Media Marketing, unless the audience/target market engages, one would have not achieved their objective. Marketing as we know it, is disrupted by Social Media

2. Social Media streamlines internal and external business communication. With Social Media communication can be on real time. Individual business units can communicate with clients. It is possible for line workers to be authorized to communicate directly with clients. Let me hasten to say that we ought to support our Social Media Strategy with communication policies that clarify what can be communicated and what can not be communicated. Traditionally we have Public Relations, After Sales Care and Client Relations handling how we interact with clients. Social Media Forums streamlines these departments and leave clients dealing with the organization directly. This empowers both the clients and organizations. The client is free to converse, ask all questions and even contribute their views or make suggestions. This environment strengthens the relationship between clients and their suppliers. When clients are happy with the service they receive, they share company information with their friends becoming brand ambassadors.

3. Another disruption that comes with Social Media Forums is the opportunity for entrepreneurs to incorporate co-creation. Clients' ideas can be co-opted into the design and manufacture of products. The norm has always been that if you come up with an idea, once perfected you patent it and go through a phase of trial and error where you test your market. With Social Media, it is possible to involve prospecting clients in product design and manufacture. By the time the product hits the markets, the customers are not presumed, they are known by name and location. Co-creation reduces the cost of research and development. Research remains cardinal, but it is done in a smart way which involves prospecting clients and reduces costs.

4. Social Media does not only affect Business to Consumer activities even Business to Business processes are disrupted. System developers are making use of participatory design, to involve clients in the design of systems. Social Media Forums make it possible for this engagement to happen without physical presence of all parties involved. System upgrades and maintenance is also made possible through easy communication facilitated by Social Media Forums

5. Social Media avails enormous data to organizations about their clients. This data is a game changer that does not necessarily bring any disruption to conventional business processes. However it avails information on client behavior, client preferences and client needs. Shrewd innovators have invested heavily in Data Analysis. Data Science is enabling organization to mine information from data availed by Social Media Forums. This information if properly analysed can improve services and be utilized to explore new projects.

Besides marketing, how else have you used Social Media Forums to improve your business offering?

4 Reasons why Social Media Strategy should be part of our Enterprise Resource Process (ERP)

Every organisation has got different operating systems. For a manufacturing business you have the planning, purchasing, inventory, production, warehousing, delivery, sales, accounting, human resources, public relations etc.  With the aid of information technology it became possible to streamline processes and integrate them whilst automating some activities. Technology world has termed this the Enterprise Resource Process. An automated environment aids organisations to be effective and efficient. The quest for better effectiveness and more efficiency, which are driven by a better bottom line without compromising quality; are the reasons we keep developing improved software. This has also led to Mobile Applications that have popularized Social Media and can be integrated with our main stream business processes. Below are four reasons why a Social Media Strategy should be incorporated into any Enterprise Resource Process.

1. A Social Media Strategy can be aimed at both internal and external communities. Whilst content marketing targets external followers, internal communications can also be enhanced through Social Media Forums. Almost everyone in the working class has some form of visibility in the Social Media Forums. A loyal internal community is an attractive environment for positive communication. Above that when our internal stake holders rave about us, they become part of the whirlpool that draws followers into our Social Media Forums including positioning us positively on Search Engine Optimization.

2. Back office and front office communication can be automated so that delivery, confirmation of receipt and response can all be in real time.  Most ERP software include automated communication. But having internal and external communication embedded in Social Media activities will improve the communication process. Information is relevant when it is delivered and acted upon on timely. Some of our clients do not pay on agreed time intervals and claim not to have received invoices on time. If we are able to twit and share pictures in real time, so can we share business information and records on time - of cause with a little innovation.

3. Content Marketing is all about telling our story. In ERP processes is embedded our story that needs to be heard by both internal and external stakeholders. How we perform our various functions defines who we are and shapes our values. This uniqueness in our operations is the content that we want to share with our followers in order to gain their loyalty.

4. In order for our ERP process to remain relevant in this ever changing environment, it has to be continuously reviewed. There is no better way to improve what we are doing than to be given ideas by our stakeholders. All our processes are meant to impress our stakeholders. Our shareholders want us to have better profits, our employees want better care whilst our customers want a better service. A Social Media Strategy that meets its obligations, can provide the best platform to gather recommendations.

If you are planning on a Social Media Strategy, we can help you with its formulation all the way up to implementation. We can also review your current activities and help you to make them meet your organisational goals. Don't forget to share the article so that others may have this valuable information.