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?

Content Marketing for a Large Corporation

Content marketing is easier for a small enterprise especial if its a one man band. For a consultant or a  life coach operating as an individual or with a small staff complement, it is quite easy to articulate the product offering as the first person, and appeal engagement with your targeted audience. However for a large corporation that has got many departments, this might be a little challenging. Challenging but not impossible. Some corporations hire Social Media Managers who play the role similar to that of Public Relations though with a bias towards marketing. Others completely outsource the Social Media activities. Both on these instances, the communication is diluted as it is not coming out of the first person and diluted content does not attract dialogue, although campaigns in the form of competitions would still make an impact.

Content marketing is premised on consistent communicating with a view to educate rather than make a sale. A sale is achieved after the prospective client has had enough information about the offer and even engaged for clarification. This has been stimulated by online commerce, which is being promoted by mobility. An informed client is able to also recommend to their peers or those that they influence. It is critical to follow anyone on Social Media Forums who yields influence over your potential market. Your promotional material can be shared in other forums where you may not have a presence as an organisation. This is the other advantage with content marketing.

The marketing department may not have the capacity to disseminate enough content about activities of a large cooperation. An effective Content Marketing Strategy would not be effective if it solely relies on the marketing department for its implementation. This is where Enterprise Resource System comes to the picture. An ERP system brings together back office and front office activities with a purpose to streamline activities and synergize resources. Information shared within the organisation, through the ERP System, can be edited to form part of our Content Marketing offering. Our clients would love to know how we operate differently from competitors. An insight into what differentiates us, can win us more customers. With Content Marketing, an organisation, can not involve its clients in deliberations that may jeopardize trade secrets or other sensitive information. But through the ERP System, an organisation can share relevant information with clients and the information would be best shared directly from  the various departments as it will be practical, attractive and on real time. For our targeted audience to follow us and rave about us, this information must be shared consistently and where there is engagement, we should be able to respond timeously.