Organizations that have adopted the social business model utilize social media tools and social networking behavioral standards across functional areas for communicating and engaging with external audiences, including customers, prospective customers, prospective employees, suppliers, and partners. Combining social networking etiquette with business engagement on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook more fully involves employees in the organization and increases customer intimacy and trust.
Overview
Traditional business models, particularly in large organizations, have had as one common characteristic careful limitation of direct contact between those within the organization and those outside of it. Only certain specific individuals were designated as "customer-facing" personnel. Organizations further limited outside access to internal employees through filtering mechanisms such as publishing only a main switchboard number and generic "sales@" or "info@" email addresses. The Cluetrain Manifesto was among the first books to predict the demise of this old order and the emergence of more open business models, though most of the business world was slow to adopt the book's recommended cultural changes. Thirteen years later, authors Dion Hinchcliffe and Peter Kim added structural underpinnings to the cultural shifts outlined in The Cluetrain Manifesto in their book, . The book details many of the ways social media tools and practices are being adopted within organizations, to support both internal employee collaboration and external customer engagement.
Elements
In implementing the social business model, organizations apply social networking protocols and tools in a range of areas, potentially including:
Characteristics of organizations adopting the social business model
Organizations that fully adopt the social business model will exhibit four key characteristics:
Connected – employees will be able to seamlessly engage one-on-one in real-time with other employees and individuals outside the organization using a variety of communications methods including text chat, voice, file sharing, email, and video chat.
Social – employees will follow social networking etiquette in external interactions. The focus will be on answering questions and providing information rather than overt sales or promotion.
Presence – these conversations may originate on the company's website or elsewhere online.
Intelligent – organizations will use in-depth analytics to monitor connections, social interactions and presence; measure corresponding business results; and continually adjust and improve practices for increased effectiveness.
While much of the change inherent in adopting the social business model is cultural, it also requires process changes enabled by social business technology. Functional requirements for a social business technology platform include:
