CorpComms Magazine

Large companies juggle an average of 178 business-related social media accounts but only 49 per cent have an accurate record of these activities, according to new research by Altimeter Group.

The report found that, on average, large companies manage 39 Twitter accounts, 32 blogs, 29 LinkedIn accounts and 30 Facebook pages. They also manage 23 message boards or online communities, nine YouTube accounts and six Foursquare accounts.

This disparate approach means that companies are unable to provide a coordinated customer experience across the platforms, according to author Jeremiah Owywang, who found that fewer than half of all companies coordinate their social media activities.

The problem is also going to get worse, according to the report, as online customer conversations are expected to grow. Three in ten companies are unsure how they will cope with the increase, while 44 per cent suggest they will empower the crowd to respond to each other while seven per cent say they will respond to fewer conversations.

Respondents were allowed to select up to three responses to the question of coping with extra online chatter, and 59 per cent predict they will streamline social media accounts through internal processes while 33 per cent will streamline via new technologies.

Owyang claims there are eight requirements for launching and maintaining social media accounts, and stresses that companies should have a clear goal before starting which is aligned towards business objectives, such as market influence, lead generation and customer advocacy.

Policies need to be introduced, on issues such as privacy, and stakeholders need to be educated about these. Social media is also a long term commitment, and companies need to be ready for negative conversations as well as positive ones.

share me: del.icio.us | digg | reddit | Tweet