Corporates Using Social Media

This article in Marketing Magazine regarding research conducted by Burson-Marsteller on corporate enterprises using social media across US, EMEA and Asia Pacific makes for some good reading:

http://www.marketing-interactive.com/news/17999

Key points include:

- Almost 80% of the Fortune Global 100 companies are using at least one of the top social media platforms
- About 65% of the Fortune Global 100 have active accounts on Twitter, 54% have a Facebook fan page, 50% a YouTube channel, and 33% employ corporate blogs
- Corporate Twitter accounts averaged 1,489 followers, while each Facebook fan page averaged 40,884 fans

So, it's plain to see that many corporates are fully on the bandwagon and using social media tactics. The question now is, how many have a strategy?

Busted by Facebook

This is my favourite story of the week courtesy of The Register.

In short, an Australian call centre employee is exchanging email with HR regarding a sick day and the need to produce a doctors note. This email chain has been doing the rounds across Asia and made my Kyle Doyle an instant celeb! Enjoy...

From: Niresh Regmi
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:35 a.m.
To: Kyle Doyle
Subject: Absence on Thursday 21st 2008

Hi Kyle,
Please provide a medical certificate stating a valid reason for your sick leave on Thursday 21st 2008.
Thank You
NIRESH REGMI
Real Time Manager, Workforce Operations
________________________________________

From: Kyle Doyle
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:38 a.m.
To: Niresh Regmi
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21st 2008

Niresh,
1 day leave absences do not require a medical certificate as stated in my contract, provided I have stated that I am on leave for medical reasons.

Thanks Regards,
Kyle Doyle Resolutions Expert - Technical
________________________________________

From: Niresh Regmi Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:39 a.m.
To: Kyle Doyle
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21st 2008

Hi Kyle,

Usually that is the case, as per your contract. However please note that leave during these occasions is only granted for genuine medical reasons. You line manager has determined that your leave was not due to medical reasons and as such we cannot grant leave on this occasion.

NIRESH REGMI
________________________________________

From: Kyle Doyle
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:43 a.m.
To: Niresh Regmi
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21st 2008

Hi Niresh,

My leave was due to medical reasons, so you cannot deny leave based on a line manager's discretion, with no proof, please process leave as requested.

Thanks Regards,
Kyle Doyle
________________________________________

From: Niresh Regmi
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:50 a.m.
To: Kyle Doyle
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21st 2008

Hi Kyle,

I believe the proof that you are after is below

To his credit, the busted Doyle concludes:

From: Kyle Doyle
Sent: Wednesday, 27 August 2008 9:55 a.m.
To: Niresh Regmi
Subject: RE: Absence on Thursday 21st 2008

HAHAHA LMAO epic fail No worries man

Regards,
Kyle Doyle

Facebook Facelift

I've been trying out the new look Facebook over the past fortnight and have found myself reverting back to the old one.

The beauty of the old Facebook was that it was simple to navigate - the new look was too cluttered and I couldn't find the information I wanted in its usual place. I thought I was alone! However, it seems that many others are in the same boat. According to this BBC article almost 10 million out of 40 million prefer the old style.

What I also found interesting is that Facebook has kind of become a victim of its own success - the Petition against the new Facebook seems to have generated a rather large following. It now remains to be seen whether this group has any influence on the platform that raised it and made it successful in so many other petitions. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you!

Unfortunately, it looks like I'll have to go back to the new look style soon with the compulsory switch over.

Facebook give power to the people - not corporates

Further to my previous post on Facebook as a potential free customer database for businesses, I wanted to share an interesting blog post I have just read on PRbloogger about the use of Facebook as a lobbying tool.

Stephen Davies captures well the pros and cons of using the platform here. I thought that it was interesting Facebook has become a powerful tool for 'anyone' who has a gripe against a company, used as a lobbying tool to bring together people with the same gripe.

Could it be that Facebook is a consumer weapon and will remain so - a tool for the people not for businesses? If so, corporate entities may well find it hard to utilise this platform to engage the people as any effort will be seen as propaganda…

Maybe I should stop trying to leverage its uses for businesses.

Is Facebook a free customer database?

We're in the process of organising the first Hong Kong PR Network social event - set to take place on Wednesday April 30. The audience will be those 100 odd PR professionals who have joined the Facebook page I set up about 6 months ago.

The event, sponsored by the council of Public Relations Firms Hong Kong (cPRFHK), will be a first hand experience of how social media networks can really bring together groups of like minded people.

I had lunch with Doug White, Founder of Prosperity Research, and discussed whether corporate widgets on Facebook were a waste of time, and came to the conclusion that yes it was! However, by leveraging the basic initial purpose of Facebook, a networking and information sharing platform, I think it could still prove a valuable weapon in the customer interaction arsenal. It is in essence a free customer database with willing people who want to know about you (since people have the free will to join a group or not).

The effectiveness of Facebook groups to target consumers has yet to convince marketing and communication managers in corporate organisations, mainly because it is still primarily seen as a consumer platform rather than in a B2B or even B2C environment – which it is.

As a social media advocate I have been proposing the platform and its ‘group’ function as a cost effective and simple way to interact with people who may be interested in the company or its products – but to little avail as yet. I am hoping this event could prove to be the first case study (on a personal level) of how it is possible to reach out and bring together people who have a similar interest solely on the basis of a Facebook group – which has so far not cost me a penny. In effect, I believe it is a simple and harmless route to dip the corporate toe into the social media world with potential huge benefits.

Although an old topic, it is an ongoing debate. It will take someone to prove it works or that it doesn't before it is taken seriously or dropped quicker than US interest rates. I'll let you know after next week's event.