7 principles that lead to social media success

Posted by Mark Brousseau

Let's face it: The business world is changing. Rapidly. While the object of the game is still to drive revenue, the methods have changed. Instead of a monolithic one-way interaction, business is now being conducted through constant and meaningful two-way conversations between organizations and constituents—at every stage of organizational development. And it's a good thing, too.

Not so long ago, the object of the game was to be cutthroat and dictatorial about business, and it helped if you could check your emotions and personality at the door. Deep down, did most of us really buy the old "nothing personal—it's just business" line? Of course not! After all, building a thriving business is all about making lasting, personal, reliable connections inside and outside of your company, points out Barry Libert. And these days, there's no better way to do that than through social media—in essence, by building your company's own Social Nation.

Libert knows what he's talking about. He is the chairman and CEO of Mzinga, a company that provides social software to businesses. Quite literally, it's his job to be social media savvy. And he's adamant that building your own Social Nation is increasingly necessary in the business world.

"It's true. Your employees and your customers want to be engaged on a very personal level, and not just through a survey or an annual conference," confirms Libert, author of the new book Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business (Wiley, 2010, ISBN: 978-0-470-59926-6, $24.95, www.socialnationbook.com). "And here's the clincher: If you choose not to engage with these folks, they'll do it without you—and you definitely don't want that."

Examples of Social Nations are everywhere. Today, customers want to rely on what other diners have to say to help make decisions about where they should eat next, rather than relying on traditional restaurant advertising. Open Table has brought together a nation of diners who connect online. Amazon has brought together a nation of readers for those who want to share their feedback about books and help influence the choices of other readers. A community of travelers help us select hotels that meet our personal preferences thanks to Trip Advisor. TheStreet.com steers us toward the stocks we should buy.

And it does not stop there. These and many other companies are all beginning to understand the power of creating friends, fans, and followers to build their businesses.

"Building your Social Nation means changing what you think it means to build a company," Libert explains. "This emerging social era is about engaging everyone around you to redefine what you do and how you do it—including sales, marketing, R&D, customer support, and product development."

Still skeptical? Then take a look at the hard numbers. A 2009 study by the Nielsen Company revealed that employees, partners, and customers spent 17 percent of their online time social networking or blogging—and 83 percent more time in online social networks than the year prior. What's more, these constituencies are driving advertisers to spend an expected $2.6 billion on these social sites by 2012.

Essentially, these statistics tell us that companies need to embrace and capture the voices of their employees and customers if they want to innovate and thrive. And at the same time, customers and employees want to impact all aspects of business by sharing their opinions, criticisms, and praise with companies—and with each other.

"It's becoming increasingly clear that building communities for customers, employees, partners, and investors is critical to the future vitality of business," confirms Libert. "In this new era, you can't underestimate how important emotional and social connections are, and how crucial it is to fulfill the needs of others and the desires of customers. When you embrace the Social Nation revolution, you'll create a better, more profitable, and more viable company or organization."

Excited to learn more? Then read on to learn about Libert's seven rules for implementing a successful social media strategy in your organization and learn how real-world companies have put them into action:

Rule 1: Develop Your Social Skills. Leaders in this new Social Nation are expected to follow as much as they lead, collaborating with their colleagues while still providing structure and support. In boardrooms and offices around the world, leaders are starting to become more interconnected, to put others' needs first, and to find motivation in helping others succeed. They facilitate rather than control.

Rule 2: Let Culture Lead Your Way. When building your social organization, remember that the DNA of the company is very important, so let an open and honest culture be a guiding principle. After all, culture defines your company because it tells employees what to expect and lets customers know who you are and what you stand for.

Rule 3: Mind Your Online and Offline Manners. How you say something—be it online or off—is as important as what you say, and can help make the difference in gaining fans, friends, and followers. And remember that technology connects people in faster and more transparent ways than ever!

Rule 4: Listen, Learn, Adapt. Social intelligence enables your company to benefit from all that is happening around you—including the conversations of your constituents—so you can adapt what you do and how you do it to better meet the needs of your customers, employees, and market demands. After all, it's a good thing to understand what your customers need and want and how they interact with your products and services.

Rule 5: Include Others in Everything You Do. As an organization that is seeking to benefit from membership in the Social Nation, relying on others in every part of your company is the only way to alter what you do and how you do it to generate new revenues and increase profits.

Rule 6: Rely on Others for Growth and Innovation. Friends, fans, and followers are instrumental in achieving growth in today's connected world. Instead of the "old" method of relying on focus groups that meet behind two-way mirrors, it's time to engage customers in a two-way conversation to innovate new products and services that matter.

Rule 7: Reward Others and You Will Be Rewarded Too. As organizations focus more and more on connections and relationships, customers want to be rewarded emotionally as well as financially. Successful businesses have to meet both needs.

What do you think?