First in a series highlighting predictions of Enterprise Strategies’ Client Advisors for social business in 2014.
2014 is poised to be another year of continued social business implementation and enterprise adoption. With this in mind, here are my top predictions for social business in the New Year.
1. Sales organizations drive adoption
- As CRM and employee social networks integrate more, sales organizations will realize greater benefit from more collaboration. Shared competitive intelligence, stronger proposals, timelier intelligence, and more engaged field reps will drive revenue and increase demand for collaborative tools. Sales leaders who recognize these efficiencies and real ROI will drive adoption more so than traditional HR, IT or Communications led efforts.
2. Executive usage of social networks grows and drives business results
- Senior management will see more reasons to engage in social business, both internally and externally, as their peers use social media more and as the business benefits become more obvious. Whether it’s engaging customers and partners via social media or employees on an enterprise social network, executives will begin to take social media more seriously and no longer see it as something for millennials only.
3. Greater convergence of internal and external social media creates employee advocates
- As organizations embrace internal social media more widely, employees who “live the brand” and have established an internal voice will be tapped to share that enthusiasm with customers. Employees who are passionate about their company and products will be able to share approved company messaging more readily with their wider social media audiences.
