Social Media - It's a Culture Thing

For companies taking the plunge into the social media world, it’s often as much about changing their communications culture as it is about the technology. Let’s face it, social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook are about creating dialogues, which, by definition, entail a certain degree of spontaneity and informality.

Traditional forms of corporate communications, such as the standard press release often involve lengthy, internal review processes. Social media requires a shift in thinking. Channels such as Twitter and Facebook invite conversations with the outside world, and blogs, which are increasingly popular, tend be unfiltered venues for opinions and insights.

As a result, companies who are taking the plunge into social media typically give employees guidelines on what they can and can’t say, then trust they’ll represent the company in a favorable light. Relinquishing control of the process can be a scary proposition, but the upside is being able to reveal a more of human side of the company. Less spin, more personality.

I happen to think it’s refreshing to see companies engage in a public dialogue in a less formal way. For example, take Jonathan Schwartz, the CEO of Sun Microsystems who became the first chief executive of a major company to create his own blog. As noted in the New York Times, he made history as the first Fortune 200 CEO to tweet his resignation, and he took the novel approach of doing it via a haiku. No stuffy press release for him.

Social media requires a more open corporate culture, but by giving voice to a multitude of new perspectives, it promises to enrich the conversation for everyone.



Kathy Harrell Babin is a senior marketing and communications strategist for Antiphony. In addition to helping companies market their products and tell their stories, she enjoys vegetarian cooking, yoga and running.