Your company culture can become a social media marketing tool. Unfortunately, many companies don’t recognize this.
Social media is probably the most influential communication opportunity in todays world. There really is truly nothing like it. Everyone is in it even though no one is leading it. Yet, no structure or enterprise or organization can ever equal the influence on both social and business cultures.
Naturally, the corporate world was a little slow to adapt. Many businesses viewed social media as an hindrance to work, a personal activity that doesn’t benefit the business in any way. The last couple of years saw major changes in perception. Many businesses started to realize a company culture can become a social media marketing tool. With big companies like Coca Cola, Starbucks, and Nike leading the way, small business owners started giving social media a second look.
Interestingly enough, and counter intuitively-so, many business owners are observing that it is their employees who are more resistant to the adoption of social media culture in the corporate setting, while executives are more supportive. A recent study by Deloitte reveals that 38% of executives believe social media presence leads to greater transparency, while there are only 17% of employees who agree.
Strategic and Cultural Disconnect
The difference between the responses of executives and employees towards adoption of social media in their companies can be attributed to the disconnect between corporate culture and strategy. As long as the disconnect is there, no one in the company will see how company culture can become a social media marketing tool. It is true that strategies are important, but it must first be studied if the culture that is already in place will be compatible with it. Sandy Carter of IBM succinctly puts it as “culture eats strategy for lunch.”
One of the key elements businesses must realize, is that social media works best if it isn’t tied to a single department or person when it comes to execution of strategy. That’s how company culture can become a social media marketing tool. Studies have already provided proof that social media culture, when adopted by businesses, leads to success on different levels, including the all-important profitability metric.
Reasons Employees are Resistant to Social Media Culture in a Business Environment
There are several reasons why the average employee is not as receptive to the adoption of social media culture within the business environment.
Aversion to Change
People in general are averse to disruption and change, especially in the work environment, where the adherence to a routine and clockwork efficiency is of utmost importance.
Kamal Bennani Photography 