CEO’s are finally embracing social media’s role in engaging business and customers, according to a recent IBM Global CEO Study.
For businesses, social media is currently the least-utilized method for connecting with their audiences. The hierarchy of connecting is as follows: face-to-face interactions, websites, channel partners, call centers, traditional media, advisory groups, and then, finally, social media.
However, social media is expected to jump to the number two spot within three to five years — and traditional media will plummet to the bottom of the list — according to IBM’s report of their findings.
Out of the 1,709 CEOs interviewed for the study — hailing from 64 countries and 18 industries — only 16% currently participate in social media. However, that percentage is expected to grow to 57% within the next five years, according to the IBM analysis.
As Mashable previously reported, these numbers coincide with the “conservative optimism” regarding social media engagement for businesses. More than half of business owners (64%) believe in social media as a useful tactic for marketing — they just aren’t willing to jump into it full-force yet.
Despite that hesitation, more and more CEOs are recognizing the potential for social media to change how their companies and organizations can communicate with the world.
“One of the most compelling findings [of the survey] is how in tune CEOs are about the implications and impact of social media,” stated Bridget van Kralingen, senior vice president of IBM Global Business Services, in the press release of the study. “Rather than repeating the familiar lament about de-personalizing human relationships, this view leans heavily in favor of deepening them, and using dynamic social networks to harness collective intelligence to unlock new models of collaboration.”
Personalizing these relationships with customers is the top priority for these CEOs. Nearly three-quarters of those polled (73%) are investing significantly in ways to better gain meaningful insights from their customers. Openness and interaction — not just advertising — on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter just might be at the heart of this more individualized interaction.
As one CEO interviewee put it, the idea is to use social media as a crowd-sourcing mechanism and means of collaboration:
“We use social media less as a marketing or distribution channel and more as a knowledge platform to obtain information about customers,” said an insurance CEO from Switzerland.
The takeaway? With a stronger presence on social media sites and more personalized interactions with customers on these channels, “control is shifting from institutions to individuals,” the report stated.
If you’re a CEO or leader in business, do these findings agree with your experience? How else are you looking to engage with customers? Let us know in the comments.
Thursday 24 May 2012
Tuesday 22 May 2012
Europe to Google: Stop Being Evil ...... or Else
The European Commission is giving Google a “matter of weeks” to settle an ongoing antitrust case by changing several of its business practices which some say have given the company an unfair monopolistic advantage on the web.
If Google refuses to comply, the Commission could slap Google with antitrust charges and, eventually, fines.
“Today I’m giving Google an opportunity to offer remedies to address concerns that we have identified,” said European Commission Vice President for Competition Policy Joaquin Almunia in a statement issued Monday.
Europe began looking into Google’s search results in November of 2010, after Microsoft and other smaller firms complained that the U.S.-based search giant was giving its own products a higher-than-natural ranking in web searches while decreasing the rank of competitors’ services. Google has been fighting hard against the antitrust claims.
Almunia specified four areas where Google must change in order to avoid financial penalties in a letter he sent to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt:
1. Google’s displaying of links to its own specific search products, such as Google News, in general search results, which the Commission argues reduces competition.
2. Google’s taking of content, such as restaurant reviews from other services, for its own products, which the Commission believes might reduce the creation of original content on the web.
3. Google’s exclusive advertising deals with partners, which the Commission worries unfairly squeezes out Google’s competition.
4. Google’s limitation on data being transferred from AdWords to competitors’ services, which the Commission said limits software developers’ ability to create products that utilize cross-platform search advertising.
Should Google comply with that list of grievances, said Almunia, it can avoid immediate formal antitrust proceedings in Europe.
“If Google comes up with an outline of remedies which are capable of addressing our concerns, I will instruct my staff to initiate the discussions in order to finalize a remedies package,” said Almunia. “I hope that Google seizes this opportunity to swiftly resolve our concerns, for the benefit of competition and innovation in the sector,” he added.
Google made its disapproval of the Commission’s arguments known through a spokesperson.
“We’ve only just started to look through the Commission’s arguments,” said a Google spokesperson. “We disagree with the conclusions but we’re happy to discuss any concerns they might have. Competition on the web has increased dramatically in the last two years since the Commission started looking at this and the competitive pressures Google faces are tremendous. Innovation online has never been greater.”
If Google refuses to comply, the Commission could slap Google with antitrust charges and, eventually, fines.
“Today I’m giving Google an opportunity to offer remedies to address concerns that we have identified,” said European Commission Vice President for Competition Policy Joaquin Almunia in a statement issued Monday.
Europe began looking into Google’s search results in November of 2010, after Microsoft and other smaller firms complained that the U.S.-based search giant was giving its own products a higher-than-natural ranking in web searches while decreasing the rank of competitors’ services. Google has been fighting hard against the antitrust claims.
Almunia specified four areas where Google must change in order to avoid financial penalties in a letter he sent to Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt:
1. Google’s displaying of links to its own specific search products, such as Google News, in general search results, which the Commission argues reduces competition.
2. Google’s taking of content, such as restaurant reviews from other services, for its own products, which the Commission believes might reduce the creation of original content on the web.
3. Google’s exclusive advertising deals with partners, which the Commission worries unfairly squeezes out Google’s competition.
4. Google’s limitation on data being transferred from AdWords to competitors’ services, which the Commission said limits software developers’ ability to create products that utilize cross-platform search advertising.
Should Google comply with that list of grievances, said Almunia, it can avoid immediate formal antitrust proceedings in Europe.
“If Google comes up with an outline of remedies which are capable of addressing our concerns, I will instruct my staff to initiate the discussions in order to finalize a remedies package,” said Almunia. “I hope that Google seizes this opportunity to swiftly resolve our concerns, for the benefit of competition and innovation in the sector,” he added.
Google made its disapproval of the Commission’s arguments known through a spokesperson.
“We’ve only just started to look through the Commission’s arguments,” said a Google spokesperson. “We disagree with the conclusions but we’re happy to discuss any concerns they might have. Competition on the web has increased dramatically in the last two years since the Commission started looking at this and the competitive pressures Google faces are tremendous. Innovation online has never been greater.”
Thursday 17 May 2012
Twitter: Here’s How to Hide Your Tweets from Google
Want to keep your tweets among your tweeps and hidden from any old Google searcher? Twitter has some tips for you.
The microblogging company’s @Support account on Wednesday tweeted out a link to a help center page for Twitter users want to keep their posts a bit more anonymous on Google. Given Twitter’s high rank in Google Search, it’s likely that your profile there will be among the top results for your name.
The first suggestion for more anonymity? Change your username or listed actual name on Twitter. So, for example, if you use a profane @ handle, but your given name is listed in your profile settings, that could be a problem during your job search as recruiters Google you to see what comes up.
You can also protect your tweets in your accounts settings but that may not be a perfect fix, as Twitter points out. All tweets posted before you went private will still remain public in search engines (including Twitter’s own search).
Additionally, Google caches old search results, meaning that your old information can still hang around there — even if it only links to an error page.
Eventually, Google will update its search index and refresh to your new privacy settings. But if you want certain posts removed sooner, Twitter does suggest another option. First, copy the URL for the dead status page you would like removed. Then go to this Google page, which explains how to create a removal request for an outdated link or page. You’ll then be directed to another page, where you can paste in the link and submit your request, but you may need a Google account to do so.
Check out Twitter’s full list of tips for demurring from Google Search here.
Twitter and Google have been feuding ever since Google’s integration of Google+ into its regular search results back in January, which Twitter called “bad for people” — since news increasingly breaks on Twitter before being reported on other outlets.
Is it better to have your Twitter profile and activity be a prominent Google Search result, or to protect your anonymity? Let us know in the comments.
The microblogging company’s @Support account on Wednesday tweeted out a link to a help center page for Twitter users want to keep their posts a bit more anonymous on Google. Given Twitter’s high rank in Google Search, it’s likely that your profile there will be among the top results for your name.
The first suggestion for more anonymity? Change your username or listed actual name on Twitter. So, for example, if you use a profane @ handle, but your given name is listed in your profile settings, that could be a problem during your job search as recruiters Google you to see what comes up.
You can also protect your tweets in your accounts settings but that may not be a perfect fix, as Twitter points out. All tweets posted before you went private will still remain public in search engines (including Twitter’s own search).
Additionally, Google caches old search results, meaning that your old information can still hang around there — even if it only links to an error page.
Eventually, Google will update its search index and refresh to your new privacy settings. But if you want certain posts removed sooner, Twitter does suggest another option. First, copy the URL for the dead status page you would like removed. Then go to this Google page, which explains how to create a removal request for an outdated link or page. You’ll then be directed to another page, where you can paste in the link and submit your request, but you may need a Google account to do so.
Check out Twitter’s full list of tips for demurring from Google Search here.
Twitter and Google have been feuding ever since Google’s integration of Google+ into its regular search results back in January, which Twitter called “bad for people” — since news increasingly breaks on Twitter before being reported on other outlets.
Is it better to have your Twitter profile and activity be a prominent Google Search result, or to protect your anonymity? Let us know in the comments.
Tuesday 15 May 2012
Google+ Engagement Still Way Behind Facebook, Twitter
More damning research has emerged about Google+ user engagement, challenging Google’s spin that the network is growing at a rapid clip.
RJ Metrics looked at the public comments of 40,000 Google+ users and found, among other things, that about 30% of such users who make a public post once never do so again. The report may present a somewhat skewed picture of Google+ engagement since it focuses on public posts. However, based on the data, the service’s user engagement still lags that of competitors like Facebook and Twitter.
Among other findings:
The average post on Google+ has less than one reply, reshare and +1.
There’s a 15% chance that a user will not post publicly again even after posting publicly five times.
The average time between posts is 12 days for active users.
The average number of public posts per active users declines steadily month after month.
In contrast, a the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 52% of Facebook users and 33% of Twitter users engage with the platform daily.
The RJ Metrics report emerges after comScore found that Google+ users spent an average of 3.3 minutes on the site in January vs. 7.5 hours for Facebook.
For its part, Google has been mum about Google+ engagement, though it now boasts 180 million users for the platform. Google released a statement taking issue with the study: “By only tracking engagement on public posts, this study is flawed and not an accurate representation of all the sharing and activity taking place on Google+. As we’ve said before, more sharing occurs privately to circles and individuals than publicly on Google+. The beauty of Google+ is that it allows you to share privately – you don’t have to publicly share your thoughts, photos or videos with the world.”
RJ Metrics looked at the public comments of 40,000 Google+ users and found, among other things, that about 30% of such users who make a public post once never do so again. The report may present a somewhat skewed picture of Google+ engagement since it focuses on public posts. However, based on the data, the service’s user engagement still lags that of competitors like Facebook and Twitter.
Among other findings:
The average post on Google+ has less than one reply, reshare and +1.
There’s a 15% chance that a user will not post publicly again even after posting publicly five times.
The average time between posts is 12 days for active users.
The average number of public posts per active users declines steadily month after month.
In contrast, a the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 52% of Facebook users and 33% of Twitter users engage with the platform daily.
The RJ Metrics report emerges after comScore found that Google+ users spent an average of 3.3 minutes on the site in January vs. 7.5 hours for Facebook.
For its part, Google has been mum about Google+ engagement, though it now boasts 180 million users for the platform. Google released a statement taking issue with the study: “By only tracking engagement on public posts, this study is flawed and not an accurate representation of all the sharing and activity taking place on Google+. As we’ve said before, more sharing occurs privately to circles and individuals than publicly on Google+. The beauty of Google+ is that it allows you to share privately – you don’t have to publicly share your thoughts, photos or videos with the world.”
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