My Takeaway: The Business Record/Hanser & Associates Social Media 2010 Survey

I attended the Business Record/Hanser & Associates panel discussion this morning on the results of the 2010 Social Media Survey. First, I would like to extend a thank you to the Des Moines Business Record and Hanser & Associates for conducting the 2010 Social Media Survey.

Panelists at this morning’s meeting included Jim Pollock, Editor of the Des Moines Business Record; Christian Renaud, CEO and President of Palisade Systems; Christine Hayes, Director of Public Relations for the Blood Center of Iowa; and Ryan Hanser, Senior Vice President, Hanser & Associates. All were insightful and honest, and I appreciated their stories of how they’re currently engaging in social media on behalf of their employers. While each panelist shared a unique perspective on the topic, I would like to acknowledge panelist Christian Renaud of Palisade Systems, specifically, who provided insightful comments about his method of attacking social media in his company. I think he helped out many of those in the audience who were looking for answers, a model for their business, or simply some good ideas.

There was some discussion among the group about how to get started and the availability of free tools that can help. While using Facebook and Twitter, and setting up Google Alerts and using sites like SocialMention.com are “free” and helpful, it is not going to be enough.

In a small breach of professional etiquette, and to the displeasure of some, I offered my own opinion. There seemed to be a lot of people in the crowd that were looking for help, and I am not sure they were getting “shot” straight: in order to do social media right for your organization, it will take resources. Time is a resource, and if you spend all day trying to find out how to do social media on the cheap, you’re still spending resources. I offered the analogy of kitchen remodeling; sure, you could spend time doing this on your own and you might save some money, but along the way you are going to need professional help. Whether you buy a how-to book or pay an electrician to figure out and install the wiring, you are going to need help. These options are not free—but just as importantly, that does not mean they are expensive either.

Unless you are a certified electrician, do you really want to take a bet that you are going to get it right? Do you really want to waste some money, or, at worst, hurt yourself in the process? Why would you take that risk with your brand? You shouldn’t. My point? Take this as seriously as you would with any other business initiative. Have a plan, and take a professional approach.

We felt this social media survey was sorely needed—having real data on the local marketplace is always better than having no data, which is where we had been previously.  However, the results are not surprising—that’s why we got into the business. It was clear from the audience comments and questions today that there are a lot of people who need professional support in initiating and managing their organizations’ social media efforts.

This brings me to my next point: 82 percent of those surveyed think social media is worth the investment, and even better, 88 percent said they think social media’s value and utility will increase in 2010.

Digging deeper into the survey, we find that 84 percent of those surveyed said their organizations allocated under $10,000 for social media in 2009, and only 22 percent of participants said they would be spending more on social media in 2010. What? Think about those data. If the overwhelming majority think social media is “worth the investment” and that its “value and utility will increase” in the years to come, why are they not supporting it?

Further, the survey found that 66 percent of participants said their organization has no established way to measure social media success. Why do the majority of organizations not have a measurement system in place? With nearly 90 percent of participants in agreement that the value of social media will increase in 2010, doesn’t it make sense to implement an analytical system—better yet, a concrete plan of attack?

On another note, of those organizations not currently using social media, 32 percent said they are not using it for lack of knowledgeable staff, 31 percent said they are not using it for lack of ability to measure ROI, and the majority 41 percent said social media is “not relevant to their market.”

What does all of this mean? People are still figuring this out locally. People in positions of influence in organizations are still testing the waters and waiting to see what their peers or competitors are doing before they fully jump in. Many are not willing to press social media engagement; they think it may not be worth the hassle or the personal risk. However, the data also tell us that there are organizations that have decided to put their chips “all in” and lead. My bet is on the early adopters . . .

[Photo from clonedmilkmen on Flickr / CC BY 2.0]