37 percent of Heads of Communications will be increasing spending on social media in 2013, more than in any other area. And if that isn’t enough of an indicator, exactly zero percent of respondents to our annual agenda poll will be decreasing spending on social media next year.
We already knew that social media is a big priority to our members from the questions we get from members in calls, email, and through our discussion forums. Our Social Media Strategy Builder remains one of the most downloaded resources on our website.
To stay on top of the latest challenges Communicators are facing with social media, I’ve been talking with our members about what’s changed about their approach to social media in the last few years and what they’re struggling with now. From those conversations I learned that as companies have become more comfortable with social media, Communications has taken responsibility for setting organizational governance and acting as a consultant to business units that are launching and managing their own accounts.
This hub-and-spoke model of social media management is presenting three challenges for communicators:
- Adoption – Working with business partners to make sure they have a strong business case for investing in social media and have the skills and access to use it successfully.
- Participation – Providing ongoing support to business partners running social media accounts and facilitating the sharing of best practices internally.
- Governance – Putting policies and guidelines in place that enable business partners to have maximum impact while being consistent with organizational strategy.
Do these challenges sound familiar? Got another challenge you think should be added to the list? I’d love to hear about what you’ve found hardest and where you’ve had the most success. Please respond with your thoughts in the comment or email me at jwohlmuth@executiveboard.com to set up a conversation in the next few weeks.
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