Social Business explained in 2 minutes – from socialbakers Engage 2013

On Tuesday 23rd April, I attended the socialbakers Engage conference in London as the guest of their CEO Jan Rezab.

No sooner had I arrived, I met up with fellow blogger and friend Neville Hobson who was organising the composition of the afternoon expert panel on “the next stage of social media”.

Unfortunately three of the panellists had pulled out, so Neville asked me if I would be happy to join, and of course I said yes.

I was joined on stage along with Neville by (L – R)

Maz Nadjm – Founding Director of SoMazi

Craig Le Grice – Global Technology Performance Director at Aegis Media

Neville Hobson – Communicator, blogger and podcaster

The videos are courtesy of socialbakers who also livestreamed the whole day.

I was grateful to Neville for asking me to attend, as I feel that I can make a valuable contribution to the debate on the next stage of social media.

Introduction and the untapped potential for social media.

Here I discuss how companies can move from using social media to actually become a social business.

Senior Management resistance to adopting social media

Referencing the Altimeter Group 6 stages of social business transformation report and the fact that 48% of companies thought their senior executives were not aligned with their social strategy.

I also talked about the “Twitter Tax” that companies pay when they open a social channel for customer service, and find that their years of broken processes are exposed

Businesses open themselves to 'Twitter Tax' when opening accounts. It's best feedback businesses can get. @AndrewGrill #engage2013

— Steven Woodgate (@StevenWoodgate) April 23, 2013

Social is just like real life

In this section I spoke about my view that “social media is like real life”, how marketers need to behave more like people having a conversation at a conference, and why they should be using social tools to understand them better.

I really like @AndrewGrill's "Real life is social…" point at #Engage2013. Brands need to wait for their moment to speak not shout at users

— Lee Benecke (@leebenecke) April 23, 2013

The death of average

Quoting IBM CEO Ginni Rometty and her discussion about the “death of average” and using the incredible power of big data. I also introduced a concept of consumers having the power in a marketing relationship.

I also called out the lazy marketing we are still seeing in 2013, and the opportunities from social.

Great comments from @AndrewGrill at #Engage2013. Lazy Marketing is happening. Be an informed consumer and be a smart marketer.

— Nancy Kenney (@GreenGirlMedia) April 23, 2013

Mobile + Social

In this segment I talked about where mobile fits with social. I also mentioned the great piece of work from my friend Alan Moore – “the allure of the mobile society” – and how mobile is always at the “point of creative impulse”.

Collaboration with social – using social inside the enterprise

Here I discussed how social can be used inside an organisation, and how the new currency will be knowledge shared inside an organisation.

I also suggested that HR departments might judge my performance in part on how well I share knowledge with my co-workers.

Knowledge will be the new currency @andrewgrill #engage2013 #internalcollaboration

— Alexandra Annable (@alex_annable) April 23, 2013

Change the culture

Social business is not just about technology, it involves a fundamental change in the company’s culture. Capgemini produced a report in 2012 explaining how companies that harness technology coupled with organisation change – the “Digerati” are ultimately more profitable.

Audience Question – measuring social adoption internally

A question for the audience asked what metrics can be used to look at the adoption of social media.  My response explained how Ogilvy in London used gamification techniques to encourage their staff to get more involved with social.

Gamifying social engagement to get staff into social works. Humans like to compete. #engage2013 @AndrewGrill @Kred

— Anne Smart (@annesmart) April 23, 2013

Closing thoughts

The panel was asked what we wanted to see next in social, below are my thoughts

These are just my segments from a 60 minute panel, and there were great contributions from the rest of the panel, which you can watch in full below.

While you are here ...

Do you need a dynamic and inspirational keynote speaker, corporate trainer, facilitator or business strategist for your next event with success stories and client results to impact your team or senior executives?

If this article and topic has struck a chord with you, it can be delivered as a keynote address, a live interactive group presentation, a facilitated workshop program or completely tailored to your team or company objectives as Andrew speaks regularly on topics such as this at conferences and events around the world.

You may wish to view Andrew's extensive speaking portfolio on the speech topics page, or watch selected video replays on the video page, read client testimonials, or make an enquiry about Andrew's availability and fees.

Andrew has also started a popular Podcast Series “The Practical Futurist Podcast”. You can access the podcast via the Podcast Page, use this smart link on your phone or simply search for “Practical Futurist Podcast” on your favourite app. In each bi-weekly episode, Andrew is joined by a global expert to answer the question “What’s the future of ...” with practical advice you can put into place next week.

You may also like to read other related posts listed directly above in the People who read this post also read these ... section or watch Andrew's 90-second speaking showreel below.

Andrew Grill's Keynote Speaker Showreel

To receive future posts you can subscribe via email or RSS feed.

About Andrew Grill

Futurist Keynote Speaker and former IBM Global Managing Partner, Andrew is a popular and sought-after presenter and commentator on issues around digital disruption and emerging technologies. He is a multiple TEDx & International Keynote Speaker. Watch his speaking showreel here, enquire about availability & fees here or listen to his latest Podcast - "The Practical Futurist Podcast" on your favourite app.