The adoption of social tools in business (option 2)

In our current day and age a business cannot strive or even think about being successful without integrating some kind of technology or service into their business. There are not many businesses out there without an app for the customer to purchase for their phones or a Facebook page for them to follow. Businesses are realizing that social media and related tools must be incorporated into nearly every aspect of their business for them to achieve maximum results. This adaptation of social media and tools is more commonly known as enterprise 2.0.

In the lecture, there were some great examples of how companies used enterprise 2.0 and its principles to greatly benefit their company and connect with their customers. I got curious so decided to do some research on whether this was actually something companies were taking in and integrating into their business processes. As I surprisingly found out, yes! combining traditional marketing, selling and improvement strategies with social tools was very common withing most companies. To prove that this statement is correct I will provide some examples of companies which were hitting rock bottom but integrated enterprise 2.0 principles and gained significant status, benefits and profit.

Example 1: Martell Home Builders 

Martell Home Builders is a Atlantic Canadian custom home builder. In the past Martell Home Builder relied heavily on real estate agents to keep their business afloat and moving forward, and so because of this business was not very high or frequent. However, once they embraced enterprise 2.0 and social media, they were able to create a direct-to-consumer model where they were no longer reliant on the middle man to bring them business.

Martell started a blog with the focus being on their home buyers needs. With this strategy Martell was able to grab the attention of home buyers, and today about 86% of their leads come from consumers commenting on their blog. On their blog they have multiple icons showing tabs for Facebook, Twitter and Youtube, asking customers to follow them so that they can always stay up to date on what Martell is doing and the latest home designs.

Martell, using social media, has made home building a social experience with two crucial features. 1, Placing GPS tracking devices on the contractors car's so that customers can constantly be updated on where the contractor is when he/she is on the job. 2, creating a photo gallery of clients' homes being built, this is a great strategy for clients can see how their home is progressing through pictures and also share their excitement with friends and family through social media. This case study shows some of the core accordance's of social technology, such as Participation, Collective effort and transparency.

Example 2: Giantnerd 

Giantnerd is a company that sells outdoor equipment for outdoor activities such as biking or hiking. Giantnerd did not have much of a social presence at all before adopting social media and other tools, so their business was not flourishing as much as they would have hoped. However, their decision to integrate enterprise 2.0 into their business was a fine one indeed. Their emphasis has now turned into giving customers the most value while becoming friends with them at the same time.

They have created a social network within their website so that users can find each other talk about products and join groups, however the main incentive they give is that new members and long time members get special discounts that no normal customer has access to. Also they have incorporated a Facebook like button so that customers can like the Facebook page, they promise that anyone who follows the Facebook page will be given exclusive deals and promotions.

A huge aspect of their social media integration is Gaintnerd's Wiki. As you would expect it works very similar to wikipedia or any other wiki site. Users or potential customers can view all the different products they offer, including descriptions and photos and customers can edit the information making the experience interactive. Customers can also leave questions on the wiki page which will be answered by either an employee of Giantnerd or another customer who has the same product, providing reviews and tips for using them. This case study is a great example of Wikinomics business model's points 1 and 3, Peering and prosumers, as this business strategy allows the community to interact with each other and the company itself.

I leave you, my readers, with the following question: What companies have you known which began small and as soon as they embraced social media exploded into a thriving organisation?