Social media use hampered by fear, apathy

Many companies know the benefits associated with the use of social media, but many aren’t ready to put their money where their mouth is, citing fear and apathy as key barriers to its use.

by Helen Leggatt

Despite evidence that social media can bring about improved customer relations and increase sales, many of the top executives in Avanade’s recent global survey have no plans to introduce social media technologies.

Yet three-quarters of respondents acknowledged that social media would, at some point, come into the business “by stealth, if not proactively managed”.

It all boils down to apathy and fear, found the survey (.pdf). Many top executives fail to understand the benefits associated with social media and view the technology as unproven. "I was shocked at the head-in-the-sand position of a lot of senior executives," said Avanade's Anthone Withers.

Other report findings include:

- Social media technologies have the potential to transform the way companies build and manage relationships with their customers.

- Early adopters are reporting improved customer relationships, better corporate reputation and increased sales.

- Businesses face competitive risks if they fail to embrace the technology going forward in a controlled and strategic manner.