“Big pat on the back and gold stars all round” … Yes, OK, I would agree with Linda Harrison from Tech Eye Net… but still, it’s always great to get kuddos from Forrester when it comes to our social media strategy (Find out more on @adamclyde blog or on @turbottodd blog ) . Thank you to my (ex!) VP, Gina Poole (@g_poole) to have shared with me this great article which says that “IBM and HP are both fabulous at Social Media… “Yeahhh!
Linda Harrison explains in her article that: ” The report, entitled “Case Study: IBM Makes Social Media The Responsibility of Every Employee”, looked at IBM’s fabulous social media policy. And the productivity savings it’s made as a result : about £2.5 million per year ($3.98 million) for the past three years.
The report reveals that back in 2007, “IBM Software Group marketers made social media a part of each employee’s daily routine in order to energize the IBM employee, sales channel, and customer communities.” In other words, IBM encouraged all its staff members to get involved with the likes of Twitter and LinkedIn and other social networking opportunities. And it worked, according to Forrester. Strategies included forming “virtual governance councils” of marketing and non-marketing employees, and training staff on new technologies. As a result, there were more than 80 IBM-branded Twitter handles dishing out IBM news and messages, and more than 500 IBM groups on Facebook. The big savings were made from reduced travel and communications costs by moving dialogue to “virtual, more interactive platforms”.
Forrester adds: “IBM has received more than 30 social media marketing and communications awards for its innovation and social media results.”
So, thank you to @gina_poole and @turbotodd to have given me the fantastic opportunity 2 years ago to join their team to take part of this fantastic and challenging social adventure to help growing IBM social media presence across 35 countries in the world.
Executive Summary of Forrester Report:
As a global technology leader focused on delivering forward-looking technology and solutions, IBM is no stranger to taking a unique approach in order to generate a stronger end result. To encourage discussion and foster a cultural affinity for social media across its vast network of 400,000 employees, countless partners, and global customer base, IBM made social engagement a key responsibility of every employee. Through a collaborative effort led by marketing, employees embraced social media to help get the word out about IBM solutions and events. The result was a measurable increase in awareness and tighter collaboration among IBM employees to better meet customer needs.
The full report can be found here – written by Jeff Ernstwith David M. Cooperstein, Jennifer Bulmahn, Corinne J. Madigan
blogs.forrester.com, www.forrester.com
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