Social Business, like any other business activity, needs thorough understanding and planning.

There are some new elements to Social Business though, like new work practices enabled by new social technologies for instance. Flexible and creative processes to understand and plan efforts followed by rigorous action and monitoring are best. When working with clients to get started I follow the basic steps you’ll see if you click on the image at left (note outputs as well).

Benefits of going with this type of approach are as follows:

• Focus is very much on identifying problems or opportunities and achieving quick wins, i.e. targeted activities around business priorities
• It starts with an iterative and experimental approach that allows for constant learning and this continues throughout the remaining phases
• It allows the customer to rely on knowledgable but impartial input, independent of organisational or third party biases

1. Evaluating and selecting from the plethora of social business options available: Objectives and requirements specification; Identification and evaluation of alternatives; Supplier, tools and service selection

2. Implementation: Deliverables breakdown and timings; Resource allocation and costings; Implementation management and feedback

3. Adoption: Stakeholder analysis and adoption strategy; Adoption tools and action plan; Adoption management and measurement

Innovation: Ideation and innovation processes; Campaigns to focus activity; Rewards and recognition for contribution


Collaboration: Knowledge creation and sharing; Expertise identification and following; Searching, finding and signalling

Communication: Social media strategy and planning; Implementation and monitoring; Metrics and evaluation