Are Enterprises Effectively Tapping The Social?

Enterprises have made progress plumbing the benefits of social networks, but they're missing out on truly leveraging the technology, according to a research report released last week.

A Deloitte survey of companies sponsoring online communities confirms that many of them have begun to effectively use social media tools and online communities to engage with customers and employees for brand discussions, idea generation and product discovery.

But Deloitte analysts said there are many more benefits to be realized, and while the results indicate these online initiatives are having a positive impact, enterprises have not yet harnessed the true potential of these communities.

One of the main barriers is that many of these online communities have failed to reach a critical mass of involvement. According to the survey, a majority has fewer than 500 active members, and 50 percent of the respondents replied that the biggest obstacle to making communities work is getting people engaged.

Companies participating in Deloitte's 2008 Tribalization of Business Survey (conducted with help from Beeline Labs and the Society for New Communications Research) did report a significant impact from their communities.

Thirty-five percent said they'd seen an increase in word-of-mouth for their brands, and 28 percent have seen overall brand awareness increase. Online communities are also helping companies increase customer loyalty and bring outside ideas into the organization faster, according to 24 percent of survey respondents.

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