Altimeter Group recently released an eye-opening report detailing the lack of social business readiness characteristic of the vast majority of organizations. The consequences are huge: more than 75% social media crises the researchers analyzed could have been diminished or averted if companies had invested in social business requirements. Lead author of the report, Jeremiah Owyang, chronicles some of the most newsworthy crises at a blog post he updates, A Chronology of Brands that Got Punk’d by Social Media.

Think your company is ready to listen, react and interact using social media? Check out the report’s Social Business Hierarchy of Needs to assess your level of readiness. If you haven’t defined business objectives for your social media efforts, established policies for employee participation using social media, and put in place a process of continuing social media education, you’re still working on building a solid foundation. Intel’s Social Media Guidelines provide a good framework for you to consider as you begin crafting your own social media policies. Or watch a video of the 30-minute course Intel requires of its employees who work with its partners and customers.

How can your company advance up the pyramid? Altimeter’s research found that the average Corporate Social Media Team is composed of 11 full-time employees. The following seven positions are most common:

-       Corporate Social Strategist

-       Social Media Manager

-       Community Manager

-       Social Analyst

-       Web Developer

-       Education Manager

-       Business Unit Liaison

Although your company might not be large enough to dedicate full-time employees to each of these functions, the report’s descriptions of each can act as a guide to how to assign social media responsibilities.

Tags: Altimeter Group, Jeremiah Owyang, Social business, Social Media

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