Social media is maturing as platforms demonstrate their strengths and consumers differentiate them. While gimmicks can build audiences, true game changers transform organizations by creating new markets and setting trends. Game changers include using social media to solve customer problems at a lower cost than traditional call centers. However, social media also presents organizational and cultural challenges as it amplifies expectations of instant response and exposes weaknesses in disconnected institutions. To thrive, organizations need looser, more open, agile, informal, collaborative cultures that trust employees, rather than hierarchical, bureaucratic cultures that restrict social media use.

1. Social Media Through the Looking Glass Martin Thomas @crowdsurfing

2. Social Media Comes of Age?

4. Growing Sophistication “ as social networks mature the individual platforms are beginning to demonstrate their core strengths & UK consumers are increasingly differentiating them” YouGov (Jul 11)

13. “ Digital communications is a destabilizing force in a bureaucratic environment. And I am sitting right in the middle of a bureaucratic environment.’” Senior corporate communications director “ We’re not set up for this shit” UK CEO