Smart Phones have played a major role in the rise of social media as a business force. Now, thanks to Facebook, we have had a much needed warning that to succeed with social media means putting work into social media.
The Facebook floatation was one of the most eagerly anticipated share issues in recent times. The launch was sullied by technical difficulties and as we write the share price has fallen by 18% from its original mark. US watchdogs are also investigating claims that some investors were not provided with up to date information which may have indicated that the company was overvalued.
One of the claims relates to information provided to the US regulator, the SEC in advance of the flotation. This indicated that although the number of people accessing Facebook via smart phones and tablets was growing, revenue streams were not keeping pace. This was attributed to the Facebook priority of growing the user base ahead of developing its social media offering and amounted to a quasi-profits warning with Facebook admitting that the switch away from PCs and towards other platforms “may negatively affect our revenue and financial results”.
Without pre-judging the outcome of any investigation, it is certainly true that to maximise the benefit from new technology requires spending some time in developing the best ways to utilise the technology to meet organisational needs. This is one reason why Connect Media encourages its clients to try before they buy. This means that not only can a business explore the optimum telephone mix for their needs, they can also spend time in researching set ups and telephone call pathways before committing to the new service.
For example, automated switcboards are so much cheaper than manual switchboards that it can be tempting to simply take up every function on offer. This means that you may find yourself awash with features but unless they actually enhance your service offering they are a waste of time. Starting with features which your business may actually need such as caller divert will enable you to work on and set up divert patterns which work with your business model. Then over time you can add in other features such call recording, answer phone services, caller recognition or company information lines which will enhance the offering.
As you step through the various services, taking time to pre-test and explore their parameters will mean that you finish up with a telephone service which you have designed to maximise the benefit to your organisation. Yes, digital systems do have a lot to offer businesses but only if businesses take time and care to make the most of them.