Social media - why ICT management should lead their organisations to embrace it

Produced by: Socitm Insight

Type: Reports

Use of social media has exploded, appearing on the radar of ICT managers, but mostly for the wrong reasons. The term ‘social’ implies ‘not related to work’, but this is a fallacy. Most ICT managers restrict or even blockaccess social media. They should reconsider.

Trying to block social media is an approach doomed to failure, simply because it is impossible to stop people using it.

ICT managers should instead consider how social media may help address the looming budget issues by engaging citizens, delivering services, and empowering employees in new ways of working. No organisation can afford to ignore the potential.

Social media will not go away. It is a logical application of web technology. It is increasing in use, and becoming the communications channel of choice for many, particularly for young people.

Failure to engage with the trend is tantamount to decrying the telephone at the end of the 19th century. The growth of social networking and publishing platforms, and the consumer participation that they generate forces organisations to re-evaluate business strategy.

Social media is changing the way that traditional media functions, and provides consumers and politicians with open platforms to express their interests, and their desires for improvement in services.

As well as exploring why public service organisations should embrace social media, the 44pp report provides:

• a guide to current activity in social media, informed by a survey of public and voluntary sector managers
• examples of how councils and individuals are using social media for a range of service delivery and engagement activity, identifying eight types of social media with potential business benefits and a range of applications in use
• advice to CIOs and ICT managers on what they need to do in order to support and exploit social media facilities for business advantage, including a checklist of essential actions to ensure their organisation considers and decides upon appropriate action in this area

Last modified: 21st January 2010