What Does it Mean to be a Social Business?

With 67 percent of online adults using social networking sites, and 40 percent of cell phone owners using a social networking site on their phone, we can easily connect to a vast array of platforms that enable us to communicate with friends, family, coworkers and even businesses from anywhere, at any time.

But it’s not just consumers doing the outreach. Social businesses—companies who use social technologies to enhance and foster relationships between their employees, customers, and organizations—are talking back. Instead of customers being faced with endless hours of hold music and no-reply email addresses, businesses are connecting one-on-one to customers via platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Whether using social media to provide customer service, relay timely information about sales or exclusive offers, or improve their marketing efforts, many businesses are rethinking how their customer networks.

Embracing new technology to create business value is a key part of these types of companies’ brand strategies, and 52 percent of executives say social business is important to their companies today.