Can your global business be social globally?

What does it really mean to be a social business?  Can you engage socially without regard to the geographies you are, and are not, reaching out to?

• Social Business Design, at least in the fashion that I have defined it (not as the Dachis Group has in its much longer and more thorough documents), is simple…  Social Business Design (SBD) is a framework for incorporating social solutions (the combination of strategies and tools) into your overall business strategy.  SBD is focused on people first, processes second, tools third.  Unfortunately, there are places in the world where people would not show up first from a business perspective….  Are you working with businesses in countries where this is the case?
• Social Support Communities are created by bringing together like-minded individuals to discuss a specific topic, service, product.  They are tools based, yes, but leverage processes and people to make it all happen.  These work if there is a willingness to openly discuss issues, to question products and services, to question authority…  Are you working with businesses in countries where this is the case?
• Social businesses count on the ability to leverage technology solutions, primarily web-based.  Customers must be able to use the internet.  With only 25.6% of the world’s population on the internet, can you reach your customers when you need to, when they need to reach you?

While powerful, never lose sight of the fact that social business design/strategy is but one arm of your overall corporate strategy.  CRM that leverages social channels is not a panacea for your corporate aches and pains.  Leveraging social channels, strategically, will make you better.  Counting on social to change the world might just be more than we can hope for.

John