Businesses continue to support the social networking activities they have established despite tight budgets, reports Computerworld. According to a survey of 400 companies conducted by Deloitte LLP, the majority (94 percent) of respondents said that they plan to maintain or increase their investments in social media tools and online communities, while only 6 percent said they plan to decrease investments.
According to the article, “The study found that as social media efforts mature, companies are turning their attention to ‘lurkers’ — people who observe a community but don’t participate. Twenty percent of the respondents said that their companies have set up formal ‘ambassador’ programs, which give lurkers special treatment to encourage them to become more active.”
Traditionally, businesses use metrics such as the number of active users and how many people post or comment to gauge the success of their social networking efforts. However, Deloitte said companies should consider other measures as well such as increase in search engine rankings and referral links on other Web sites.
-Melanie Saxe