Social Media Not Riot Vans!

The events of the last week across England should act as not just a warning to the parents of the children involved in such wanton vandalism, but every single one of us. The way in which we communicate has been turned upside down. We will need to get used to the idea that communication happens equally online as well as offline.

It is too early to tell, but once the analysis is complete, I hazard a guess that the reason the Met failed to be able to marshall and eventually stop the rioters was because the situation was moving quicker than they could even think never mind react. You can’t control something that changes quicker than you. They did not require riot vans but needed to understand the way in which these young people were mobilising themselves so that they could ‘head them off’ and restore order.

And there is the message for organisations, governments, individuals and small businesses, in fact, society as a whole. The way in which we discuss, debate, organise, understand, inform, educate and build relationships is changing. For me, last week just demonstrated how the Government and the Met Police experienced Digital Darwinism; “the evolution of consumer behavior when society & technology evolve faster than your ability to embrace it.” (Brian Solis 2011)

Organisations no matter what their role, need to wake up and smell the coffee. They need social strategies that incorporate and integrate old communication methods with new ones. If they want to empower, include, understand, provide services, educate, build common values and have solid relationships with both employees, customers and society they need to understand Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ and the rest. Employees and customers are more likely to participate, engage, interact and communicate with organisations and each other if they are using communication methods they understand and use everyday. That goes for society too.

The social media ecosystem has arrived at an evolutionary threshold, for some it will be revolutionary. Old structures and ways of working persist but are fundamentally challenged by newer, more dynamic, more innovative ways of doing things. Continuous, rapid and fundamental developments have brought society to this transition point. Consumers, customers, employees and individuals have more control and choice. Their communication channels have divided. The way in which they use and what they use it for has renovated old methods.

The recent economic, social and technological turmoil only accelerates this evolutionary transition. Simply put, organisations need to start using these same methods and soon, or they will distance themselves from their customers, employees, citizens and those same individuals and groups will detach themselves from those same organisations/institutions. Having said that perhaps, its already happened!