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Social networking tools are spreading into core areas of enterprise, including the marketing and communications, human relations, and customer service departments, according to a new study from Cisco. Within marketing and communications, these tools have already become an integral part of organisations’ initiatives, as marketers have understood and acted on the shift from “broadcast” to “conversational” communications or rich interactions.

The Cisco study assessed how organisations use consumer social networking tools to collaborate externally and it revealed the need for stronger governance and IT involvement. The research is based on extensive interviews with 105 participants representing 97 organisations in 20 countries around the globe and was conducted between April and September 2009.

Of the organisations interviewed, 75% identified social networks as the consumer-based social media tools they primarily use, while roughly 50 percent of the group also identified extensive use of microblogging.

“The study findings indicate that the business world is at the early stages of adopting these tools and in the process of identifying key challenges, such as the need for increased governance and IT involvement, which may impact the integration and adoption of these new platforms and technologies,” commented Evgeny Kaganer, Ph.D., lead researcher and assistant professor, IESE Business School.

It’s clear that businesses are slowly waking up to the collaborative benefits of social computing across the enterprise. Apart from the marketing and PR benefits, the use of social media increases the whole organisation’s agility, thanks to the speed and ease of interaction among team members, customers and partners.

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Filed under: Social Media