16 Enterprise Social Networking Predictions for 2013
1. 15 Predictions for
Enterprise Social
16 Enterprise Social Networking Predictions for 2013
Networking in 2013
2. Ray Wang Lee Bryant
Principal Analyst, CEO MD, Europe
Constellation Research Dachis Group
New business models have formed at the convergence The adoption of social platforms in the enterprise for core
of social with mobile, cloud, big data, and unified daily work activities has been slower than we originally
communications. The result - the shift from a hoped, partly because of a lack of integration between
transactional world to one of engagement. Customers, systems of record and systems of engagement, but also
employees, suppliers, and partners now interact in because not enough attention has been paid to the
conversations as they work towards addressing behavioral aspects of encouraging new ways of working.
regulatory compliance, improving efficiency, driving This has traditionally been thought of as encouraging
revenue, differentiating offerings, and forwarding the adoption of new tools, but we need to think more widely
brand. This move to outcomes through engagement than that. In 2013, I think enough companies will have hit
leads to a mass redesign of business. Social emerges the natural adoption limits, so more and more focus will
as a catalyst. Consequently, organizations must design be placed on how to stimulate behavioral change within
business processes to reflect people centric principles in highly networked environments.
order to compete. And in that process, they will improve The other big change I foresee for 2013 is the idea of
their ability to monetize interactions for outcomes. real-time data as an optimization and management tool
being applied internally, just as we have seen externally
with social media monitoring and listening.
3. Marcia Conner Dion Hinchcliffe
Dion Hinchcliffe
Principal Chief Strategy Officer
Chief Strategy Officer
Sensify Dachis Group
Dachis Group
Enough talk about sharing lessons learned and finding As the experimental phase for enterprise social media in
far-flung experts. In 2013 smart organizations will see many companies transitions to more serious usage in
that to become extraordinary workplaces, collaborative 2013, companies will focus on established fundamental
capabilities aren’t enough. Employees and customers operations and optimizing their work in these new
alike won’t tolerate outdated business practices, even channels. Many companies will capitalize on the big data
when wrapped in shiny social bows. People now expect trend to tap into global conversations. They will look at
all work to be interpersonal work, whether complex or employing social media to support and improve
routine. Where to start? Repost uncomfortable marketing, sales, customer care, and product
engagement data to socialnets where people can self- development. This will require actionable data that's
organize while generating sustainable solutions. relevant and accurate, both about their customers and
Reinvigorate isolated budgeting with real-time context their competitors’ activities. I predict that companies will:
gleaned from those on the front lines. Recruit colleagues 1) Put additional focus into social media strategy to
to alert friends about job ops, sales promos, Q&A tests, create a more integrated, organized, and better-
or innovation jams—anything where a wide net builds resourced functions.
strength; then ask your connectors to stay involved, 2) Create capabilities to help the organization listen,
tapping 1:1 trusted relationships to ensure a cared-for fit. respond, and engage in scale with social media to drive
These approaches are strategic and transformative, yet important business outcomes, like additional sales and
neither costly nor time-consuming. They just require higher customer satisfaction and retention.
ingenuity and action. The future is here and finally 2013 will mostly be about forging a strong basic
interesting. Get started now. foundation in social media across key functions.
4. Angela Ashenden Alan Lepofsky
Principal Analyst, Collaboration VP, Principal Analyst
MWD Advisors Constellation Research
I see four major technology trends occurring in the Personal Task Automation helps employees get their
enterprise social space as we progress through 2013, all jobs done. Sites like IFTTT and Zapier have introduced a
of which are a direct result of the growing understanding new generation of workflow tools that use simple rules
among organizations of the value of social collaboration, and actions to automate tasks which span popular web-
and the way we can use these technologies to our based applications. For example, if your company is
advantage within business. The first is social analytics, mentioned on a social media site it could trigger the
using this to measure progress and value, and also to creation of a new page in your favorite note-taking
help drive adoption through recommendations. The application. These tools are simple enough that non-
second is social projects and tasks, recognizing that we technical people can configure them, but they are not an
collaborate to get things done, and that it must be tied to integrated part of a platform supported by corporate IT.
our business processes. Third, is the impact of mobile With task automation built into enterprise collaboration
and BYOD, with these being the primary means for using suites employees would not need to create accounts on
enterprise social technologies and key to driving outside systems and the triggers and actions could
adoption. And, finally I see the social intranet hitting the be integrated securely with internal business processes.
mainstream as a mechanism for deploying enterprise For instance, product manager uploads a presentation
social, a natural hub for collaboration and communication about an upcoming release, task automation could
which spans the whole organization. automatically set up a web conference to train the Sales
team and notify the marketing team to include the new
content on the company web site.
5. Chris Stephens Scott Allison
CEO, Chairman of the Board Cofounder, CEO
iHealth Exchange Teamly
Healthcare has been cautious about bringing social Enterprises will even more enthusiastically deploy social
networking into the workplace because of the security technologies in 2013. In a report by McKinsey Global
and privacy rights of patients. Enterprise Social Networks Institute they estimate that companies that fully
that meet the demands of HIPAA privacy and security, implement social technologies, see a 25 percent
and enables better collaboration between doctors, increase in productivity of knowledge workers. These
patients and healthcare facilities, will be used by most people spend almost one third of their week managing e-
healthcare facilities in the near future. mail alone, but enterprise social technologies are helping
Patients do not want to login to multiple, cumbersome them get their work done better and faster by increasing
electronic health portals for every doctor and hospital engagement and improving collaboration across the
they visit. They want to communicate privately with the company. And that’s just some of several tangible
people they trust on an easy-to-use social network. benefits for the end user.
Cutting edge facilities like Mayo Clinic have embraced In order for businesses to see all of the tangible benefits,
enterprise social networks already, and many are sure to a culture of trust and openness from senior management
follow. The driving force for social in healthcare is, and is needed to make sure employees feel comfortable and
always will be, the voice of the patient. willing to share. In 2013, successful companies will not
just implement the technology, but also embrace it from
the top-down.
6. Christine Jed Cawthorne
Senior Manager, Intranet Initiatives
Comaford BMO Financial Group
Business Accelerator
Christine Comaford Associates
2013 will be both an exciting and challenging year for the My predictions for enterprise social in 2013 are:
Social Enterprise. To date, one of the greatest • With a broad field of increasingly mature products
challenges facing organizations trying to become a (SharePoint 2013, Connections, Jive, Igloo, Chatter,
Social Enterprise is leadership. Social collaboration Tibbr and others) having an enterprise social platform will
cannot succeed without executive sponsorship by a increasingly become the norm for large enterprises.
social leader—one who is S.O.C.I.A.L. – sincere, open, • What will differentiate these enterprises is the level to
collaborative, interested, authentic and likeable. This is which they integrate their enterprise social platform into
what we’ll see change in 2013. other tools and applications.
We’ll see significantly increased focus on, and support •For mature organizations “social” will become the
of, social leadership throughout the enterprise. We’ll see normal way of working, breaking down silos and levering
social leaders who are actively engaged and the serendipitous connections to increase productivity.
enthusiastically willing to promote both inter- and intra- •Knowledge Management will continue to see a revival
department collaboration to move innovation, based on the use of social tools to capture, share and
communication, collaboration forward. The social distribute information within specific contexts.
leader’s degree of influence and likeability will propel the •The SMB sector will generate the most benefit from the
evolution of an organization into a Social Enterprise. For use of cloud based social platforms, which will also
greater influence and likeability, the most effective social facilitate the move to mobile working.
leader will study the neuroscience of rapport and be able •Organizations will consider enterprise social platforms
to befriend even the most challenging opponents. as “table stakes” for recruiting and retaining the talent
Change requires support—the social leader masters this. they need.
7. Tom Jessiman Matthew Ryan
CEO CIO
Wayin Cordelta
Organizations that are… We’ve already seen enterprise social networking create
• IN THE CLOUD: Developing once, using it everywhere better client-centric collaboration, enable faster decision
• MOBILE: Collaborating anytime, anywhere, with making across teammates, and reduce the workload for
anyone IT when it comes to integrating business processes and
• USING BIG DATA: Information, analytics, experience, managing email.
opinions For 2013, I predict businesses will have a more defined
• SOCIAL: Curating the best of the best in the social sense of the role of enterprise social networking versus
universe email and other forms of communication. Enterprise
… will be on top in 2013. Those who wait and watch, will social technology will enable aggregation of social media
be playing catch up in 2014. streams both inside and outside the organization. And,
businesses will be able to share relevant business
process streams between partners, vendors and other
business affiliates who are involved as well.
8. Eric Lebel Ram Menon
VP Knowledge Management President of Social Computing
CGI TIBCO
Now that everybody is adding a "social" spin to its app In 2013, enterprise social will mature, from a silo based
from ESN, CRM, HRIS and other vertical apps, the next approach of people posts around a business application
step will be "integrated user social experience" and all to a platform approach that brings processes, outcomes
this adapted to the particularities of social in the and business events relevant to you on to your wall to
enterprise so that real business value will emerge from get work done faster. Social will bring far flung outposts
the present social trend. of an organization closer and customers will demand
tangible ROI from this collaboration.
9. And from the Branding, Customer Engagement Side…
Wendy Lea Mark Fidelman
CEO Managing Director, CEO
Get Satisfaction Evolve! Inc.
The first generation of social was a key transformation in Brands will begin to map out and engage their
the way people interact. Suddenly people were key influencers as the next phase into becoming a social
connecting, building networks, and participating online in business. They will match influencers with social
a complete new way. Brands felt the need to get in the campaigns to amplify and widen its effect. This new
social game, build a following, and participate in the
method of influencer engagement will be very focused
conversations. But they really didn’t have much insight
and targeted. Think about how the Obama campaign
into the audience they had developed or how to engage
was able to find and leverage influencers to motivate
with them in a meaningful way.
The second generation of Social is about truly apathetic voters and get them to the polls.
understanding who these Fans, Followers, and Friends As a result, some brands will reach the tipping point and
are—what do they care about, what influences their move from an advertising push model to pull. In a pull
behavior, and what insights and value can they bring to dynamic, new customers, suppliers, partners and
companies and their fellow customers? To do so, talented recruits will see the brand as thought leaders
companies must build authentic engagements with and industry trailblazers, and will want to develop closer
customers at every stage of the customer life cycle. A relationships with the organization. In this new model,
branded customer community is key to building this brands will find the ability to mobilize people easier and
authentic engagement and should be an integral part of
with greater impact - at a much lower cost.
every company’s social strategy.