Social business refers to a way of doing business that focuses on what Paul Greenberg calls the Creative Economy with its focus on engagement.  Being a CRM guy, Paul focuses on customer engagement but I’m confident he’d be okay with my expansion to include engagement with customers, partners, and employees.

As Paul explains, such a strategy is…

Designed to engage the customer (plus partners and employees) in collaborative conversations in order to provide mutually beneficial value in a trusted and transparent business environment.

(Comment in italics is my addition).

Strip it down and a social business model is about going back to the future.  It's a return to the village mentality except villages in the social business model have sites located worldwide.

First, any social business strategy you devise should be an outgrowth of your overall corporate strategy.  Even if resources require you to implement the tactical aspects of your social strategy in phases, think holistically in defining the guiding strategy.  Do this and you’ll avoid generating a siloed effect in isolated departments.

Second social business is about much more than posting on Facebook, Twitter, or other social networks.  It’s about a business model and a mindset of how you do business and outreach through social channels is just one of the results.

Let’s dive in today and discuss the elements you need to consider in building a social business strategy in this second installment of the Business of Social Business eSeries.

This article is now part of The Business of Social Business eBook, available on Pathlight Solutions, our sister site.  Click here to learn more about the eBook.