In episode 3 of WTF: What’s the Future, I spent time with someone who has had a profound impact on my life, Charlene Li. For those who don’t know, Charlene was my partner and mentor at Altimeter Group for nine years. Together, we helped pioneer research for traditional and also startup businesses to thrive in an era of digital Darwinism. Long before we were partners, she was a big inspiration in her work at Forrester and with her book, co-authored with…
The Evolving Social Construct of Modern Social Businesses
This article is from my unpublished archives. It does no good sitting there, so I’ve decided to publish it after all these years. Today, businesses are actively seeking the fountain of youth to stay relevant in these evolving times. The more ambitious leaders, are also seeking the fountain of truth to connect with evolving societal norms and values. Digital strategists believe that new technologies combined with transparency and authenticity reveal the way forward. And, it does, to some extent. But…
Altimeter’s Top Digital Trends for 2019
Each year, the Altimeter analyst team predicts digital trends that will have the biggest impact on businesses. In 2019, my colleagues Charlene Li, Omar Ahktar, Susan Etlinger, along with yours truly, share our take on what we see as most important trends to follow. Digital Transformation, Digital Experience, Brand and Innovation: Brian Solis CIOs Become Cross-Functional Business Partners to Accelerate Enterprise-Wide Digital Transformation The “digital” in digital transformation is no longer just about investing in the latest disruptive technology trends….
Visualizing the DNA of a Social Business Via Infographics
Recently, my Altimeter Group colleague Charlene Li and I published an ebook that revealed The Seven Success Factors of Social Business Strategy. To our pleasant surprise, the industry didn’t just react with positive feedback, but also with fantastic infographics that brought the core of the book to life. I wanted to share a few with you here. Over the years, we studied businesses endeavoring to master social media at various stages. We detailed our findings in our research report uncovering…
Twitter Files for IPO – What it means for users, investors, and social media
By now you’ve heard that Twitter IPO will fly soon. On the heels of its release of the controversial Conversations feature, Twitter announced, via a Tweet of course, a confidential S-1 filing for a planned IPO. In fact, just last week, I shared with ABC News that we needed to prepare for the inevitable. While many experts are jumping on their platforms to shout that it’s about time, many investors are smirking with clasped hands, understanding of course that in…
5 important questions answered about the importance of social business strategy
Altimeter Group founder Charlene Li and I recently published a report that documented the 6 Stages of Social Business Transformation. In the process, we discovered the most common mistakes and successes businesses experienced along their journey. What was most surprising however, not really, was the cavernous disconnect between social media strategy and overall business objectives. – Only 34% of businesses feel that their social strategy is connected to business outcomes. – Just 28% of companies we studied feel that they…
The Gap Between Social Media and Business Impact: 6 stages of social business transformation
In business, social media is becoming a lot like email. Every company has it. In an Altimeter Group survey of 700 executives and social strategists fielded in late 2012, we found that 100 percent of participating enterprise organizations run to varying extents an active social media strategy. But unlike email, organizations haven’t mastered how to effectively communicate through the likes of Facebook or the tweets of Twitter. Over the last several years, businesses have increased the pace of adopting social…
Why open social collaboration platforms will disrupt the enterprise market in 2013 and beyond
Guest post by Sarah Evans (PRsarahevans), chief evangelist, Tracky, social correspondent at Sarah’s Faves and author of [RE]FRAME: Little Inspirations For A Larger Purpose The majority of businesses aren’t run efficiently and employees lack the tools and equipment necessary to do their jobs. Quite a wide sweeping statement, I know. But I’ve also been in the trenches. And I realize it’s not for lack of trying. I’ve worked with companies who hired consultant after consultant to help with productivity recommendations,…
The Hunt for Social Business Value
Guest post by Ashley Furness of Software Advice When Microsoft announced plans to buy enterprise social network Yammer recently I was a little stunned. The reported $1.2-billion acquisition price tag seemed like a lot for simply replicating social networking functions in the business environment. Would companies really achieve ROI? Or would it be more of a “distraction,” as one user told me? Still, Chatter Product Marketing Director Dave King told me in a recent conversation that “social is more than…
Enterprise Social Networking is More Than Facebook Behind a Firewall
We see everyday what’s possible with social networks for improving customer engagement and experiences? Can the same be done with internal social networks for improving employee engagement and experiences? In the many years of helping businesses align business objectives with social and new media strategies, there is one thing that always introduces difficulty into the equation, employee engagement. At some point in the development of any strategy, employee and stakeholder input is critical to ensure relevance and ultimately success. While…
