Social Media as a Competitive Advantage

social media competitive advantage

Fads. We’ve all fallen for one at some time or another. That’s why many businesses and people are wary of tools like social media.

What if we put a lot of time and money into this idea and it turns out to be a fad?

I have a question for you: what if you looked at social media not as a fad, but as a competitive advantage?

Many people (I freely admit my own participation) have made it their mission to evangelize and convert people and organizations to social media use. I have an interesting suggestion.

Stop. Quit. Let them be.

Someone at HRevolution said it well. Stop trying to force it on people.

Use social media as a competitive advantage to blow your competitors out of the water.

Who cares if they’re using it or not? Just focus on making it work for you. You can make serious money if you can leverage a social media strategy that is engaging, trustworthy, and genuine. Want to implement a strategic plan that can help to make social media a competitive advantage for your organization? Then I highly recommend that you check out this series on employer branding through social media.

Do yourself a favor and bookmark that page. The articles linked from the bottom are indispensable for those looking to make social media a part of their business.

Can social media be valued as a serious competitive advantage, or will it continue to be mentioned with a smirk by those who do not understand the technology and philosophy behind the Web 2.0 movement? I know my answer to that question. What’s yours?

Photo by ell brown.

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Ben Eubanks is the Principal Analyst at Lighthouse, developing research and insights for today’s talent leaders and vendor partners. Ben works with vendors from areas across the HCM spectrum, delivering high-quality research, assets, and advisory to support demand generation, sales enablement, customer success, and more. Prior to joining Lighthouse, Ben worked as a research analyst for Brandon Hall Group, focusing on learning, talent acquisition, and talent management. During his tenure, he published more than 100 pieces of research and delivered presentations to executives from some of the largest and most respected organizations in the world. He also has hands-on experience working as an HR executive, leading both strategic and tactical talent practices. He has worked in nonprofit, government contracting, and startup environments. In addition, he runs upstartHR.com, a website serving HR and talent leaders that has reached more than 600,000 readers since its inception.

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