27.04.2010

From Web 2.0 to Enterprise 2.0

By: Christiane Stagge

Employees should work and not blog – at least that’s what many people in the upper echelons of industry believe. Twitter and Facebook have no place in the business world. Or do they? This was a hot topic at this year’s Web 2.0 Congress in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. SAP.info reports live from the event.

Web 2.0 Conference in Frankfurt (photo: Christiane Stagge)

“Tweeting is for teenagers.” “Why should I tell other people where I am, what I think about a certain topic, or what music I like?” “Employees should work and not blog. Twitter, Facebook, and co. have no place in the business world.”

The shortsightedness of such statements was confirmed by the 70 experts from IT and industry who gathered at the annual Web 2.0 Congress on April 22 and 23, 2010. But what opportunities do social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter actually offer companies? What risks need to be considered? And how can companies deploy social media effectively to sell their products and communicate with customers to their advantage?

Enterprises network with customers

Facebook now has around 200 million users, with half of them over the age of 35. Companies that dismiss this trend are increasing their risk of failure on today’s markets.

In his keynote, Professor Marc Drüner of the Steinbeis University Berlin used a metaphor to describe the purpose of Web 2.0 in the business world. In 1971, the University of Oregon redesigned its campus. But before the planners started building roads and paths, they sowed grass seed. Once the grass had grown, they observed the tracks that were gradually beaten. After that, they built the paths in accordance with these tracks. This idea can also be applied to the Web 2.0 context. If companies are active on social media platforms, they don’t just call attention to themselves, but they also know what their customers are thinking. This not only triggers the transfer of knowledge, but also makes the company more open to the outside world.

Out of the community into the shopping cart

Currently, Facebook, Twitter, and the blogosphere give an impression of what people – and therefore customers – are interested in, what they think, and what they want. Many companies have picked up on this, which is why almost 85% of enterprises have fan pages on social media sites like Facebook or maintain their own brand communities. A successful example is Smatch.com, a social community launched by the German mail order company OTTO in which customers can chat about new products and shopping. Over time, many other online shops have been integrated into the Smatch.com site – including Neckarmann, another leading online retailer – enabling the users in the community to shop with a minimum of clicks.

Next Page: Blogs set to replace Newsletters

Web 2.0 Conference opening remarks

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