Traditional top-down communication has flipped horizontally, in favour of spontaneous dialogue and personal experiences. Command and control is out while access and facilitation is in.

 

It’s certainly true that, when used correctly, social media can bring organisations closer to their stakeholders. And the stats show that corporate America is buying in to it. Forrester, a research firm, estimates that budget allocation to social media in 2010 equates to $1 billion dollars in the US alone.

 

So if organisations are lowering the communication drawbridge to stakeholders, what role – if any – do external agencies have to play?

 

Best practice states that the many hundreds of ways to communicate using social media – Tweets, Facebook updates and blog posts to name the most common – should be done by people working within an organisation. After all, social media touches the whole spectrum of a business, so one would assume it inherently lends itself to most in-house activity. If conversations with customers are meant to build trust, then they shouldn’t be left to third parties. Transparency and authenticity are key.

 

Consider Dell, which many consider to be the poster child of social media. According to one of its senior communication managers, Richard Binhammer, Dell began with a company-wide team of 40 staff dedicated to “communities and conversations”. No small feat by any social media standards, including a multinational like Dell.

 

But after three years of experimenting, Dell realised the operation should be devolved to each of its departments. “Social media is ultimately about connecting and communicating across all aspects of our business,” Binhammer concluded. “While a core social media team remains, the marketing, sales, service and support, and product groups all need to have their own fingers on the pulse and arms around their customers.”

 

No mention of an external agency in sight. To my knowledge, every piece of social media content created by Dell is produced by its own staff. But this begs the question: in the future will all social media activity be handled in-house like Dell?

 

Probably not. Dell was rightfully lauded for its investment in social media, but not all organisations lend themselves to it so easily. Dell is a global technology company which sells its products online and generates billions of dollars in yearly revenue. The 99.9% of other organisations out there may still require external knowledge and experience to help deliver results from social media.

 

It may be the shiniest new addition, but social media is a key part of an organisation’s overall communication strategy. If that organisation works with an external agency, the agency should be involved in shaping the strategy for engagement and content but not necessarily executing it.

 

So while agencies won’t necessarily be tweeting or blogging on behalf of a client, their help will be essential. Some are developing in-depth knowledge of social media in specific sectors. Others are acquiring SEO (search engine optimisation) skills and some smart agencies have invested in web designers and developers to add a technical element to their expertise and services. All of which draw upon know-how which may not be found within an in-house department.

 

The more communication changes, the more it stays the same.