For all the brands making innovative use of social media, there are still plenty wondering what to do once they get there – and others unsure how to even start, says Vikki Chowney, editor of Reputation Online

The void between the brands getting things right in terms of social media (Starbucks & Levis spring to mind) and those left scratching their heads as to how to even start is ever growing.

In fact, forget social media – that statement could be applied to digital PR in general. Forums, bloggers and the like are still confusing many but, to add a little context, we’re still a young industry and it’s no surprise that we’re all still learning.

It’s something I’ve been talking about for years, but the gap shows no signs of closing any time soon.

The panic to get online and start talking to people via social media is almost at tipping point. From what I can see we’re just past the stage at which people are frantically launching Facebook pages for the sake of it. There’s a certain level of saturation in terms of communications professionals being aware of the potential that social media brings and to some extent, what the landscape looks like – it’s just understanding what to do next that people are struggling with.

Look at Dell versus Rolls Royce.

Dell, the poster child for all things social, has famously attributed over $6.5 million to Twitter alone. The company has used its Direct2Dell blog and the IdeaStorm community to become a better, more responsive, and more likeable company all round. It’s not just about having a conversation, but also tapping into potential for product development.

‘It’s understanding what to do next that people are struggling with’

Whereas Rolls Royce’s director of communications, Peter Morgan left himself open to criticism after stating back in June that he didn’t think there was a single example where social media had impacted directly on the reputation or share price of either his current company, or as part of his previous role at BT. Unfortunately, just a few months later, when news broke that an engine had blown on a Qantas Airbus A380 flight from Singapore minutes after take-off, thousands of people flocked to social networks to voice their concerns. A large portion of the comments showed that the company’s tight-lipped approach to dealing with the crisis to be incredibly out of date.

The growing distance between the brands pushing forward with new and innovative campaigns, and businesses who are yet to start, is also something that’s been reflected in numerous conversations I’ve had with those speaking to brands on a daily basis.

It seems there’s an ‘after-the-goldrush’ feel to corporate social media. Having hurried to create a social media presence, many organisations still haven’t worked out how to reprogramme their mindset to make the best use of it. They have little to say, or it’s not interesting enough to start conversations or build communities.

Ben Padley, newly appointed editor of Wall Street Journal Europe, believes that, though good social media activity can have a positive effect on a brand’s reputation, there’s no negative impact from not getting involved.

I’m not quite as cynical as Ben on this point, but it’s important to remember that social isn’t right for every company. Plus, there are many examples of businesses getting it right. I’m a firm advocate of the IBM model, in which social media was first used internally, building a confident and knowledgeable army of advocates from within. As Jon Iwata, SVP of Marketing and Communications at IBM, suggests, when employees become comfortable using social media inside the company they will be able to utilise those skills in communicating with external clients and business partners.

But there’s much more than this, from simplifying processes to the benefit of partnering with existing communities. Over the coming months I’ll be discussing examples of good practice, and the lessons corporate comms professionals can learn from them.