5 ways brands have told their social media story (and why it’s a good thing to do)

Most business strategies remain locked in the confines of the organisation, as you might expect. However, some brands have been proactive in publicly telling the story of their approach to social media.

I’ve picked out five examples, each delivered in a slightly different way:

1. My personal favourite is KLM who used their blog (of course they did!) to paint the story of how social media became integrated into their organisation, triggered by the Eyjafjallajökull ash cloud in 2010.
2. I always advocate that clients should create a “role social media” or social media mission statement. This is the approach Ford took with their vision statement about humanising the business. You can see it on slide 17 of this Altimeter presentation.
3. Dell have really embraced social media, creating a dedicated SlideShare area to host a range of presentations on how they approach it.
4. Lego – who’s not a fan of their work in social media?! Their Global Director or Social Media, Lars Silberbauer, gave an interview to Econsultancy, sharing insight into how they’re setup and use social media across the business.
5. Finance is a sector that’s often cited a trailing in the digital arena, but this interview in Mashable with Leslie Berland, SVP of digital partnerships and development at American Express talks about the transformation they went on.

I think communicating how social media is integrated into the business is a very useful exercise. Not only does it demonstrate to the industry that you’re serious about social, but it’s a great acknowledgement for the teams and individuals working away to deliver it. I also think it’s a great opportunity for organisations to get a little creative with their external comms (but that’s a whole other story).

I’d like to build a list of other organisations communicating their approach to social. If you’ve spotted any, please share them in the comments below.