Lawrence Clarke blog

Previously we have exercised ourselves over the meaning of ‘social media’ and the importance of a ‘social media policy’.  With that as background it was clear from a recent talk I gave on ‘Creating an integrated social media strategy’ at the

I was recently in Bournemouth meeting a spectrum of businesses already trying out social media or thinking of giving it a go – so it was nice to end the day with Serena Everton, the Head of eCommerce at AllSaints Retail, saying I'd given her 'the best piece of advice of all'. And what was that advice? If you're in the retail sector especially, don't attempt to engage with social media initiatives if your business is not already truly customer-focused.

The challenge we at SiftGroups are always set by organisations and businesses looking at online social media is typically a request to “show us examples of social media delivering measurable value (ROI)”. If only it were that simple. Like any social activity, online social media is pervasive and insidious. It cannot be corralled or managed in a traditional way. Ultimately it’s about people being themselves and saying what they think in any way or place they choose.