News
Technology and Economic Developers and the World of Social Media
November 12, 2009
Economic Developers and the World of Social Media
Social media?in the form of tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube and blogs?are starting to transform how we live our lives. When it comes to the world of economic development, social media usage is growing, but not yet as a consistent part of the practitioner’s tool kit.
A recent survey sponsored by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) and Development Counsellors International (DCI) took a deeper look at the state of social media among economic developers. The survey asked more than 300 IEDC members about their use of social media and its role in their organizational strategies and communications efforts.
The survey results clearly indicate that social media is still a “new thing” for economic developers. While 57 percent of respondents use social media in their organization’s communications efforts, most of this use has only begun in the past year. In fact, of those using social media, only 37 percent of respondents have used social media for longer than one year. As DCI President and Chief Creative Officer Andy Levine noted, “Economic development groups are just getting their feet wet with social media. We’re in the very early days of this work.”
While many groups are diving into the world of social media, some economic developers remain skeptical. Twenty–five percent of respondents reported that they don’t use social media because they question its effectiveness in meeting their organization’s goals. DCI’s Levine sees this pattern as more of a generational divide as opposed to a trend that is unique to economic development. He notes that, as in other fields, young economic developers “get it” and are very engaged in the use of new social media tools. As social media tools gain greater use, these doubts will likely disappear.
The survey found that of those using social media, most groups are using it in a “broadcast mode,” i.e. to share organization news, promote new and existing programs, or to publicize events. And, most of these communications are to people within the organization’s region or community. Wider outreach to external audiences is more limited. According to Levine, this approach is akin to using social media as just another kind of electronic newsletter. In his view, “Organizations that just broadcast program information are not providing material that is very scintillating to the end user. To use social media well, organizations need to embrace interactive models that encourage response, dialogue and conversation.”
Survey findings also revealed that LinkedIn and Facebook are by far the most commonly used tools. But, few organizations are using other tools such as podcasts or online videos or even blogs. In particular, LinkedIn is viewed as an important business networking tool. Facebook appears to have more use for personal networking.
The survey results suggest that social media is going to be a core part of future communication programs for economic developers, and this shift will require a new mindset. As Levine notes, “Social media requires a quick response, and moving quickly means some loss of control. Some economic developers are uncomfortable with this shift.” He expects that social media will play an especially important role in crisis response. To date, no economic development group has faced a major public relations crisis akin to that facing corporations such as JetBlue’s flight delays in winter 2007 or Wall Street’s financial firms responding to criticisms of exorbitant pay packages. But, if an organization does face a major crisis, social media will have to be part of an effective crisis control effort.
Finally, Levine expects to see a lot of innovations in the use of social media. For example, he envisions that communities could create “digital ambassadors” to discuss the benefits of living and working in a certain region or community. These ambassadors, people who have many Facebook followers or LinkedIn connections, would serve as a very credible advocate for local economic development efforts. He expects to see lots of experimentation and new approaches over the next several years.
For more information:
IEDC: http://www.iedconline.org