David Burden has written an interesting piece in the FT today about social networking tools and how businesses cannot ignore them.
There are still many communications people out there who think web 2.0 is just a bubble which is going to burst. But it isn't. They fail to grasp that everyone now has a voice, using the latest web tools, as David Burden clearly points out.
He says the most dangerous thing businesses can do is to ignore the social netowrking phenomenon. He adds, 'It is not going to go away.' That should be signposted on the doors of marketing directors and press offices up and down the land.
What's also refreshing about Burden's piece is that he is prepared to talk about the positives of social networking. So much of the time people are fearful about a comment on a blog or what people might say if they join a conversation or introduce themselves on a social media network. And of course you have to be smart and heed the rules of the blogosphere: be honest, respectful, personal and not cold and corporate. Still the benefits for businesses are immense by joining conversations they can influence them. Let's hope the FT article starts to change the culture.
