3 Org Chart Structures for Social Media
I’ve heard of Social Media being aligned in a bunch of different functions across the organization. In a perfect world, Social Media is its own function with the leader reporting directly to the CEO. But…we’re not quite there yet. TheSocialOrganization.com had a great post about corporate initiatives being staffed in its own “function”, but until we get there, here are 3 common approaches and their pros/cons.
Marketing
Pros
- Easier to tie results to key business metrics (revenue, profit, brand awareness)
- More natural fit for organization makes it easier to gain stakeholder buy-in
- Can limit potential – initiatives focused on increasing sales
- Customer perception of spam – lame company attempts at Twitter
Information Technology
Pros
- Easier to iterate/change technology applications
- Employees with more experience in the space
Cons
- Over-engineered solutions that complicate content
- Many tech departments aren’t known for being user-friendly
Strategy
Pros
- Provide longer-term, “big-bet” focus to the initiative
- Able to apply value to multiple organization functions
Cons
- Can be focused too focused on “great thoughts” instead of quick action
- Often balancing multiple strategic initiatives which could divert attention from Social Media
March 3, 2009
• Tags: IT, Leadership and Management, marketing, staffing, Strategy • Posted in: Leadership and Management, Strategy
