Harvard Business Review Survey Reveals Social Media Gap: MBA News

By QS Contributor Updated Jun 15, 2014

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Introduction
New book about social media for business offers plethora of case studies

Harvard Business Review Survey Reveals Social Media Gap: MBA News main image

A recent survey carried out by the Harvard Business Review outlines the increasing importance of social media for business.

Out of 2,100 companies, almost two-thirds said that they either already used social media channels or had plans to do so in place. This may not come as a surprise given the great potential of social media for business, allowing direct contact with millions around the world on a daily basis.

What is perhaps more notable is the fact that very few businesses have understood how to utilize the full potential of this technology, with many merely using social media channels as a ‘one-way promotional channel’ and thereby missing out on insights that can be garnered from listening and engaging with consumers.

However, it seems companies are at least honest about their shortcomings in this respect, with only 12% of respondents in the Harvard Business Review survey claiming to be using social media effectively.

This is something a new book on social media for business, entitled the ‘The Social Media MBA in Practice’, aims to address.

New book about social media for business offers plethora of case studies

‘The Social Media MBA in practice’ is authored by Christer Holloman and is a follow-up to his previous ‘The Social Media MBA’, released roughly 18 months ago.

According to a review in the Financial Times, the book’s language is very much targeted (as the name implies) at a business school audience. Regarding its content, the review states that its host of cases studies could provide useful advice, but that emphasis is, correctly, on engendering an understanding that even effective use of social media for business cannot provide a quick fix.

Holloman is a journalist who most recently wrote for Sky News online. He is also the former head of digital product development at The Times and The Sunday Times in London and was named by that city’s daily newspaper, The Evening Standard, as one of London’s most influential individuals within new media.

Considering the social media trends highlighted by the Harvard Business Review’s survey, it does seem that many businesses will be reaching out for advice, such as is provided in this book, to determine how to get the best out of their future social media plans.

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