AUSTRAliA
•
While Australians tend to be somewhat conservative by nature, and are not natural contributors to online communities or creators of online content', consumer use of social media in Australia is in fact amongst the highest in the world. Australians have flocked to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other platforms, all of which have experienced strong growth over the past 18 months. However, the majority of Australia's top companies have yet to leverage social media effectively for corporate purposes, either to drive awareness or to build closer relationships with their audiences. Of those Australian companies that are using social media for corporate purposes, microblogs (30%) and video sharing (20%) are the most popular options, likely due to their relative ease of upkeep and perceived cost effectiveness. Conversely, in line with Burson-Marsteller 2009 research', Australian companies only rarely use corporate blogs, which are often seen as highly resource-intensive. Of the few companies that are blogging (none in this study), it is noticeable that levels of interaction and feedback with and between their users tend to be low. On the surface, it is surprising that so few Australian companies have set up shop on major social networks. (In Australia, this is almost always Facebook). In part,
Qantas - Corporate Social Responsibility ~
IiMIIrrrrrrrr..
_
"<
Source: http://www.youtube.com/userfqantas
Qantas uses YouTube to provide a lively mix of corporate announcements, updates on CSR activities such as the airline's Change for Good partnership with UNICEF (pictured), product overviews and promotions. Since it was launched early 2006, the channel has attracted over 900,000 views.
BURSON-MARSTELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
Lead Digital Strategist Email: stephanie.aye@bm.com Twitter: @steph_aye
â&#x20AC;˘ Active Accounts
_Inactive Accounts
30%
20%
Microblogs
Social Networks
Corporate Blogs
Video Sharing
services and mining companies surveyed; it may also be explained by the general reluctance of companies to commit to channels such as Facebook that are naturally more open-ended and which can be difficult to manage, let alone control. In general, Australian companies are focused on leveraging the perceived 'viral' potential of the social media by trying to push content as far and wide as possible. From a corporate perspective, this has meant a focus on disseminating company news on the Internet, and using video where appropriate. Recently, it has become clear that social media can play a useful role in supporting customer service, resulting in a more conversational approach to social media communications in this area, not least on less overtly conversational channels such as Twitter.
Wolcome Octobor 2010 OMlMllt..- ..
OAN.AI
22
Stephanie Aye
However, with some exceptions, judging by the general reluctance of Australian companies to stick their toes in the social media waters as well as the lack of integration between their websites, social media channels and traditional communications activities, few leading Australian firms are yet prepared to lead in front of the pack, or employ a joined-up approach to this area.
1. Australian Adult Social Technographics Revealed, Forrester Research, November 2008 2. Social Media Use by Australia's Best Brands, Burson-Marsteller, November 2009