A survey by consulting firm Deloitte found that despite the economic pressure to cut spending, only 6 percent of companies that sponsor online communities plan to decrease their investment in the communities. The other 94 percent plan to maintain or increase spending. The survey covered more than 400 companies, including Fortune 100 enterprises. Community sizes ranged from fewer than 100 members to more than 1 million.
Deloitte found that despite their investments, companies "continue to struggle with how to harness social media's full potential," meaning they're doing it wrong. Humans are hard-wired to cooperate and share opinions, Deloitte's report says. The company offers this free advice to online community managers:
- Think tribe – not market segment
- Think network – not channel
- Think customer-centricity – not company-centricity
The report raises questions more than it provides answers, but they're fundamental questions that community managers should think about.