Yes i do feel Facebook can make big changes to business where advertisement is a key activity to increase their sales. For eg we can take the Apparel and footwear market where Facebook can create a great impact in promoting the brands.
Maag, am also not using Facebook, but in business perspective it have many values. Social media networks are a common place where almost all techies have their own accounts. They may not bother to browse over company’s website for info gathering. If we are providing the same data or news, in social media networks, it can be get wildly populated. I think now a day’s presences of company profile in social media networks have more value addition than a press advertisement.
I never used facebook so much that i could notice any much difference. There is always too much information (or mundane update) put on facebook that its hard to keep a track. I never understood why and how can people share every sneeze.
@DennisQ, all social platforms are limited to a specific departments of a company. As you rightly said that facebook is a good tool for marketing/PR but not so much for the technical or job hunter folks. Same goes with LinkedIn, great tool for headhunters but limited use for technical folks. For regular technical folks, google is the best way to search and find use information. LinkedIn can be better to join technical groups and start the discussion but for day-to-day job activity we still have to wait and watch for any other platform.
The recent changes on Facebook have been pretty radical for normal users where the updates and "newsfeed" have gone bizarre, privacy seems to have vanished and stalking on other people's activities has become a lot easier. Surely, a large majority of people were disgusted with these. As far as pages are concerned, I don't think there has been much change on that. I own a page myself and was able to manage the updates and other activities easily. Hence, the changes are disturbing for individuals, but companies who own pages are spared this time.
I agree with you DennisQ that Facebook may not be such an important tool for Supply Chain professionals, however social media websites do give lots of flexibility to use them for your own benefits. Basically, you know that your customers and partners are there on Facebook and it gives you a chance to be with them and to get to know them more. Just having a Facebook page is not enough - you need to tweak it to get the most out of it. For instance, surveys and polls are an important tool that comes with social media. You can set up your own surveys and polls and get your customers and partners fill them. There are several other uses as well.
To some companies, social networking tools such as Facebook are a valuable means for their employees to spread the word about the company. Businesses should use online networking tools like Facebook to reach out to potential customers, especially given the free advertising such sites offer.
For Supply Chain Professionals, I'm not sure how relevant Facebook is. While I do think it is smart for Avnet to have a company page on Facebook, I'm sure that isn't where you are primarily interacting with your customers and partners.
I think in certain industries, Facebook presence is very important. Certainly if you work with the teenage demographic or have a mainstream consumer product.
But outside of your marketing/PR folks, does Facebook really help us do any of our jobs better? I would say, "no," and actually I shudder to think of the amount of time wasted during work hours due to Facebook. There are many Facebook addicts out there.
Now of course LinkedIn is different: I've found it to be a great recruiting and hiring tool: even if you don't directly post jobs on LinkedIn, it's useful to use it to check up on people, do some casual head-hunting, etc.
Facebook can go ahead and make all the changes they like but I will continue to not have an account there. Perhaps there may be a time where it would be appropriate for me to buy advertising on Facebook, but other than that, I live a blissfully Facebook-free life.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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