Social Media Invades the Inc. 500

The Inc. 500 are thoroughly involved in social media at an adoption rate more than twice that of the Fortune 500. This is the finding based on Inc.500 survey & follows the earlier report, released several months back. Research from The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth’s Center for Marketing Research shows increased awareness and perceived importance of six prominent social media (blogging, podcasting, online video, social networking, wikis). Eric Mattson & Nora Ganim Barnes find that social media is the most familiar to the Inc.
Amongst the other key findings:
A clear trend is emerging.The social media revolution is coming to the business world.. Already there have been even the most fervent believer in social media. They indicate that corporate familiarity and usage of social media is racing far ahead of what many have predicted. The Inc. 500 knows far more about social media than one might predict The survey finds that all six forms of social media are far more widespread than anticipated.

Not only is this widespread adoption being driven by strong familiarity but also from the recognized critical role of social media to a company's future success in today’s online world. From familiarity to usage to importance, social media is far more prevalent in the Inc. 500 than previous research would predict. And where these fast-growing, innovative companies lead certainly the corporate world will follow. The social media revolution is here. That opens up more opportunities for the entire ecosystem.

It must also be noted that blogs are becoming more international than could have been expected. In summary, blogging takes time, commitment, and honesty. In return connections are made that are personal and strong. Blogs are not a fad. They are no longer even an option. Those businesses that choose to remain outside this online conversation, will be sidelined. Eventually they will become extinct. The hype is real.