Are you an observer, promoter, connector or influencer? 4 ways to harness social media for innovation
Or do you aspire to solve complex societal problems through innovation?
- Or do you aspire to solve complex societal problems through innovation?
- Innovators and businesses can use social media in different ways to drive openness, and ultimately foster innovation.
Success due to openness
Numerous ground-breaking innovations owe their success to adapting ideas based on different contexts. Consider:
Research demonstrates that individuals skilled in effectively connecting with diverse sources of knowledge beyond their immediate networks possess a better capacity to identify and solve problems, develop innovative solutions and thrive amidst complexity and change.
Collaboration with external expertise
- Consider Apple’s collaboration with major music labels, which culminated in the launch of the revolutionary iTunes Store, transforming music distribution and consumption.
- By tapping into external expertise and ideas, P&G accelerated innovation and efficiently introduced radical new products to the market.
Leveraging social media
- Social media platforms allow people and organizations to cross boundaries in two ways: to discover, assess and acquire new sources of knowledge, and to learn how to adapt and use the new knowledge for innovation projects.
- With Marcel Bogers, a professor of open and collaborative innovation, I developed a framework comprising four social media approaches: observer, connector, promoter and influencer.
Observer approach
- The observer approach represents the most passive and limited form of openness.
- While this approach primarily focuses on framing and investigating innovation possibilities, it serves as a stepping stone toward other approaches.
Connector approach
- Building upon the observer approach, the connector approach is less passive and more open.
- It goes beyond monitoring and involves actively finding, connecting with and conversing with stakeholders such as customers, suppliers and potential partners.
Promoter approach
- The promoter approach is more active, using social media to gain visibility and recognition for innovators and their work.
- It revolves around broadcasting rather than listening, effectively conveying innovation progress and standing.
Influencer approach
- The influencer approach is the most active and open of the four.
- It involves leveraging social media to network, frame problems and opportunities, investigate, disseminate information and assess impact.
Multiple approaches over time
- These innovators may adopt multiple approaches concurrently or transition between them over time.
- While the observer and connector approaches can yield incremental benefits, for ground-breaking changes, all four approaches are necessary at different stages to discover and harness novel resources, knowledge and collaborations.
Don’t neglect risks
- Given the power of using social media to cross boundaries and connect with new sources of knowledge, these approaches also come with risks, especially the promoter and influencer approaches.
- So when using social media to drive innovation, make sure you are guided by a worthy innovation mission, and don’t neglect rigor, integrity and nuance before you open up your innovation to the world.