We help boards and executives to understand and use social media so that they can take advantage of the  $4.2 trillion business opportunity that being a part of social media presents.

In the US most Fortune 100 companies are actively using social media and that’s because it contributes to the bottom line. Fortune 100 companies have moved from thinking about social media to using it as a mainstream channel to gain greater access to their customers, suppliers and staff.

However there are still plenty of executives wrestling with the implications of social media. They are asking questions like.

• Is social media a structural change or just a fad?
• Does it impact the whole economy or just particular industries?
• What is the size of the market and its projected growth rate?
• Does it apply across a business or just to sales?
• Is it the right time to invest in platforms?

Let me paint the picture in numbers.

Legal decisions in the wake of corporate failures like Enron, WorldCom and, in Australia, Centro continue to reinforce financial literacy as imperative for business leaders but we are yet to demand the same of arguably the biggest game changer of all, technology.

Many smart companies are using social media to generate business outcomes. But who owns these accounts when a person moves on?

Whether you love it, loathe it or simply fail to get it, the Australian Stock Exchange says social media is something you can no longer ignore.