The business environment is changing. I’d even say it’s transforming. As the social web starts to impact both businesses large and small, they are embarking on the quest to adapt and become a social business.

This month, we take on that quest in our eBook, Strategically Social: 5 Keys to Becoming a Social Business written by Brent Leary. Specifically, we look at five high level areas where strategy in social is making the most impact.

Socializing the Business Culture…Not Just the Business Technology

While customers’ abilities to create and share information has evolved and grown, their core philosophies have remained intact. They continue to want to be valued, listened to, and have companies act on what they hear.

Companies who grasp this concept and are willing adapt their business approach to accommodate this new social customer can ultimately deepen relationships and be viewed as a valuable partner.

The New SaaS: Social as a Strategy

The benefits of becoming a social business extends far beyond brand awareness and deepening customer relationships. Lead generation, increased revenues, maintaining profitability are just a few potential outcomes of a strategically-social business.

Focus on Customer Retention/Experience

While the benefits above are important and exciting, keeping your existing customers happy and engaged is just as vital. Leveraging social channels to improve customer engagement is another way to stay connected with, and have a better understanding of what’s important to customers.

Automation and Integration: Creating Social Business Processes

With a wide array of social channels out there, the amount of data may make you both wide-eyed with opportunity as well as perplexed with how to organize it all. As Mark Redgrave shared in his guest post yesterday, it’s all about turning content into conversations to understand customers and create more efficient opportunities.

Measuring the Value of the Social Customer Summary

We know that the more data you obtain, the more you can learn. As you categorize or segment customer data by how much they spend with your business, you can begin to focus your efforts on the groups you feel would be most beneficial to your bottom line.

Is your business on the quest to becoming strategically social? How would these keys impact your business? Check out the eBook, Strategically Social: 5 Keys to Becoming a Social Business and share your thoughts!

Amanda Nelson is a Community Content Manager at Radian6. She is an avid writer, content curator and border collie fanatic. Find her on Twitter at @mileigh13.

Tags: EBook, social business, Social Media, Social Strategy