Britannica leaves social media dry dock

If newspapers are in decline because of social media, then when was the last time you went to Encyclopedia Britannica to find out something rather than Wikipedia? It's been a while.

Well, Britannica has moved on to what Shel Holtz describes as its 'first significant foray into the social media space.' Has it missed the boat? Hardly.

In Now is Gone, Toby Bloomberg is quoted as saying: "For those organisations...that think they have missed the virtual boat, it is moving out of dry dock; there is no need for swimming yet, but it is quickly picking up speed." The interview was dated June 14 2007.

There is an important lesson here for companies unsure of the idea of social media for internal or external use. Britannica decided to get it right, rather than get it first.

Dan Greenfield asks if agencies have 'Got social media?' As it's not about the technology, Dan rightly points out that agencies are "training their staffs and immersing them in the ways of blogs, social networks and podcasts [and] daylong social media immersion seminars for clients and potential clients."

Britannica has short-circuited the issue of taking clients and potential clients along with them by making bloggers the initial beneficiaries of its social media embrace. This is one of five social computing benefits identified by Rex Lee, namely: "A well designed social computing environment encourages interactive participation of the right people."

Britannica can never compete with Wikipedia. But its place as a by-word for expertly-researched and expertly-corroborated information, coupled with its social media programme, might just make it relevant again.