Connected relationships and social interactions that fuel an organization’s growth extend beyond getting an individual or a company to become a member or a customer. Organizations must move beyond just marketing, communications, service, and support applications of social media connectiveness—described by others as “crawl, walk, run” steps—to key business processes critical to moving members and customers along a growth continuum.

Here is how the IMPACT Model and key touch points along the way must map to a broader set of six business processes and specific applications of social interactions, from member and customer engagement perspective, to internal collaboration opportunities, to heightened insights and social analytics.

1. Immerse: Engage to Educate—If they feel engaged, if key employees they interact with treat them as individuals and aim to have a dialogue focused on their unique needs and wants for personal and professional growth, they will take advantage of and benefit from the educational opportunities.