Olympics Post - Be Social from Switzerland

With the Games of the XXX Olympiad well underway, so is my Olympics series. In the words of Vala Afshar, "Don't do social, be S.O.C.I.A.L., which means be sincere, open, collaborative, interested, authentic, and likeable." To coincide with the festivities in London, I am featuring experts from around the world who will share their insights and answer questions about social media. Tune in every couple of days to see which country will be represented and who will be featured. And if you want to comment during the Olympics on Twitter or elsewhere in social media, don't forget to use the hashtag #London2012.

Today's expert is Olga Henggi, a Business/Life Consultant and English Language Trainer in Basel, Switzerland. She provides customized business and communications strategies in both German and English. You can connect with Olga on Twitter @olgahenggi.

Which social network is most popular in your country?

Facebook, XING, and LinkedIn are the most popular social networking platforms in Switzerland. As of March 2012, XING had more than 12 million members worldwide who use the site to boost their businesses, jobs, and careers. The platform is operated by XING AG, which was founded in Hamburg, Germany, in 2003. While XING and LinkedIn are normally used by business people, according to some reports, nearly one in three is on Facebook. In fact, 82% of Swiss in the 18-63-year-old demographic are on Facebook.

How are your country’s legislators dealing with the privacy issue resulting from social media?

Swiss legislators often have very little personal experience regarding social networking and social media. For this reason, they tend to protect privacy rather strictly.

What three ways are major businesses in your country using social media as a marketing tool to promote products or services?

There are three that stand out: [1] UBS (financial services industry), [2] SBBCFF Cargo (railway, transportation industry) with its online social media newsroom, and [3] Corum (watches).

What is the most valuable social media advice you can offer?

Be focused and keep moving forward. If you employ a ghostwriter for a corporate blog, involve that person 100% in your business.

In what ways will smartphones and tablets further evolve in your country?

It’s difficult to say at this moment in time, but the Swiss are well-equipped. Teachers sometimes have problems at school because children use their smartphones at school. Also, some companies ban online access so that employees have fewer distractions while at work. But people are connected on the social web.

NEXT POST WILL FEATURE CANADA.