Almost two-thirds (63%) of the people who responded to the survey said they are "undecided" about the value of data collected from social media sites to help them understand more about their organization or customers. Another 23% called social media "overrated," saying "there are not as many customer conversations going on as the media would have us believe." Only 14% said they want to incorporate data from Twitter and other sites as part of their ongoing data analysis efforts.

But 29% said they are under pressure to justify the money they have spent on BI projects, and are looking for "quick wins or new opportunities."

Do you need anymore proof that most marketers and big companies are clueless when it comes to social media? Is social media overhyped? Sure it is but maybe there is so much buzz around the use of social media by business because so many business people are in the dark in an age of empowered consumers.

Why is this happening?

It's happening because too many marketers are trying to approach new media and business intelligence with antiquated organizational structures that are not built around consumers. Today consumers expect answers from brands in Internet time and they don't have patience for companies or brands that don't have the time to listen to their concerns.

Organizations have to improves business processes around input they get from social media and this means;

1. Being able to listen to what consumers are saying about them and their brands.

2. Quantifying the data by both actionable items and treats to the brand.

3. Responding quickly to threats before they become out of control.

4. Empowering employees to address dissatisfied consumers rather than have to go through a myriad of approval processes.

Business Intelligence is moving at the speed of the Internet and companies that don't leverage this intelligence are going to pay a price as competitors run away from them.