IBM is a prime example of a major enterprise that has flourished over the years as a social business. Its social roots go way back: In the 1970s, its mainframe programmers conducted online discussion forums on its System 370 consoles. Right from the start, IBM knew that social idea-sharing was a key to innovation.

That '70s story is just one of the facts related by Jeff Schick, IBM's VP of social software, in a recent interview with Michael Brito showcased at the Britopian blog.

Based on Schick's insights, here are three tips for turning a B2B enterprise into a social business:

Tap the talents of your own people. IBM has dedicated an entire initiative to identifying its employees' strengths and expertise and "connecting them with potential customers, partners and the knowledge-seeking public visiting IBM.com," Schick says. "We call it the Expertise Locator."

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