The Comfort Level of Executives Drives Effective Use of Social Media

According to Socialcast and Web Analytics World (http://www.webanalyticsworld.net/2010/10/how-executives-use-social-media.html), over 80% of executives use social media sites every day.  Sounds good.  But digging a bit deeper, the data reveal that while 92% of executives use LinkedIn, only 5% have a blog, and only 3% access an internal network.  What’s going on???

Executives limit the value of social media by confining it to 3 main purposes:

·        Personal use

·        Checking backgrounds or contacts

·        Marketing and PR

Many executives fear losing control with social media, and even more simply don’t understand the detail or the potential of social media.  They didn’t grow up with it.  And they have had no compelling reason to become personally adept.

In a recent post, I identified 3 key actions to convince CEOs of the value of integrating social media into all aspects of the business:

1.       Get the executives personally involved

2.    Conduct show-and-tell education sessions

3.      Demonstrate the ROI

I previously discussed getting executives personally involved; now for show-and-tell. 

 Show-and-tell education sessions are often key to engaging executives, and Until executives are engaged, no one else will be fully engaged. I would like to say you can “teach it and they will come."  We know they won’t. 

I have found three great approaches to using show-and-tell to get executives involved and knowledgeable:

1.      When developing a social media strategy, devote the first 30-60 minutes of every meeting to sharing information on a single topic – social media policies, governance, technology, blogging…

2.      At each meeting, have staff develop and present live demos, show real on-line information about the company, make it about “here and now.” One executive team told me that they didn’t yet have a Facebook account.  They were wrong.  The company had one very active account with almost 1000 friends, and two moderately active accounts with their name.  TALK ABOUT LOSS OF CONTROL!!! 

3.      Work with the executives to use social media tools.  An executive at another organization planned to write an all-employee e-mail and hold a series of meetings to announce the new social media plan.  Instead, we used the e-mail to direct everyone to the new internal network.  The “town halls” were great, and then made available on an internal video channel and over podcasts.  More people “tuned in” than attended!

Social media might be transparent and more democratic in its respect for all opinions.  But organizational hierarchy still remains, and the comfort level of the executives drives effective usage.