This guest post is from Nick Rojas.
Regardless of the size of your business or the industry you’re in, one thing is for certain: if you’re a CEO, you need to be on social media. There have been hundreds of studies that show how social media can help a brand drive traffic to their website, improve customer service, and increase sales, but how does it benefit a CEO? Here are some of the ways:
Improves Public Perception
A 2015 study found that social CEOs were viewed more favorably by the public than non-social CEOs. Executives who were active on at least one social media platform were also seen as stronger communicators. It’s always a good thing when the public views you in a positive light, especially when it comes to reputation management in the face of a crisis. Public perception can also benefit you during intense negotiations with clients or business partners. If people think highly of you, they are more likely to trust you and compromise during negotiations.
Thought Leadership
CEOs are already on top within their organization, but with a strong presence on social media, they can take it one step further and become industry leaders. Social media is the perfect place to share unique content, comment on industry news, and host Q&A sessions with followers. Over time, a CEO who incorporates these tactics into their social media strategy will become known as an expert within their industry, which will only improve the reputation of the entire company.
Networking
CEOs attend dozens of events, and there’s no better way to stay in touch with a new acquaintance than through social media—just think of it as the new business card. CEOs can quickly connect with potential clients, business partners, and vendors through social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Twitter. Once connected, CEOs can keep the lines of communication open by engaging with these contacts’ status updates and shares. Eventually, these relationships may turn into profitable ones, but only if the CEO is active on social media.
Press Coverage
Journalists and bloggers constantly search through social media feeds for new stories, so this is the perfect opportunity for CEOs to use their social presence to get press coverage. CEOs can release company announcements and press releases on social media to get these stories in the hands of journalists everywhere. Or, take a page out of Elon Musk’s book and communicate one-on-one with journalists via social media to provide quotes or answer questions.
Show Gratitude
One of the most famous CEOs, Tim Cook, uses Twitter to openly thank his employees and customers. This shows your followers you are not just concerned with profits, but people, too. Even if it’s only 140 characters or less, a thank you always goes a long way.
Do you have the tough job of talking to your CEO about joining social media? CEOs are busy, so it may be difficult to convince them to add one more thing to their plate. But remember, CEOs don’t have to be on every social media platform—just pick the most relevant platforms for your industry and focus on those. This makes the task easier to manage, so it may help sell the idea to your CEO.
Nick Rojas is a self-taught, serial entrepreneur who’s enjoyed success working with and consulting for startups. Using his journalism training, Nick writes for publications such as Entrepreneur, TechCrunch, and Yahoo. He concentrates on teaching small and medium-sized enterprises how best to manage their social media marketing and define their branding objectives.
