3 Reasons Why Your C-Suite Needs to Get Social

ERIN VAN HANDEL
HNI Marketing Coordinator

Savvy business leaders always are looking for new ways to leverage their company's brand. social media CEO But why is it that less than half of CEOs participate on social media sites?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even company blogs are channels to reach giant pools of prospects. It's true that social outlets require upkeep with regular and high-quality posts, but the potential ROI is great.

Whether you choose engage with social, your reputation is at stake. Consider these three reasons why social CEOs are successful CEOs:

1.) They Shape Conversation and Get Coverage

Media outlets turn to social media for stories and sources. The social CEO [or other C-Suite leader] with an active Twitter feed, Facebook profile, and company blog is more transparent and open to reporters and editors.

Broadcasting company news and personal interests can shape coverage with no need for news releases or playing phone tag with a beat reporter. Let them come to you.f you want coverage from a particular publication, follow the right reporters and editors on social media. Try to engage them in genuine (e.g., not self-promoting) ways. The short story is when social media outreach comes from the C-suite, people take notice.

2.) They Make Those Person-to-Person Connections

Social media is about human connections, and great way to show your human side is by sharing the content of others. When a CEO connects on a personal level by answering a question, sharing an article, or leaving a comment, it demonstrates engagement. Firms earn raving fans (i.e., customers) via engagement, and an engaged CEO is a powerful marketing tool.

3.) They Wow Employees, New and Old

People who might be interested in working for you already are listening via social media. Seriously. Why not knock their socks off by showing off your CEO's sense of humor, sparkling insight, and sense of purpose? Leaders know the best talent is picky (because they can afford to be), and social media is a new front in the recruiting war.

A social C-Suite can be incredibly engaging for current employees who are already on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. Social media can be a great equalizer, temporarily flattening the hierarchy between workers and the C-suite. Hearing ideas directly from the CEO feels personal and transparent, and it sets an example for how they might use social channels to promote the company and its image. There's a good chance employees will share updates from the company and leadership with their personal circles as well, amplifying the reach of social activity.

How have your leaders embraced social media? What stat about social media would really blow you away? We aim to please! Please share below in comments!