12 Oct The Importance Of Social Media For Executives
The old belief that social media has no place in B2B or that it is not for higher-level executives is dead. A recent study by Forbes showed:
“83% of executives that choose a vendor on behalf of their company use social media in their decision-making, and 92% of that segment says that social media influenced a purchasing decision.”
Social media offers so many opportunities that you may be leaving on the table by resisting the idea of being active online. And if you’re asking yourself what these benefits are, in this post we’ll explain the importance of social media for executives – and we put together a roadmap you can download to get you started with your executive presence on social media.
1. Connects you directly to customers/partners/investors
One of the main reasons why executives should be active on social media is to establish a direct connection to customers, employees, partners (or potential partners). When executives and the C-Suite establish a social media presence it can generate more visibility and greater engagement for their companies. Having an active presence on social media can allow you to find, interact with and connect with all the people who matter most and help your business grow. Being active on social media can reveal insights into what conversations are happening in your industry allowing you to add value to the conversation and expand your base.
Social media can also help you communicate better in times of crisis. This year (2020) has brought to the spotlight the importance of being able to respond quickly to happenings. In Brandfog’s recent survey (CEO Social Media Communications in the Age of COVID-19):
“74% of survey respondents stated that they look to CEOs on social channels to find information about how companies are addressing the COVID-19 crisis.”
Social media can build a powerful network of stakeholders for executives and their companies.
2. Builds Thought Leadership
Another reason why executives should be active on social media is to establish thought leadership within their industry. This elevates your social media presence to be more than just a sales tool – but a place people can come to for answers. Having an active online presence can open doors to earned media like interviews and bylines. Showcasing your expertise will build credibility and trust, which leads us to our third reason to highlight the importance of social media for executives.
3. Strengthens Brand Reputation & Trust
Social media for executives can help strengthen brand reputation because humans connect with other humans more naturally than feeling that connection with a brand. More of your customers and partners are interested in what happens behind the scenes and what your company stands for. Brandfog’s survey showed:
“More than 84% of respondents agree that when a CEO speaks out about the social issues they care about on social media, it helps to build brand trust.”
You can strengthen your brand reputation by:
- Interacting with brand mentions
- Use storytelling to showcase challenges your company has overcome or has helped others overcome
- Update followers about initiatives and reasons behind them
Social media can be a powerful tool to support company initiatives, build a personal brand and access opportunities that may be missed by not being active online.
If you’re an executive who wants to use social media but is not sure where to start, we’ve put together a quick roadmap to follow along with the top 3 mistakes executives are making on social media that no one is talking about (so you can avoid them). Download The Executive’s Social Media Roadmap here.
– The Block & Ave. Team
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