As social media and the web have emerged as key to any business strategy, many executives find themselves a little in the dark when it comes to understanding and using social media and other forms of technology.
They know it is important for their organization, but they don’t understand it enough to make the best decisions when it comes to social media and digital trends.
Every Executive Must Understand Social Media
Today 88% of businesses are active on social media in some capacity, and 100% of Fortune 500 companies have a presence on LinkedIn. The reality is that employees, customers, suppliers, investors and business partners are all using the social web. In order to continue to be an effective and relevant business leader, it is vital for business executives to also understand social media and how it pertains to their business.
The reality is that not every business leader wants to participate in every social network.
Many of the CEOs that we work with have no interest in participating on Facebook or Twitter, and honestly, they don’t have to. At the executive level it is vital to understand social media and how it can work for your business, but it isn’t vital actually participate in every social network.
The Goal is to Inform Business Leaders: Not Create Social Media Junkies
Business leaders tend to fit into the demographics that are more likely to be late adopters to social media. In addition, they often don’t have time (or an interest) in participating in every social network.
The key to keep in mind is that busy executives need to understand social media and the impact it is having on their organization to continue to be effective. They may never have a personal use for social media (not everyone does), but understanding social media and how it is transforming business is vital.
Is Executive Training on the Agenda?
Many organizations focus their training efforts on their sales, marketing, customer service or general employee populations, but don’t think about their executives.
We’ve provided
executive social media training to business leaders for many years, and have found the training and knowledge needs of business leaders is different than the general population of their organization.
First, executive time is money, so getting to the point quickly is key for executives.
Second their knowledge needs are different. They don’t need the details, they need the big picture and the strategy.
Third, executives need a broader understanding of how social media and digital are impacting their organization – it isn’t just about marketing or creating an employee policy.
Finally, many executives that we encounter need an unbiased source to help them navigate the landscape. Many of the digital evangelists in their organization have an agenda, plus it might not be comfortable to ask them for help. An external
executive social media coach can be a trusted resource for unbiased information.
