5 Reasons Your Boss Needs to be on Social Media

Originally published by Ryan Holmes on LinkedIn: 5 Reasons Your Boss Needs to be on Social Media

Remember Tim Cook’s photo fiasco at the Super Bowl? He took a blurry pic on his phone, shared it with the world on Twitter, and the next thing you know he’s the star of a snarky “Shot on iPhone 6” meme.

It’s the potential for exactly this type of innocent blunder—and over-reaction—that freaks out executives when it comes to using social media. In our digital era, even the most affable leaders can open themselves up to scrutiny—with the push of a button.

Then there’s the time issue. The lack thereof is often cited by execs as a big reason they don’t delve into Twitter or Facebook. And this is all compounded by the ROI question: perceptions linger that social networks are places where people share vacation photos, not where serious business takes place.

However, what’s rarely heard is the other, crucial side of the argument: the benefits that can accrue to CEOs and executives who use social media well, even if they aren't posting all the time.

Globally, more than two billion people are now on social media. The average user spends nearly two hours a day on social platforms. Studies have shown that millennials watch more YouTube than TV, and three out of four consumers say social media impacts their buying decisions. There's little question that these trends will continue as more and newer social patterns emerge. So for executives, this begs the question: Social media is where your customers are—shouldn’t you be there, too?

Social media, used correctly, can be an executive productivity tool, a global broadcast channel, a source of consumer and competitor intel and a PR vehicle. To break it down, here are five compelling reasons why executives need to be on social media … now more than ever:

Social media gives you access to the raw, unfiltered voices of your customers. Each morning, I start my day by looking through a Twitter feed that I set up to monitor any mentions of my company, Hootsuite. I see plenty of raw, unfiltered commentary from users on what we’re doing right and, of course, what we’re doing wrong: requests for new features, complaints about the odd bug, product support questions, even the occasional high-five for a job well done.

While this may not sound earth-shattering, getting insight like this used to require professional focus groups and careful analysis. Social media now gives CEOs and execs a direct pipeline into what their customers are thinking and doing—in real time, with no spin from publicists or middle managers. Better still, it takes minimal time and effort. A minute of flipping through a Twitter stream, and I have my finger on the pulse of our customers.