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I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that many of the executives I’ve met just don’t get the whole social media thing. Their concerns range from fear of the unknown, to discomfort with potential and current customers being a little too candid, to hesitation with creating something whose ROI they can’t measure in the t
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November 26, 2008 9:10 am
I agree there are many executives who don't get the social media thing. They are missing opportunities for various reasons as you cite above. However they haven't been convinced or convinced themselves that the rewards outweigh the risks for the goals they are trying to achieve. I think that's the crux of the sell to your management - identify their specific goals they are trying to achieve and demonstrate how you could achieve those goals with social media. Giving real-life examples of how social media has worked for other companies in your business sector is a start but it's necessary to propose details for your business.
November 26, 2008 9:27 am
I don't think the problem is the Xers. They're all over social media. Xers aren't that much older than you are. It's the Boomers. I'm having the same challenge with my boss. However, I'm lucky in that he's agreed to let me do it and he's going to be hands off.
November 26, 2008 9:34 am
Ingrid - Great Post! We are going through this challenge at my company right now. We have toyed with the idea of starting a Facebook page and possibly starting an internal social network for our employees. Some of our executives have embraced these ideas and some are still on the fence. I think you are right when you say the fear of the unknown!
I've been doing exactly what you said. Looking for articles and examples on-line of companies who have opened themselves up to social media and have had great success. It is a learning process
November 26, 2008 10:04 am
Work hard to convince your boss that it's important and if all else fails, start searching for a new company, that likes social media. Companies that don't get it will fail in the long-term.
November 26, 2008 10:14 am
Ingrid, do you have any data to go along with the success stories you cite?
Thanks!
-Chuck
November 26, 2008 10:46 am
I like how you emphasize evidence. If there is one thing that I have learned is that a good idea is not enough. Show how others are making it work in addition to your own ideas.
November 26, 2008 10:55 am
I think it is difficult when there are companies that deal with incredibly sensitive information, and their communications are regulated by the government and other independent organizations.
I worked in a financial investment firm previously and any communication we sent, even if it was a quick, "Mr. Jones, here is the info you requested." Had to be approved by a manager.
For many companies, the increase in liability and administration costs are simply not worth the benefit of social media.
I suppose an option would be to have the social media handled by the PR department, so it could be "scrubbed" prior to hitting the world at large, but that would be no different than its regular advertising. I'm not sure if that really capture the essence of social media.
November 26, 2008 11:46 am
Thanks for all of your great comments!
@Mark W - Agreed. Case studies can only take you so far. One really must stress the value of using social media for one's particular company and for meeting the company's specific goals.
@Suzanne - I think I may have been speaking primarily for my personal situation. I work for a start-up in which most of the directors-and-above fall into the Generation X category. :) Obviously I think it's an even tougher situation when dealing with Baby Boomers.
@Dina - It is definitely a learning process; there's always more information to take in and pass on to others.
@Chuck - Check out http://www.beingpeterkim.com/2008/09/ive-been-thinki.html for a list of some major companies and what they're doing to market their products/services with social media. Also, visit http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2008/11/25/video-interview-how-dell-i... for a brilliant video interview with Bob Pearson, VP of Communities & Conversations at Dell, to get an idea of how social media marketing can have an incredible impact on corporate revenue and reputation.
@Milena - Indeed, there is a higher degree of difficulty if your company is strictly regulated and/or deals with sensitive information. However, even using information that, as you say, has been "scrubbed" by the PR department is a step in the right direction. The PR folks must realize, though, that you'll get nowhere in social media if it's just marketing speak - "our company is great, and no one can say otherwise" - so that's something one would need to impress upon them before they started hitting the social media venues.
November 26, 2008 12:08 pm
I tried to get a Twitter account going for my company (I work in the communications department) and the IT department (IT!!) made me take it down--even though I was generating a decent following after just one week--because they feared it would lead to an increase in hackers to our website.
Huh?
November 26, 2008 1:23 pm
@The Office Newb - Lol ... that's one excuse I haven't heard before!
November 26, 2008 5:20 pm
As Milena mentioned, some companies aren't ready for some forms of social media but you also need to understand what type of social media activity could potentially for work for your company, what the benefits are and then just doing it.
We've set up a Yammer network and a company blog and although senior management are still bewildered by the whole thing, they're happy that we took the initiative and went ahead and did it.
November 28, 2008 10:56 pm
I've just written about this very topic. I think that many of us underestimate how tough it can be to work for people who are averse to change or resistant to new ideas and concepts, or where all decisions are made by committee. My suggestion, which has been met with both resistance and praise, is to simply scare the heck out of them by showing what they will miss if they don't engage. May not be the best suggestion, but I maintain that you have to speak the language of the audience in this case.
November 30, 2008 6:22 pm
If you can get it through to them that it's about the give-and-take of a conversation - and that social media encourage that - I think you're on your way. The metrics thing is tough to get around. It's important to note that just the choice to participate provides customers with another channel for connection, which is a huge plus.
December 8, 2008 3:22 pm
Here's another reason the boss fears social media:
W32/Koobface.worm spreads via Facebook and MySpace. Current variants only target either Facebook or MySpace specifically.
February 5, 2009 6:35 pm
Great article and comments. I think we're approaching the day when a company MUST be involved in social media to survive. I see it becoming as main stream as needing a website, or phone to do business. I know when I consider purchasing a product (currently looking at promotional product companies) I would go with the SM using company instead of the dinosaur. Why? It shows me that they are listening, involved and making an effort to reach me.
February 25, 2009 11:02 am
A little empathy goes a long way.
One of the reasons that successful people are successful is because they seek out vacuums in business to fill rather than going whole-hog into whatever happens to be the most popular trend (flipping houses, as an example of the latter), which are often attenuating right at the point of their zenith.
Executives focus on details that others overlook and then shoehorn their way in while nobody is looking. Competition and inclusion are antithetical to developing a durable competitive advantage in business.
The problem with social media is that it broadcasts one’s strategy and leads other successful people to question that strategy (“If he/she is giving so much of it away for free, how good can it be?”).
Perhaps focus on simply raising brand awareness without converting your company into a digital exhibitionist.
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Grad School Zone
UVA (Darden) MBA Admissions Deadlines for 2010-2011
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The University of Virginia's Darden School of Business recently published its application deadlines for the coming admissions season. Here they are, followed by our comments in italics:
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