Social Media News: CEOs Lag Behind In Online Presence

July 26, 2012 - 3 minutes read - Blog, Marketing Your Business Online, Social Media, Social Media Marketing

Seventy percent of CEOs have NO social media presence, according to a recent survey released by data startup Domo. Although 26 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs can be found on LinkedIn, only 7.6 percent have a Facebook profile and 4 percent are active on Twitter. “These findings are just crazy to me on so many levels,” writes Domo CEO Josh James. “Social media isn’t a passing fad…. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are now part of the daily fabric of life [and] CEOs have a responsibility to their shareholders to be visible.”

Where Are All The CEOs On Social Media Sites?

Domo research found that only 9 CEOs tweeted in a 100-day period, including Hewlett-Packard CEO Meg Whitman (but only when she was running for office… despite the fact that she has over 100,000 employees and millions of customers). Only two CEOs had over 500 friends… and one of them was Rupert Murdoch, who is incidentally, also the most “social.”

How Are Innovative CEOs Using Social Media Sites?

Domo founder Josh James says he uses sites like LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to…

  • Attract recruits to the brand
  • Drum up brand enthusiasm
  • Gain immediate feedback on ideas
  • Send memos to workers
  • Engage in direct relationships with customers
  • Manage brand presence online and deal with customer complaints in real-time

Why Are CEOs Shying Away From Social Media?

One challenge facing CEOs is that it takes time and commitment to maintain a social media account. It also takes an innate understanding of how social media is different than other forms of communication.

See also  3 Ways You Can Use Video In Your Outreach Today

Sure, it can  be difficult to change how business is conducted, but one thing is clear: those who bury their heads in the sand and avoid advances in technology will be the ones lagging behind in sales and strategic growth.

Worse yet, Josh James warns, “If you’re not speaking for yourself, other people will speak for you. And you may not like what they have to say.” Social media is an essential forum for reputation management. Furthermore, a BRANDfog survey found that employees perceive CEOs with a social media presence as “better positioned for success.”

Want To Get Involved, But Lack The Time To Do So?

Here at ModGirl Marketing, we help a lot of CEOs stay in touch with their customers and manage their brands online. Whether you need us to create a blog and maintain it or post your latest company news on Twitter, we can handle it all! We’re pros with Facebook page design and engagement too. Best of all, we sit down with you to create a comprehensive social media strategy that WORKS. We understand it’s not enough to create a post here and there, all willy-nilly. Every post adds meaning to your brand and your company vision.

 Please contact us to learn more.

Next Post
Previous Post
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,