Social Media has been in existence for well over 10 years now and yet we at PRMR Inc. will still hear many executives almost proudly declare that they are not on social media. A statistic from the CEO website reveals that over 60% of Fortune 500 CEO’s have zero social media presence.
In 2016 that statistic is mind boggling. Even with no hard evidence we would hazard a guess that it is an even higher percentage of Caribbean CEOs aged 40 and over that have no active social media presence. It is time for Caribbean executives to catch up. Here are 3 reasons why executives should be on social media.
1. To demonstrate thought leadership
Platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are great for addressing issues and challenges within your industry from your own unique perspective. With so few executives currently on these platforms from our region it would be light work becoming a fount of knowledge for your area of expertise. You don’t have to post everyday. Creating a schedule and sticking to it as much as possible will bring results.
2. Communicate with customers directly and get vital feedback
Many executives are wary of their company or leadership receiving criticism on social media but being up front about your mistakes will help to humanise you and by extension your brand to the public.
Being accessible to stakeholders helps to build relationships and trust. Once customers and other key stakeholders have lost confidence in your leadership or business brand it is very hard to set that right. This is why communication and transparency is so critical to engendering that trust in your business.
3. Getting a more complete idea of your customer in real time
It is easy as a C-Suite executive in especially a large firm to sometimes lose track of the customer. Who he/she is and their aspirations. Being on social media helps you to keep tabs on your ideal customer. With software such as Hubspot or Mention one can more easily monitor the sentiment for your brand or product/service in real time.
Let us at PRMR Inc. help get you started on social media. Contact us today.
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