Majority of global executives want their CEOs to participate in social media
Nearly 8 in 10 executives believe that CEO sociability improves company reputation.
A new study by Weber Shandwick found that the majority of global executives (76
per cent) want their CEOs to actively participate in social media. Titled "The
Social CEO: Executives Tell All", the study reveals deep insights on CEO sociability
and provides a guide on the Seven Habits of Highly Social CEOs in order to inspire
CEOs.
Conducted in partnership with KRC Research, the study surveyed 630 senior executives
from 10 countries worldwide, including emerging and developed markets. The study
defined social media participation as "posting messages, videos, pictures, etc.
on a social media site." Executives in the study are described as having a social
CEO - those with CEOs who participate in social media - versus those
with an unsocial CEO.
Weber Shandwick said that the executives recognise a multitude of returns when CEOs
are social, including improved company reputation, business results and employee
engagement.
According to 80 per cent of executives whose CEOs are social, the top-ranked benefit
of CEOs' sociability is company news and information-sharing. Other important advantages
include improving company reputation (78 per cent), demonstrating company innovation
(76 per cent), "humanising" the company, improving employee communications and building
media relations (75 per cent each) and improving business results (70 per cent).
Weber Shandwick's chief reputation strategist Leslie Gaines-Ross said CEOs are now
expected to be chief content providers for their companies.
"Social media is not only an efficient and engaging way to relay information
but is also linked in executives' minds with being a better leader," added Gaines-Ross.
The study found that many CEOs who don't participate in social media are actually
already communicating with employees through company intranets (50 per cent) and
making themselves visible to external constituents on their company websites (62
per cent).
"CEOs must strategically utilize the right digital platforms that advance their
communications - ranging from their own intranet and website to social network
pages and feeds to video and image sharing platforms," commented Chris Perry, global
president of Weber Shandwick's Digital practice.
The study also contains a guide to the key qualities of highly active CEO social
media users in a section called Seven Habits of Highly Social CEOs. Read the full
study here: The Social CEO: Executives Tell All.