C-suite Executives and Social Media: Are You Resistant or Engaged?

A survey by Brandfog, a global social media and digital reputation consulting firm, indicates that social media engagement by companies’ c-suite executives is more critical than ever:

“Conversations taking place on Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Medium, YouTube, Instagram and other social channels do not stop because management is not looking. When executives fail to speak for themselves, other voices fill the void and the conversations continue without them. The opportunity cost for executives who ignore social media is the loss of voice, and it enables others to shape the brand story and influence brand reputation.

Alternatively, C-suite executives who embrace social media gain a competitive edge. They use social channels to provide context for business decisions, address brand issues, showcase company culture and most importantly, demonstrate thought leadership.”

This comes from their 2014 Global Social CEO Survey of 1000 US and UK employees in diverse companies, ranging in size from startups to Fortune 1000 companies. Survey respondents were asked a series of 15 questions regarding the impact of social media on their companies’ brand trust, leadership, and success.

Here are some of the survey results:

Question: CEO participation in social media leads to better leadership.

75% in the US agreed, 62% in the UK agreed.

Compare this with the 2012 results for the US, where only 45% agreed.

Question: A company whose C-Suite executives and leadership team use social media as a public relations channel to openly communicate about its core mission, values and purpose is more trustworthy.

71% in the US agreed, 61% in the UK agreed.

Question: Actively engaging on social media helps to enhance the image and reputation of C-Suite executives as forward-thinking, trend-setting leaders.

80% in the US agreed, 67% in the UK agreed.

Question: Having a socially active C-Suite leadership team can mitigate risk before a brand reputation crisis occurs.

79% in the US agreed, 68% in the UK agreed.

How engaged are you?