The CEO Challenge: To Be or Not To Be Social

It feels like this conversation has been going on forever! "Should the C-suite use social media? Do they need a presence? If so, on what tool? How often should they post or interact?" The two sides seem to argue the same points over and over, as if making their points again will make a difference this time. Perhaps it will, or perhaps it will just continue to fall on deaf ears. Those in favor say:

• It shows transparency and accountability.
• Millennials will demand it.
• It will put a human face to the company / brand.
• It will increase trust from employees, investors, and customers.

Those against say:

• They don’t have time.
• There is too much unnecessary risk.
• Social media is not for senior management.
• Social media will not be around forever.

Both sides are right…..and wrong. With branding and marketing, I’ve noticed that companies often look for that “one solution” to guarantee success. But how often does that happen? How many times have you heard about this method or approach that worked for this company, but when you try it, it doesn’t work? People are often looking for that boxed solution for a problem they are facing. But social media, like life isn’t about boxed solutions. The only constant in life is change, the only constant in social media is also change. Social media was created to create options other than just the boxed-options from setting boundaries. It was created to give the customer and employee a voice where before they didn’t have one that could be heard. When companies do achieve that big success, it’s because they did something that no one else is doing or they did it in a different way—they are being different, not blending in and implementing that boxed solution. So going back to the original question “Should the C-suite use social media?” What do you think the answer is?