Activity on Facebook, Twitter and other social media is good for your business. At least that’s the opinion of many of your peers.
The BRANDfog 2012 CEO, Social Media and Leadership Survey (PDF) reveals that business leaders who use social media increase their brand’s profile and instill confidence in their leadership.
The survey polled hundreds of employees at companies ranging from Fortune 500s to small startups, and measured the effect of social media participation by the executive management team. The results can give owners and managers from businesses of all sizes insight into the overall effect of social media use.
Aman Singh, editorial director of CSRwire and a contributor to the BRANDfog Social Media Leadership Survey explains the results in a prepared statement included with the report:
Transparency, vision and open communication are key to great leadership and corporate social responsibility strategy today. It’s not surprising to see that the results of BRANDfog’s survey reaffirm that social media plays such an influential role in shaping a company’s brand image. What’s more, customers expect to hear from the executive leadership team on social media channels, as a direct way to connect and engage with the brands they love and causes they support.
Results Show Social Media Importance
Results of the survey show the importance of social media participation in almost all aspects of business operations and leadership. Especially in an era where tech savvy leadership is expected, lack of comfort with popular platforms like Facebook and Twitter can make you look out of step with the times.
For example, the survey showed 81 percent of respondents feel social media engagement is a necessary prerequisite for leading a company in a Web 2.0 world. But social media skills may be critical to a company’s very survival too, the survey says.
Specifically, 89.3 percent of respondents said business leaders who use social media are better able to connect with customers. And 66.3 percent felt social media use made it easier for business leaders to connect with investors too.
Improve Brand Image and Increase Trust
Use of social media by a business’s leadership team provides other benefits too, the survey suggests. Most importantly, 71 percent of respondents said they felt participation in social media by a company’s leadership improved its overall brand image.
And if you’re wondering how use of social media affects your career personally, 82 percent of those surveyed said they would be much more likely to trust a business leader with a social media presence.
BRANDfog is a consulting agency focused on helping business leaders improve their reputations and the reputations of their brands by helping them improve social media engagement.
Social Media is a great way to influence your brand image, with the gap between major businesses and consumers connected the benefits of this type of relationship can be seen clearer now.