Today’s society is showing just how powerful social media really is. A single act of police brutality in the USA can spark civil unrest across the planet – within days. There are brands who still believe that they can manage meaningful relationships without social media, but this is putting the organisation under undue pressure and makes much more work for everyone. Social media can see to a range of functions in a company, but where it really adds value is when the brand’s leadership take to social channels – becoming the faces of the organisation and garnering trust with transparent, human social interactions with everyday people. Here are three beneficial ways social media can be used by leadership.
Finger on the pulse
Leaders of organisations can seriously enhance their own understanding of their target audiences by joining the masses on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms. They’ll be able to see what the public are talking about and if they’re talking about the brand or not. This also helps to gather information about what is popular among the people at any given time, and what they need in their lives that the organisation might be able to provide. Leaders can keep their fingers on the pulse of the marketplace on social media.
Appeal to the yuppies
Millennials are on social media, and they’re using it to screen brands and products before committing to the purchase of a product or service. However, if an organisation’s leadership and other staff members are not on social media – promoting their brand and keeping engaged with the public – then there will form a disconnect between them. By establishing a solid presence where target audience hangs out online, leaders can solidify their reputations as thought leaders in their specific fields. This will improve brand loyalty because people don’t connect with brands anymore – they collect with people.
