There’s been a number of articles and bits of research that I’ve seen recently talking about the number of CEOs that are on social media. One, in particular, on Mashable points to a recent study by Domo and CEO.com, which found that nearly 70% of Fortune 500 CEOs have no presence on the major social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google+). Of the 30% that are on social media channels, nearly all of them (28%) are on LinkedIn, with a much lower number on Twitter.
These type of results are not confined to CEOs in the US but are also reflected amongst CEOs and FTSE board members in the UK. Recent research (Jan 2013) by communications consultancy Text100 showed that only 27% have established a profile on LinkedIn and the number with their own blogs or on Twitter is dramatically lower.
Now, these articles are quite interesting. But, so are the comments in the articles and the various reasons that people are coming up with why CEOs are not on social media. They include:
All of these could be true.
However, another recent research infographic on Pinterest: CEOs on Social Media Statistics finds similar results but extends the research to include the views of employees and customers. The infographic goes on to say that:
If these results are true, does that not make a compelling case for more CEOs and senior management to get onto social media?
CEOs and senior management need to remember that they are in a position of leadership and leadership is not just about them but is also about the people that are around them. As a result, if they are serious about customer and employee engagement then the opinions of their customers, employees and future talent matter.
So, if you are a CEO, or in senior management, in a large or small firm, ask yourself these questions:
If you don’t know, then ask them.
Photo Credit: mediasnackers via Compfight cc
4 Comments
The CEO of the Royal and Sun Alliance in the UK can be found at @citygoose
Thought you might like to know.
James
Hi James,
Thanks for that. I’m going to reach out ask if he’d like to do an interview 😉
Adrian
Adrian,
Great post, as always. In the spirit of communication, transparency, and having your feet on the ground, I’m all for it. I’m actually surprised that the statistic is as high as it is… the infographic says “have a presence”… does that mean they just have social media accounts or are they active?
Annette 🙂
Hi Annette,
I assume that it means that they have a presence and are active…..whatever that means.
Adrian