Last Updated: 15th March 2023
The world of social media spins at a rapid rate, evolving daily with new tools, techniques, and approaches that seemingly must be adapted to on the turn of a dime.
As the complexity of social media marketing increases, so too does its importance. This presents a conundrum for businesses that must funnel more resources in order to simply keep up with the times.
Budgets are rising, whilst impact is falling… and as competition gets fiercer, struggles are felt among marketing teams about how to best utilize this vital medium.
Lying central to this issue is the lack of social media tool buy-in.
Whilst 92% of marketing departments and sales execs clearly see the value in such tools, the CEOs they must convince are often reticent to take the plunge.
This notion is backed up by the staggering fact that 68% of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies have no social presence at all. 🤯
Bigger budgets, bigger campaigns, but where are the tools?
Marketers now spend 12% of their budget on social media, and as more and more financial commitment is being made to the social arm of a company’s marketing, frustration is being felt. The task of analyzing campaign statistics and crunching the numbers of KPIs are all too often impossible, without the right tools.
A catch-22 situation has arisen, with budgets rendered ineffective as marketers attempt to grapple and grasp with a vast wealth of data.
What lies behind this isn’t a flat-out refusal of CEOs to embrace social, but rather a misunderstanding about what this medium can deliver. The C-Suite are concerned, worrying about reputation and ROI, and lacking in first-hand experience as to how digital marketing really works.
And the result? Almost 50% of all boardrooms undervalue the importance of social media. 😫
Employees: A rich social resource that remain (mostly) untapped
In an ever tougher social landscape, the concern about ROI may be a worthy one to address. At this point, it’s worth looking back to 2013, when 37% of employees believed they could do their job better, if their organization’s management was more supportive of the use of social tools.
Years on, and few businesses are yet to empower their employees in this way. Our research has put this under the spotlight, and the stats that emerged were even more compelling than we’d predicted…
- 76% of employees would happily share marketing information as content on social media if the company would make it easier.
- More than 60% of employees said they would create or share company content if employers made it easier.
- Only 31% of employees consider their company “very effective” at sharing internal information quickly.
[source: DSMN8 “The Social Employee” Whitepaper]
It’s a clear cut case: the social tools that marketers rightly deem so important are every bit as underused and undervalued as employee social media advocacy.
So the question is, how can marketers make more of their social campaigns and utilize the workforce, if CEOs are so reluctant to embrace tools that could drive sales whilst reducing costs?
3 Ways to get CEO Buy-in for Your Social Media Strategy
1. Demystify the world of social
Fear of the unknown is one of our most primal instincts, and the lack of first-hand experience is the most fundamental road block to boardroom buy-in. This can be overcome with ease by simply introducing CFOs, CEOs and CMOs to social media, encouraging them to post via their personal accounts or corporate accounts.
Offer support and training – free from complexity and jargon – to demonstrate the potential of professional social media and to avoid any faux pas.
2. Create a (Simulated) Crisis
Boardrooms know risk, yet in the mind of the reluctant CEO, the scales of risk are tipped firmly in the favor of not investing in social tools. Re-dress this balance by simulating a crisis. Demonstrate to them the speed and influence of social media in spreading positive messaging, and reach an audience unparalleled by any other medium.
Contrast this with the challenges of crisis management, and indeed avoiding a crisis altogether, when you lack the ability of social listening. 😬
3. Drive Home the Risk of NOT Investing in Social Tools
Vulnerability: it’s a powerful word when you’re stood in front of C-Suite execs. And no better can this be demonstrated than by highlighting where your website traffic is overwhelmingly reliant on certain sources.
Take search traffic as the prime example. Any corporation’s ranking is uncertain. The high ranking, page one placement you hold today could see you buried at the bottom of page ten should a Google algorithm update take a disliking to your search strategy. Alongside this prospect, Google et al. are increasingly placing weight on social media to influence their search results. A double whammy of risk that makes the case for social tools without exception.
Knowledge: in one word, this summarizes the refusal to buy into social tools around that boardroom table.
By following our simple, three-step process, you’ll put your C-Suite in the complete picture – clearly communicating exactly why social tools are so critical today, and why they’ll become more important as time goes on.
Looking for the best social media tool for employee advocacy? 😉
Our All-In-One Employee Advocacy Platform is the solution for your busy marketing team. Find out how DSMN8 saves you money and time! Get your free Employee Advocacy Health Check.
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