Why CXOs Must Embrace Social Media — A Twitter Chat
The first Youflix of 2021 happened over the last weekend. This edition was all about why CXOs gain immensely from embracing social media. The topic generated a LOT of interesting questions and those who tuned in could follow the live Q&A session with the hashtag #LeadershipTalk. If you missed this one, you can scroll through our timeline to catch up or just read on for the highlights.
This time, we were joined by Kriti Makhija, Svetleena, Manish Sinha, Shilpi Singh, Rajesh Kumar Jindal and Zainab Patel. Read on for some of the gems that we uncovered over the course of the discussion!
Q1. Active Social Media Presence is the New Normal. Would you agree?
Rajesh: Today, every product is a service. No CEO can afford to not connect with the consumer directly.
Zainab: True! Social and business networking platforms provide executives with access to a wide range of unparalleled insights and opinions of business stakeholders, consumers, partners and the general public.
Kriti: Building an active social media presence is critical and 2020 demonstrated it. When all else failed, social media is what kept the world communicating, finding solutions, and moving forward.
Manish: Absolutely. The New-Age CEO is expected to be more connected and social media-savvy.
Shilpi: Millennials and Gen Zs want to know who their leaders are. What do they think? What’s their voice? And Social Media provides that platform.
Q2. 82% of CXOs prefer to stay away from social media, with 65% of the millennial & Gen Z pop on SM; should this be the way forward?
Rajesh: Millennials hog the social media footprint — so if you’re a brand serving them, you’d better be there with them.
Kriti: CXOs adoption of social media and digital communications is changing. Post pandemic, more leaders understand the potential these outlets have to impact success and to build and restore public confidence. Not embracing it can stunt growth.
Svetleena: As of January 2020, the global social media usage rate was 49%. The increasing penetration of mobile devices has been the greatest social leveller. A head in the sand approach won’t work anymore.
Manish: 60% of employees considering joining a company already say they will research a CEO’s social media accounts. The CXOs need to get reverse mentoring. The clock is running tik tok — pun intended.
Q3.What is holding back CXOs to be Active Participants on Social Media?
Kriti: The social media revolution comes with inherent risks, uncertainty and unease as it encourages horizontal collaboration and unscripted conversations that short-circuits established power dynamics and traditional lines of communication.
Perhaps this is the real reason for holding back. I’ve heard everything from “I’m a private person” to “I don’t have the time,” but the solution is to have the right intent to start.
The rest of the world has embraced social media and CXOs have to as well. Go slow if you must and build from there. You need to be where your customer is, and that’s social media.
Shilpi: Some probable reasons -
- Fear of using Social Media
2. It’s too “frivolous”
3. Takes up a lot of time
4. There’s a lack of need to connect
However, there is no alternative. CXOs need to come out of the comfort zone and move with the times.
Zainab: Few consider social presence rather risky lest they inadvertently make an inaccurate or poorly worded statement which could create issues and cause a dent on their (or their company’s) reputation.
Manish: The high cost of going wrong is intimidating as social media can be very unforgiving.
Q4. How can CXOs use Social Media to build a culture of Authentic Leadership?
Svetleena: From a talent lens, a leader who I would engage with on social media has to have a unique identity with a visible, personal value system, the ability to change and the vulnerability to put oneself out there in an authentic way.
Kriti: My mantra for authentic leadership on social media is:
- HUMANIZE your profile (showcase your tone/personality)
- Focus on ENGAGEMENT (create content that’s shareable)
- LEAD (share opinion on topics that matters)
This keeps communication authentic and builds trust.
Zainab: It’ѕ іmроrtаnt to decide who you will be соnnесtіng wіth. Iѕ your intent to buіld rеlаtіоnѕhірѕ wіth juѕt your staff members or customers? Or dо you want to be more engaged with your peers? This answer will dictate the strategy of defining YOUR personal brand.
Shilpi: Start from being Present. Engagement leads to authentic connections. Just by being present and active, you connect and engage. By listening, you understand, you empathise. These skills are pillars of modern business
Manish: Yes, it makes them a) more accessible and b) it’s easier to communicate with them. c) It provides employees with up to date information.
It helps keep teams connected; It makes the work more transparent, They can lead more effectively in a crisis #LeadershipTalks
Q5. Would Social Media Strategy & Planning help CEOs break the online barrier?
Zainab: My recommendation is to use social as a vehicle to communicate with the world. If you don’t build up a personal brand and maintain a strong social media presence, you are missing out on the opportunity to connect.
Kriti: For great results, your strategy should take account of your:
• Goals
• Audience
• SM channels
• Content
• Resources
• Metrics for success
Some believe they can do without it. But, in reality, you should have a formal strategy for success.
Shilpi: Social Media is real time and it’s permanent. Hence, one has to be clear about what needs to be put out. Strategy helps in building clarity.
Svetleena: I don’t think that it’s strategy and planning that CXOs are challenged with. The barriers are mental. They don’t believe that they need to or are afraid of opening up.
Manish: Yes it definitely breaks the barrier. Reverse mentoring also helps
I have learnt a lot from SM friendly CXOs like @mkobach #LeadershipTalks
Strategic goals, planning and a conversation architecture / calendar
Helps a smooth transition
It’s a mindset shift mainly. From being workers in a factory to members of say a band. There is chaos, but then you also connect and make some great music. It’s free-flowing. You attract fans, not just workers.
Q6. 3 tips for CXOs on building their online voice.
Svetleena: Tip 1 — It’s easy to go wrong on social media, but it’s equally easy, if not easier, to go right. To trigger that, what you need to be is real.
Tip 2 — I want my leader to have a POV on things that matter today and to raise their voice against injustice.
Tip 3 — As leaders, you have to figure out how much of yourself you’re willing to give access to.
Shilpi: 1. Build Atomic Habits to activate your social media presence. 2. Start with simple goals. 3. Appoint a mentor — ideally a millennial or Gen Z.
Manish: 1. Have a vision and roadmap (know what to say)
2. Hire a specialist (inside or outside the company)
3. Curate the story. Delegate the execution Or even automate (part of) the execution
Rajesh: (in response to Manish) This needs to be done with care, so that your unique voice always shines through and doesn’t get lost in so much structure.
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