LinkedIn Corp (NYSE:LNKD) and Twitter Inc (NYSE:TWTR) are the preferred social media channels of top firms as per a study by PR agency Weber Shandwick. Weber examined the social media habits of 50 CEOs from firms that featured in the 2014 Fortune Global 500 rankings. The executives in the list were spread across the globe, including the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America.
The CEOs seem to have totally deserted Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB). The study found that 10% of CEOs are on Twitter up from a mere 2% in 2012. LinkedIn was the most popular platform with 22% of CEOs on it, up from a modest 6% in 2012. As per the study, none of the CEOs have active Facebook pages. In 2012, 10% of the CEOs were using Facebook.
As per research, 8 in 10 CEOs (80%) are now engaged online and through social media a percentage, which has more than doubled since Weber first started monitoring the social activities of CEOs in 2010 (36%). A significant 68% of CEOs engage via their firm web pages.
CEOs are realizing the need to leverage various channels of engagement to communicate with a diverse stakeholder set. One form of communication is no longer adequate given the current demand for transparency and engagement.
Corporate video is rapidly emerging as a standard method of communication for top executives (54%), and social network usage has reached a new high (28%). As per the Weber study, an increasing number of CEOs are taking part in company’s videos as a marketing strategy.
According to Weber Shandwick’s chief reputation strategist, Leslie Gaines-Ross, CEO social engagement has become mandatory nowadays. Business leaders are increasingly harnessing digital platforms to tell their company story, approach broader networks of stakeholders and participate in online conversations where their firm is already the subject of talk. CEOs who neglect online communications face the possibility of being left behind.
Although the CEOs usage of social media platform has doubled since 2010, it is still 28%, which means there is more space in this area. This means there is more room for LinkedIn and Twitter.
Sources: Forbes.com, others
