CEOs of Mid-sized Companies Slow to Use Social Media

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I ran across this interesting survey of CEOs of mid-sized companies and how they’re using social media. I’ll share it with you here because no matter what sized company you’re in, social media will become even more important in the coming decade for marketing, customer relationships and product innovations. (Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

New Survey of CEOs Reveals How They’re Using Social Media: CEO Connection released the results of its June Mid-Market Index (for companies with revenues of $100 million to $3 billion) on the use of Social Media. In this survey member CEOs revealed:

  1. Nearly 6 in 10 CEOs do not currently use social media for official communications.
  2. With regards to using social media to help market goods and services, roughly 1 in 3 CEOs report that it plays a major role in their marketing program.
  3. About 1 in 10 do not use social media for any purpose.
  4. Over 6 in 10 CEOs surveyed report they use social media to ‘listen’ to public thoughts and opinions about their brand and products.

Like the author of the blog C-Level Strategies, Lisa Petrilli, I too find it shocking that 40 percent of CEOs are not using social media to listen to public thoughts and opinions about their brand and products.

Lisa Petrilli writes, “I believe this is a minimum requirement for CEOs of companies of this size ($100 million to $3 billion in revenues). Yet, I know when we tell CEO Connection members how easy it is to simply set up a Google Alert for their company and brand names, many are unaware of this.”

These stats are slightly lower than those that show social media usage in both large corporations and small businesses, as I reported in my post here: Social Media: How Companies Are Using It. Small companies want to appear bigger, corporations want to appear more accessible. Both want to improve their credibility and trustworthiness with consumers.

Studies about the impact of CEOs who use social media show consumers are more likely or much more likely to buy from a company whose CEO uses social media to clearly define company values and leadership principle.

For those of you that appreciate statistics laid out more visually, here are the CEOConnection graphics:

For those of you who struggle to know how to use social media, and why it’s so important to your business in the coming decade, please know that I can help answer some of your questions: 703-728-1336.

Here’s a good way to start: Download my free white paper, The Keys to Social Media Marketing Success. This is essential knowledge for business leaders and entrepreneurs of small companies. Get your report now. You’ll be armed with the basics that are important for your business growth.