I have just been reading an article that suggests everyone’s boss should be on social media. If your manager is not using social media, the report suggests that you’ll trust them less and can’t buy anything from their brand (that is, your employer).
This strikes me as a very intriguing idea because my bosses have always used social media since the concept emerged. But I am around people elsewhere in my life who are yet to understand it, try it, or have their own workplace embrace social media.
Many bosses still consider social media something for early adopters, gen-y or simply a time-waster.
Of course, if you don’t use social media, you won’t respect a leader more because they do. However, to the extent that social media is a valuable tool and a major player in reputation management these days, an organisation which includes communication and isn’t engaging with social media is opening up numerous areas for it to unravel.
The head of the ABC, Mark Scott, is an excellent example of a leader who shows how it’s done. Anyone employed at the ABC can see from Mark’s tweets that it’s safe to share comments, joke, converse with all number of people… within reason.
Why is it that in any new job you are given an e-mail address expected to use it yet no employer is, as far as I know, asking people to use a Twitter account or encouraged to post publicly via their Facebook URL.
It’s not too early if you work at a design company to start asking employees to join Pinterest or if you’re in business to sign up for a Linked In account.
If your employees are happy, why would you be concerned about offering the public an extra point of contact for your organisation. We all know that social media is a perfect way to extend the reach of your publicity strategy and employees are probably your greatest supporters when it comes to sharing positive messages about your brand products or service.
As for trusting your boss more because he or she uses social media; I think that most of us acknowledge that transparency works and builds relationships. Your family, friends and employees know this and acknowledge it by their honesty online – so why should management be any different?
Related links
Mediafunnel: How to persuade your boss to use social media
Linked In: Social media – Trust is everything
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