The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

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It is one thing for the people you work with to think that social media is a nice activity that you indulge in on your own time and quite another for them to understand what an effective tool it is.

If you are encountering resistance on the part of your business associates (or executives, perhaps), it is very important for you to help them to understand how important it is to be involved with social media for business and for the social media activities to be managed by an expert in that area. It is important to know that you are not alone when it comes to being met with resistance. On the other hand, making the effort to get the point across will be well worth it.

One thing that is for certain is that social media for business is here to stay. In most cases, the use of social media is no longer regarded as something fun to play with. It is no longer just about what you had for breakfast and where you are going on Saturday evening. It is an accepted and extremely effective tool that helps business owners to bring their businesses to the next level of success. Your first order of business is to get buy-in from the people with whom you work. They not only need to understand the importance and effectiveness of social media for business but they also need to understand how important it is to have the appropriate balance of traditional business dealings and social media activities. Each one is important in its own way.

Social media is there to be leveraged

It is important to drive the point home that social media for business is not a fly-by-night tool that does not need to be taken seriously. It has been proven over and over that it has a huge impact on business success. It is critical that businesses approach their social media strategies proactively rather than reactively when it comes getting the most out of using the available online tools to gain additional success. There should be no obstacles (or barriers) in the way when it comes to incorporating social media into the overall business strategy. Business people need to not only understand the value that social media can have for the business but should also jump on the social media bandwagon for sake of their business.

Positive support

It is extremely important, when it comes to social media buy-in, to have positive reinforcement for the entire social media marketing strategy. Businesses should encourage their staff to develop expertise in the social media realm and they should be rewarded for making a positive contribution to the business. Business people need to truly understand that they will be hurting their business if they fail to see the value that social media will have for their business’s long-term success.

Social media as an important business building block

A business’s social media activities serve as part of the solid foundation that holds the business in place. The business owner should regard social media as a communication platform that is powerful and effective and the business owner should be 100% committed to taking that social media foundation and establishing it as one of the main pillars that holds up the business.

Conclusion

Social media is critical to the success of your business. However, it will be a powerful and effective tool only if everyone involved is on the same page and there is a respect for its value and its contribution to the business overall.

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Author

  • Michael Cohn

    Michael Cohn is the founder and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of CompuKol Communications. He has decades of experience in IT and web technologies. Michael founded CompuKol Communications to help small businesses and entrepreneurs increase their visibility and reputation. CompuKol consults, creates, and implements communication strategies for small businesses to monopolize their markets with a unique business voice, vision, and visibility. Mr. Cohn earned a Master’s degree in project management from George Washington University in Washington, DC; and a Master’s degree in computer science and a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ.

7 Responses

  1. Jami says:

    Nice article!

    In a few short weeks I, along with my boss, will be presenting the results from a social media based contest we held. We are trying to convince the head honchos (located in CA – We’re in NC) that social media is a valuable tool that is worth investing in. Ultimately, they’re concerned about the ROI (not just for the contest, but our social media tactics as a whole). Do you have any tips for convincing non-social media savvy individuals that this type of marketing/interaction isn’t going anywhere and is worth pursuing? Thanks!

  2. Aaron Mandelbaum says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    • Group: Consultants Network | Online & Social Media
    • Discussion: The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

    Agreed. Once they see the value of communication and understand that these are the tools and channels through which communication happens, hopefully, there will be corporate buy in form the top.

    Sorry I’ve missed your meetup by the way. I’ve moved upstate.
    Posted by Aaron Mandelbaum

  3. Aaron Mandelbaum says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    • Group: Executive Suite
    • Discussion: The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

    Michael, it is my experience that the need for Corporate Buy-in is true with much of branding and marketing (and most aspects of business). Social media, brand building campaigns, advanced/enhanced web presence, marketing events, SEO and SEM, etc – corporate buy-in, or at least, corporate trust in marketing leadership is essential to really building something that is world-class. If Corporate does not perceive value the longevity of any program is threatened and, therefore, it effectiveness likely minimized.

    Posted by Eric Willig

  4. Donald Scarinci says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups
    • Group: Small Business Network – New Jersey
    • Discussion: The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

    You are absolutely right. Many very smart business people fail to understand the impact of social media on the post-2008 business environment. I guess that is good for those of us who do.

    Posted by Donald Scarinci

  5. Kenneth Lang says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Small Business Network – New Jersey
    Discussion: The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

    While I agree with you, Mike, there are real concerns about use of social media in the corporate workplace (as opposed to using it with a small business). It’s one thing to use LI to network, maybe ask a question. It’s another thing to be ‘tweeting’ or be on FB while being paid by an employer to do other work unrelated to social media. Too many people (HR and non-HR types) don’t necessarily understand the benefits and pitfalls of social media.

    Donald – awhile back one of the attorneys in your firm discussed role of social media in the workplace at a networking event I attended.

    Cordially,
    Ken
    Posted by Kenneth Lang

  6. Ted Polmar says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Small Business Network – New Jersey
    Discussion: The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

    I do have my concerns about “Social Media”….firstly, it takes an awful lot of time between staying active in discussion groups….not the 15 minutes a day….or the 140 characters..In order to make it work you need to put more than time into it….it costs dollars. However trying to keep up with the speed of social media is something that we all must d,.because if we stop or reject it completely we lose more than time- we lose revenues. And people like to talk about Social Media….that’s a fact of life now.
    So I put on my Social Media Hat and do it whenever I can, and a a result we’ve grown with new clients and greater revenues….but honestlyI can’t say specifically why…I guess because we’re thinking new business opportunities rather than just waiting for new business to come our way. Moral…..be proactive and keep on tweeting.
    Posted by Ted Polmar

  7. Kenneth Lang says:

    Via LinkedIn Groups

    Group: Small Business Network – New Jersey
    Discussion: The Importance of Corporate Buy-in on Social Media

    I’ve found that while it’s great to see additional revenues through using Social Media, that’s an indirect reason why I used it Social Media is more about visibility and exposure as you differentiate yourself from your competitors.
    Posted by Kenneth Lang