Life has a funny habit of neglecting the worker bees. But as technology continues to transform our interactions with customers, your Social Media Manager, not your CEO, is the one who will make or break your organization. Here are four reasons to be nicer to them, seek their input and show more respect for their opinions.
1. They shape your brand
A company is only as strong as the sustainable alignment between a brand and its touchpoints. A CEO could spend days with their management team developing what they think is a bulletproof strategy, only to have it come undone because they don’t understand what’s going on in the trenches. Don’t become one of those companies that sacrifices engagement with its core audience to keep a smile on the faces of people who will never be your customer anyway. Instead, become a nimble company with a personality that gives social media managers enough rope to hang your competition.
2. They have raw access to your customers
When your Social Media Manager speaks, you should listen. With unvetted access to customers’ opinions around the clock, no one has a more current and accurate view of your brand’s strength. They also know the best way to get ROI on your marketing campaigns, and can easily stop you from making an expensive mistake, such as throwing big dollars at traditional outbound marketing efforts that probably won’t work.
3. They have the same influence over profitability
Just like a CEO’s role is to attract and retain the best people to drive maximum profit for the organization, the Social Media Manager’s role is to attract and retain the best customers to optimize interactions. Your company might have 1 million followers on Twitter, but does your CEO know who your biggest brand advocates are, how to engage in meaningful long term relationships with them, and how that should influence strategy?
4. They’re younger and smarter
Social media managers have typically grown up in a digital, social media-driven environment. They get it. CEOs on the other hand want to know how your outreach efforts are going to increase profitability right now. They might even be prejudice towards your online community efforts, wondering why every follower is not ready to buy from you immediately. This ignores social proof, brand awareness, and influencer amplification, all of which are incredibly important in your relationships with existing and prospective customers.
More CEOs could take a hint from Dollar Shave Club, with its CEO (who thinks like an SMM) Michael Dubin writing and starring in this famous viral marketing campaign.
