How to Talk Social in the C-Suite
It’s every social media professional’s greatest fear: Asking the C-suite for an increased social budget without a clear return on investment to show for it.
The social media department is often walled off from other departments, which makes it even more challenging for social media managers to rally support. It’s a daunting task even if you speak the language of the C-suite, but recent advancements in marketing technology have made it possible for companies to break down the walls of their internal structures and give consumers what they expect.
More than 90 percent of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all other forms of advertising, and today’s typical internet-using consumer lives in a social-first world. Studies show that the average customer has seven social media accounts, and they aren’t shy about telling friends and family how they feel about your brand via social media.
The customer journey is changing. Corporate behavior and priorities are unfortunately playing a game of catch-up with both technology and consumers’ use of it. While social media is driving this change, it’s also the best solution to closing the gap between consumer and brand communication.
Social impact on the bottom line
Here comes the hard part—convincing the C-suite that social can drive ROI, match sales or marketing efforts and help push the company out of the past and into the future. So, how do you make them listen?
Present clear social strategies and objectives
Clearly outline how social fits into the company’s overall marketing, sales or public-relations strategy. This will look different for each organization depending on key audiences, overarching goals, etc., but weaving social into this process will help the C-suite understand its relationship toward similar strategies and objectives.
It’s important that social is recognized as a separate entity, but explain how it can belong to the larger ecosystem of marketing communications goals.
