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Why Top Executives Are Resisting Social Media

June 11th, 2008 @ 7:00 am

2 Comments

Categories: Marketing, Online Media, Public Relations, Social Media, Technology

Tags: Blog, Social Media, Online Media, Blogging, Internet, Jon Greer

If you’re reading this blog, you probably “get” social media to some degree. Isn’t it amazing how few people you know actually read blogs or other fast-changing online media on a regular basis? It does tend to put a damper on one’s enthusiasm for social media, that’s for sure.

If you’ve been wondering why it’s so hard to get the boss to let you blog, Twitter and podcast all day, here’s a survey that might help you understand it: the “Resistance to Social Media Survey” conducted by the USC Marshall School of Business.

Some of the findings:

  • Only 29 percent of the respondents think blogs are a useful business communication tool for improving image or productivity
  •  Only 11 percent rated their organization as “significantly above industry average” in their rate of online media adoption, with 49 percent rating themselves “significantly below”
  • 28 percent reported significant “corporate/management resistance to the use of the following new media tools/technologies”
  • And here’s the kicker: the most important reasons hindering online technology adoption include:
    • Lack of basic understanding
    • Corporate liability concerns
    • Cost/staff issues
    • Network security
Did you know that Jon Greer is available to speak to your company or PR agency about PR and media relations? Contact Jon for more information!

 
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  •  
    1

    krisbeldin

    06/12/08 | Reported as spam

    Education, Education, Education

    Great post, and very timely at that! Part of the reason the C-Suite don't understand social media is because so many of us in the industry don't understand it, or do and just don't articulate that to the executives.

    I'm with an agency and feel like we have a real mountain to climb and yet there are still professionals in the PR/marketing industries that just aren't online - as unbelievable as that sounds.

    It might be worthwhile for you to cover some of these basic social media tools and ways they can be implemented and used to serve corporate goals. The Web is moving at the speed of light and we need to catch up and figure it out.

    Thanks again for a great post!

  •  
    2

    wgililla

    06/14/08 | Report as spam

    RE: Why Top Executives Are Resisting Social Media

    The truth is it is hard, if not impossible, to quantify the return on investment for a corp blog. Image managment is risky business. Its important and expensive. Many executives believe blogs take image managment out of the hands of the experts and leave the company unprotected. Additionally, how do you pay for it? and how do you justify the expense? Those questions must be answered in real and practical terms. Its easy to say its the cost of doing business if you arent responsible for budget priorities. When it comes down to spending money on people or programs, you have to know what your talking about.

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