Social Business Adoption: Step 1 – Secure, Maintain Executive Sponsorship and Championship

This is step one of Hearsay Social’s six-step program to boost social business adoption across the enterprise. Check back next week for step two.
Executive buy-in is a critical first step along a firm’s path to increasing social business adoption. A recent assessment conducted by Hearsay Social of more than 100 financial services firms on their social business maturity found that those with executive buy-in – which may include the company’s CEO, CMO and/or head of digital, marketing, sales, compliance or IT – have an average of 13 percent higher maturity versus those without.
Here are five tips on how to encourage executive sponsors to lead by example:

If they don’t already have one, help them build out a professional profile on LinkedIn, Twitter and/or Facebook.
Empower them to produce content. Audiences are especially interested in what executive leaders have to say. They could start writing and posting on topics they are thought leaders in or are passionate about. If that’s not an option, designate someone to learn their voice and write on their behalf.
If the executive sponsor is already producing content on the company blog or elsewhere, expand the reach of the content by promoting it via the company’s social media channels and to the field.
Encourage the executive sponsor to follow on social media other execs that they know and/or admire.
Show the executive sponsor how to listen for opportunities on social media for two-way dialogue with his or her fans and followers.

Want to get more details on Hearsay Social’s entire six-step framework and how real firms have successfully implemented a social business program? Get our new, free Social Business Adoption Guide now.
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Connie Sung Moyle