Have you heard of a Social CEO? I’ve defined this term as a chief executive officer with active social media public profiles who regularly posts strategic content to benefit the business and their personal brand.
An active and engaged social media presence allows executives to connect with employees, customers, potential employees and customers and other key stakeholders. It not only benefits your professional career but it also has a direct impact on your company’s bottom line: 77 percent of consumers prefer to purchase from a company where executives are active on social media.
If you’re already convinced of the benefits, you might be dealing with another issue I often hear: I don’t have the time or resources to do it myself. While many executives might turn to their internal marketing, communication or social media teams for help, I argue that hiring an external team offers many benefits for you and your business. Here’s why.
Authenticity and voice
An external team is focused on sharing your voice, not the brand’s voice. Their main goal is to consider and put you first in the social strategy in a way that complements the brand but doesn’t prioritize it. Yes, you are an important voice in furthering brand messages, but your strategy needs to be different and unique to you. It’s also beneficial for you as a professional to get personal on social media; it’s much easier and often more comfortable to share those details with an external team so they can position how to authentically message.
Fresh perspectives
External teams bring a fresh set of eyes to your social media strategy. They can offer new ideas and innovative approaches that an internal team may not consider due to their closeness to the brand or their more junior role in the company. Internal teams also might not feel comfortable pushing boundaries. An external team, immersed in the latest social media trends and strategies and working with your brand as their top priority, will be more likely to implement and try new ideas to advance your thought leadership.
Risk mitigation
This is a big one for executives who are worried about the security of their social media presence. External teams are often better equipped to manage the security of your platforms and reduce the risk of social media crises. If you happen to switch agencies, the risk of security issues is small. If you let an employee go, and they have your passwords, the risk is high.
Objective insights
External teams can provide unbiased assessments of your social media performance and offer recommendations for improvement without internal politics or biases. They should also produce detailed reports with analytics to measure your social media efforts’ success. Bonus points if your agency offers guarantees in their work. At Media Minefield, we guarantee an increase in the organic engagement of the social media strategies we manage for executives.
There is a misconception that when an organization is large enough, it should replace an external agency with an internal team. However, the most effective large organizations understand that internal teams can’t do it all. Whether it’s a crisis, an executive’s thought leadership, social media strategy, or managing brand reputation, an external agency brings a different type of experience and expertise that will support and augment an internal team.
Final Tip
Choose a reputable agency with a proven track record of social media success and a process that will allow them to understand your perspective and voice. It’s also crucial to have effective communication and collaboration between your external team and internal stakeholders (your brand’s social media team and marketing department) for a successful partnership.
Kristi’s article was originally posted in Inc. on October 30, 2023.