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(A dummies guide to) the six social media skills every leader needs

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McKinsey&Company discuss social media literacy and how it has quickly become a source of competitive advantage. With the social media revolution leaving few sectors of business untouched, it has allowed companies to effectively engage customers and to successfully create brand loyalty. Whilst its potential is undoubtedly huge, it is important for leaders to learn how to use it effectively so to minimise its risks.

So here they are, the six social media skills every leader needs to learn (but without all the confusing jargon!)

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1) Leader as producer: How to create compelling content

The tools for producing and sharing media have never been easier, where YouTube and other platforms have continued to rise in popularity. As a leader of new forms of literacy, General Electric’s Video Central now houses thousands of videos, many created by top leaders. As video communication continues to popularise, executives will need to master the basics of digital multimedia production.

2) Leader as distributor: How to leverage the dissemination dynamics

Social media has revolutionised standard information processes, by making distribution the starting point and inviting company audiences to contextualise content to create new meaning. It allows people to repost videos, retweet, comment on blogs and to use other people’s content to create their own mash ups. Since executives won’t be able to control a message once it enters the system, they need to understand how this content may be interpreted and changed once it goes live. The skill leaders need to learn is how to secure followers who help to reinforce your message. It is vital that leaders are aware of the communication that continues to circulate around them and to utilise its content.

3) Leader as recipient: How to manage communication overflow

Social media has created an ocean of information, where we find ourselves continuously drowning in a sea of emails, tweets and Facebook updates. Therefore, it is important that leaders learn to become proficient at using software tools and settings so they can filter the important stuff from the unimportant. In the social media realm, information is shared and commented on within seconds and leaders must learn embrace this. The key is to write thought-provoking content, as this will provide the foundations on which the acceptance or resistance of messages will be built.

4) Leader as analyst: How to drive strategic social media utilisation

Social media has enormous technological potential, something which should be approached with qualified guidance, in order to minimise the risk of damage it could inflict upon your business. Leaders need to play a proactive role in raising the media literacy of their companies and become advisers to enable and support the implementation of social media tools. As a new, media-savvy generation enters the workplace, leaders need to learn how to harness their “digital native” workforce through “reverse mentoring” systems. Leaders must become tutors and orchestrators of all the social media activities within their control.

5) Leader as architect: How to create an enabling organisational infrastructure

Leaders need to create an effective balance between free exchanges on social media, whilst enforcing controls, which lessen the risks of irresponsible use. It is vital to share expertise and responsibility but also for employees to refrain from speaking on the company ‘s behalf without authorisation and being clear that their views on social media are personal. Videos can help to unite employees around a common goal, to help bring new employees on board which will make everyone more proficient in using new media.

6) Leader as adviser: How to stay ahead of the curve

The predecessor of the Web 2.0 revolution is around the corner and by 2020 there will around 50 billion connected devices. This will open new opportunities and business models that leaders must learn to manage. Its vital as a leader to stay one step ahead of emerging trends and innovations and what they will mean for communication technology. Executives who experiment with new technologies and devices will be able to act more quickly and capture the advantages of early adoption.

Do you agree, or do you think there are more social media skills that every leader needs to successfully run their business? Share your thoughts with us.


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