Is social networking too scary for the big boss?

Indroduction/background

I had an interesting debate just the other day with the rest of the senior management team regarding our marketing approach. We discussed the usual avenues of direct, website redesign, trade magazine adverts and press releases. Much of these haven't been what you might call dynamic for years if ever.

New ideas - New approach

When I say new ideas, I don't mean new to you or I, I am putting this into the context of a team people who think having a company website is pretty new. I mentioned that really I need to spread some of the workload and improve our social presence. Of course the inital reaction is what is social and once I had explained, a very large black cloud of suspicion decended on the room.

The CEO pretty much decided that spending time Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin, was really just messing about playing games and chatting to pointless people. Unfortunately the word "Social" to him means literally social, in other words not work related.

Reaction

This got me thinking and I have since had a similar conversation with other people, who are not in the know, when it comes to a modern approach to digital/social marketing. To my surprise, all of them couldn't see how using FB and Twitter could actually help their business models.

So what is the real objection here, is it simply that they don't know enough to make an informed descision and therefore, to retain power/status, just snap back with no. Or do they actually think that these media is not helpful?

My take

I think it really depends on the type of business and the type of customer we are looking to attract. I firmly believe that social is where websites were say ten years ago. You are either in one of two groups, firstly, got to have one (a website, now social presence), because everyone else does. Or secondly, you dismiss it outright without thought. The fact that it is quite difficult to track a snippet of information out on Twitter, leading to a sale of some widget. The name social is quite scary for a boss, who probably assumes that everyone in the office is already abusing the internet, smoking too much or not doing enough (especially true in a recession) and without a grasp on the subject only compounds the problem.

I don't expect smaller business' to embrace social fully for many years to come.

Finally

I would love to hear your comments on this.

Rgds

Marcus

twitter.com/topicking