That’s because Dickson is the star of the Will It Blend? series of YouTube videos, in which he subjects a host of objects (marbles, computer games, an iPod, an iPhone, an iPad) to the sharp blades of his products. Until 2006, few people had heard of Dickson today, there aren’t many business owners who haven’t. blender manufacturer Blendtec, uses social media. Should the company issue an official response to comments made in a private setting? Could the CEO wade into the public discussion when he had never been active in the blogosphere and had no other social media platform? In the end, he and his team did nothing, leaving everyone feeling frustrated and helpless.įor a comparison, consider the ease with which Tom Dickson, founder and CEO of small U.S. Customers and other stakeholders were participating in the debate online, arguing strongly in favor of net neutrality. There were lengthy discussions about whether and how to respond. He had decided that social media weren’t “his thing.” In fact, he became aware of the buzz over his comments only after some people in the company had alerted his communications group. The executive had no active social media presence-no profile on Facebook or LinkedIn, no Twitter account, no blog on the company’s website. (For confidentiality, names have not been revealed.) Little did he know that, in the coming days, his semiprivate comments would enter a very public realm-the blogosphere-unleashing a storm of controversy around him and his company. The CEO answered candidly, arguing in favor of price discrimination based on content there was an engaging exchange and he left satisfied with his visit. After his presentation, a student in the audience asked him for his views on network neutrality: the idea that internet service providers shouldn’t base their prices on the content their customers access. The CEO of a global technology firm was invited to lecture at a local university on the future of the internet. You must also consider the risks of maintaining a large number of connections and of sharing content online.Īctive participation in social media can be a powerful tool-the difference between leading effectively and ineffectively, and between advancing and faltering in the pursuit of your goals. To formulate your personal social media strategy, it helps to clarify your goals (personal, professional, or both), desired audience (private or public), and resources (can you justify using your company’s?). Third, they give you an opportunity to learn from instant information and unvarnished feedback. Second, they allow you to engage rapidly and simultaneously with peers, employees, customers, and the broader public-in order to leverage relationships, show commitment to a cause, and demonstrate a capacity for reflection. First, they provide a low-cost, highly accessible platform on which to build your personal brand, communicating who you are both within and outside your company. Today’s leaders must embrace social media for three reasons. But whereas the best businesses are creating comprehensive strategies in this area, research suggests that few corporate leaders have a social media presence-say, a Facebook or LinkedIn page-and that those who do don’t use it strategically. Social media are changing the way we do business and how leaders are perceived, from the shop floor to the CEO suite.
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