Twitter is a must for any leader. Period. Social Media provides an
unprecedented opportunity for the leader to put a face on his
corporation. The bigger the corporation the more vital the need for a
face to the internal fans (the employees) and the external fans (the
customers). The adage "the bigger we are the smaller we must become"
has never been more true than in this present financial crisis.
The old school (non-twitterers, if you will) automotive industry, music industry, financial industry and the government, only to name a few, have lost touch with their customers. And when corporations lose touch, the death knell will be tolling in the distance, or in the case of the aforementioned, wailing at the funeral.
Never has it been more important to engage our clients in this digital world. Social Media like Twitter and Facebook is simply people having conversations online. In 2008, if you are not on a social networking site, you are not on the Internet! It is a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. The old model was a monologue and the new model is a dialogue.
78% of people trust the recommendations of others. In the monumental paradox of change, trust is now built more effectively online than face to face. It is cost effective and it is a must.
It is especially a requirement to the 75 million strong Millennial Generation under the age of 26. A staggering 98% of them are on a social networking platform of some kind. 98%! They make up one of the hottest potential markets for 2009 and beyond. And they know your face because they see it on Facebook via your Twitter feed.
I applaud you who are brave enough to look around the corner and embrace technology instead of branding it as useless and wasteful.
May your tribe increase!
