The number of times I’ve heard people say, “My boss doesn’t see the value in social media,” is really unfortunate.
How you approach this hurdle is absolutely crucial.
When I started my current job, and began to quietly float the idea of using social media past various folks, I often heard, “I’m not so sure you’ll be able to make that fly.” It became very apparent that I was facing an uphill battle, but for my personality type, that simply made the process more fun.
Most of the time, when someone opposes the use of social media, it stems from insecurities around the unknown. And that’s perfectly understandable.
When you are making the social media pitch you need to have data readily available. For example, some people may assume that only kids use social media. Of course, you and I know that isn’t true, but you have to dispel that misconception. To help clear up that confusion you could have the following types of facts available.
The 25 – 54 age group is growing at a rapid pace on Facebook, and as a matter of fact, according to a recent iStrategyLabs report the 55+ demo grew 513.7% from January 4, – July 4, 2009.
In addition to data, providing success stories of how others have utilized social media will help you paint a picture of how your organization could benefit.
And most importantly, you need to have a strategy in mind. Without a strategy, you’ll drastically reduce your chances of convincing the powers at be that social media is right for you. Think of the strategy as your map, and a way to ease the fears of the unknown.
These are just a few things to help you better understand how to get around the hurdle of, “My boss doesn’t see the value in social media.” There’s not a one size fits all solution, so if you have additional questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
