Social Media for Leaders

Barack Obama’s victory in the US Presidential Election of 2008 set the benchmark for what can be achieved using social media. He achieved this by designing his campaign to spark the right actions, leading his supporters with direct conversations and providing the tools to let a grassroots community create and share content.

If Barack Obama can become a world leader through the use of Social Media, what can you create? What’s your campaign? What’s your real world result?

Because social media allows information to spread quickly through global audiences, it’s understandable that some politicians/leaders may be wary of its use in an official capacity.  However, educating yourself on the capabilities of social media platforms will help your organization become more effective in using them to communicate with key audiences.

How Can Social Media Help Leaders?

Social media is a quick way to communicate to your colleague, your stakeholders, the media, families, the local community and the public with information on events and issues that affect them.  Using social media can help bridge the gap for people who aren’t in close proximity to an installation or know very little about certain issues.Social media is incredibly dynamic and engages people in a way that feels informal, real and transparent.  It affords leaders the opportunity to connect with others on a personal level.  By its very nature, social media allows everyone to have a role in shaping conversations.

Social media is only one of the tools in your public affairs communication toolbox, which includes your base website, base newspaper, email and commander’s calls.  Each tool should provide unique, complementary information to support your priorities. Identify the audience you want to reach and the message you want to convey, and then determine which social media platform(s) will most effectively reach that audience. Regardless of which social media platforms are used to help communicate to key audiences, they should be supplemented by other tools to meet overall communication goals.

Consider scope. The communication strategy and corresponding communication tools a president uses will be different from secretary units.  Use a tailored approach to balance the needs of senior leaders with the needs of key audiences.  Remember that social media is not just for pushing information – share interesting content and engage frequently.

Social Media Use

When using social media in an official capacity, it’s important to be honest about who is posting information on behalf of senior leaders. If you’re using social media to keep in touch with family and friends, it might not make sense to allow subordinates access to your personal accounts.  If your personal social media accounts are publicly viewable and show your political party affiliation, you must consider what your photos, videos, posts and comments say about you, your values and beliefs and your political party image. As leaders, you need to keep in mind that if you violate regulations or policies, you’ll need to deal with the situation appropriately.

Do’s and Don’ts of SocialMedia for Leaders

• Do listen to your followers and engage as necessary.
• Do be honest about who is maintaining a social media site.
• Do keep your interactions conversational and informal, yet professional. 
• Do consider your public image when using social media professionally and personally. 
• Do pick the right communication tools for your audiences.
• Don’t rely on social media alone to communicate your messages.
• Don’t stifle conversations, If a comment or post doesn’t hurt anyone and doesn’t violate your comment policy, don’t delete it.
• Don’t be afraid of negative comments or opinions, it’s just feedback and a potential opportunity to educate people about a topic.