BusinessWeek, which seems to be all over social media recently, had an interesting story looking at CEOs who use Twitter.
They found that the number of CEOs using Twitter had jumped over the past year as Twitter became more of a mainstream communications tools. While user-interface expert Jakob Nielsen doesn’t believe CEOs should Twitter because it’s difficult, if not impossible, to effectively communicate in 140-character (or less) bursts, there are plenty of reasons why Twitter is resonating with CEOs:
1. It’s quick and easy to post an update. I mean, how long does it really take to write 140-characters, especially when you’re sitting in the back of a limousine with nothing else to do?
2. Twittering involves less work than writing a blog post, and it takes less time. For time-strapped CEOS, both of these points make Twitter much more user-friendly.
3. You can engage with a variety of constituents – employees, customers, suppliers, investors – or, at least, look like you’re engaging simply by posting a few Tweets a day.
4. It’s difficult to get in trouble with securities regulators if you’ve only got 140 characters to make statements.
5. You can Twitter on a mobile device. Given how much time CEOs spend on the road, Twitter is an easy service to adopt and embrace.
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Why CEOs Love Twitter
BusinessWeek, which seems to be all over social media recently, had an interesting story looking at CEOs who use Twitter.
They found that the number of CEOs using Twitter had jumped over the past year as Twitter became more of a mainstream communications tools. While user-interface expert Jakob Nielsen doesn’t believe CEOs should Twitter because it’s difficult, if not impossible, to effectively communicate in 140-character (or less) bursts, there are plenty of reasons why Twitter is resonating with CEOs:
1. It’s quick and easy to post an update. I mean, how long does it really take to write 140-characters, especially when you’re sitting in the back of a limousine with nothing else to do?
2. Twittering involves less work than writing a blog post, and it takes less time. For time-strapped CEOS, both of these points make Twitter much more user-friendly.
3. You can engage with a variety of constituents – employees, customers, suppliers, investors – or, at least, look like you’re engaging simply by posting a few Tweets a day.
4. It’s difficult to get in trouble with securities regulators if you’ve only got 140 characters to make statements.
5. You can Twitter on a mobile device. Given how much time CEOs spend on the road, Twitter is an easy service to adopt and embrace.