Persuading the C-suite to OK social media: 5 simple steps

I prepared at length and made sure I was ready for the questions they’d be most likely to ask—as well as the questions I’d ask if I were in their shoes.

The whole process was much easier than I’d expected. It wasn’t just the planning and business case that made the difference. Rather, it was the approach—one that made it easy for senior executives (those in the C-suite) to relate to what was new and completely unfamiliar.

It’s a lot easier these days to pitch a corporate blog or social media marketing initiative to senior executives. Over the past few years, even non-users are at least aware of blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and the like. Thought you aren’t likely to have to explain what a blog is—or that Facebook’s 600 million users are not all in their teens—you will still have to deal with risk management.

Here are five simple steps you can take to address risk management with your C-level executives and get them on board with your corporate blogging or social media marketing program:

1. Meet the new risks; they’re the same as the old risks