12 most feeble excuses leaders give to shun social media

Thankfully more folks with corner offices are starting to understand that savvy social media use can boost a company’s bottom line. Plenty of leaders, though, aren’t yet convinced.

Here are the most common justifications companies or nonprofits give for shunning social media—and the reasons they’re all hooey. Feel free to leave a print out of this article where your boss will see it.

1. “We can’t control it.”

Oh, so you’re saying can control what the local or national media say about you? Can you control the things your customers say about you?

Be certain about this, Mr. or Ms. CEO: Your customers are spouting off on Yelp, Twitter, Foursquare and elsewhere whether you are there to respond or not. It’s better to be aware of and able to respond to social chatter that’s already happening about your brand. That’s something you can control.

2. “We can’t afford it.”

Social media is amazingly cost effective. The tools and technology available allow companies to connect directly with their customers on a broad scale. This was impossible when marketing required companies to rely on a third party, such as a journalist, ad agency, billboard or other media outlet, to reach customers.