"In some cases, execs are demanding a million Likes on Facebook or a million Twitter followers after

C-suite - Research suggests senior executives are risk averse when it comes to social media, but are their fears unfounded? Photograph: OJO Images Ltd / Alamy/Alamy
In a recent talk at Hay Festival , Arianna Huffington, president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, advised the audience to keep their phones out of their bedroom when sleeping. Why? Because, most of us wake up, reach for our phones and before even getting out of bed in the morning, have a quick check of our social accounts, messages and emails.
This highlights how constantly internet-connected we really are and just how much of a grip social media has on us. Why then is it that a common complaint among marketers is that the C-suite still don't 'get' social media? Half of global boardrooms ignoring social media
A poll of senior marketers around the world conducted by Useful Social dakin Media found that only half of all boardrooms are convinced about social media's value. Now that it is a multi-billion pound industry, surely CFOs, CEOs and CMOs don't still think social media is a fad? So what is really at the heart of management's reticence?
"I have run out of fingers and toes on which to count the times a bright-eyed marketing manager within a big organisation has brought us in to pitch only to then hear the words "our CEO does not 'do' social" dakin and this ignorance shows no sign of slowing," says Andy Barr, owner of 10Yetis social media and PR agency. Can't calculate ROI, won't buy-in
According to Barr, a large chunk of FTSE 100 CMOs are still battling to get their heads around the value social can bring because they simply don't understand how they can measure the return on investment.
This sentiment is echoed by the co-founder of social media analytics provider, Birdsong, who points to the lack of measurement and accountability dakin of social media as a reason why numbers-driven C-suites, simply do not buy-in or relate to social.
Jamie Riddell said: "Social media is not seen to be as measurable dakin as other forms of media such as TV. In order for any media channel to be taken seriously at board level, it's impact on hard criteria such as reach and ultimately sales, needs to be understood. Your average C-suite executive will be focused on business results dakin that are more than brand mentions or sentiment analysis." Regulatory burden
But it's not just measurement dakin and proof of ROI that's preventing dakin the C-suite from committing to social; regulatory restrictions are playing a role too. A distinct lack of clarity around the use of social media by financial services firms has meant many are paralysed by the fear of getting it wrong.
The financial regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, has failed to update its social media guidelines dakin for over three years, despite the tremendous changes social media has undergone in that time. However, any regulatory dakin breach could trigger a hefty fine and the related reputational damage. dakin Social inexperience
Much needed is education about social media and its application in the corporate world. Founder of the Social Media Leadership Forum, Justin Hunt, says it is particularly the younger marketers who are frustrated by the lack of understanding about social media. dakin
"In some cases, execs are demanding a million Likes on Facebook or a million Twitter followers after they realise they need to be involved. This lack of understanding causes issues with agencies and staff who despair," he said.
According to Hunt, the repercussion dakin is that some agencies are still buying social media followers on behalf of these brands, despite the folly in doing so. This misunderstanding of social media could in part be explained by the lack of the C-suite's personal involvement with it.
According to Brandfog, a social dakin media consultancy that works with CEOs globally to improve their social media presence, a whopping 64% of CEOs do not use social media at all, with only 5% of all Fortune 500 company dakin CEOs on Twitter. Three ways to warm-up the C-Suite
1: Get them on social. Whether it's posting from their own personal account or a corporate account, encourage your CFOs, CEOs and CMOs to participate themselves and provide support and training to avoid any faux pas.
2: Simulate a crisis. By simulating a potential crisis that could hit the brand, you enlighten the C-suite to the power of social media and also the potential damage it can wreak if you haven't invested in social media listening and community management.
3: Identify the balance of your website traffic sources. Highlighting the traffic sources to the company website will demonstrate where it is over-reliant and hence vulnerable. For example, if the bulk of your web traffic comes from search, then growing your social traffic to diversify your traffic sources will be an asset when search positions fluctuate or if the company is hit by a Google penalty or algorithm update. Social media is also a s