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Get your boss on the Twitter highway.

Posted by Bob Brin on January 10, 2010 at January 10, 2010 5:22 PM

When your boss looks at Twitter, she may see drivel in an indecipherable shorthand akin to gang graffiti. To get her attention, you'll need to show her the dialog she's missing out on. Partners talking to competitors. Analysts talking about the company or products. Maybe people talking about her. Once you've shown her there's a big world out there, give her a crash course in the rules of the road, including your corporate social media guidelines. Then set her up on TweetDeck or some similar dashboard to make it as easy as possible. Here are some suggestions to get your boss rolling.

Practice in the parking lot
Start your boss tweeting in a safe, confined area with just a few colleagues & employees. That gives her a chance to learn the shorthand and the difference between a tweet, a retweet and a direct message. Of course, unless she keeps her posts protected, there's a "risk" that someone could shout "Hey, the CMO's on Twitter!" So make sure she's ready to carry on a conversation.

Circle the neighborhood
Next, broaden the circle to some friendly faces outside the firm. Business partners and customers with whom he has a close connection will be both engaging and beneficial for your boss. He'll quickly see how the lines between business and personal blur.

Merge onto the highway
Next, it's time to broaden beyond those who HAVE to respect your boss to those whose respect he must earn. These might be industry influencers, such as analysts, bloggers or reporters. Start with those familiar faces that he already follows in traditional media and conferences. Who does he respect? How about leaders from unrelated industries? Whose circle does he want to be in? Who does he want to listen to him?

Head for the big city
Now it's time to venture into the big city. Your boss could consider following competitors. Especially those with whom he shares a cordial relationship. It's not always appropriate, and it may even be against your social media guidelines, but it can yield some great information and other potential connections. Plus, it sends a signal of mutual respect. At the least, he should begin following prospects. Then look for opportunities to engage them in conversations.

Most execs already have the tools for Twitter: confidence, something to say, great networking skills and common sense. With a little coaching from you, they should be able to see beyond the drivel to what drives business.

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