I began suggesting a social media effort at Electric Guard Dog in 2010. My suggestion was met with skepticism by management due to beliefs shared by many in the security industry: too much public broadcasting of a security system can jeopardize its integrity, inappropriate or even offensive exchanges between employees or customers are a risk, as is the downloading of invasive or malicious software, and/or the posting of false information. The most frequently stated risk was a lack of return on investment (ROI): what if we spent money starting a social media program and nothing happened?
Last August, I was stunned when Electric Guard Dog Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jack DeMao abruptly informed me I was to formulate a social media strategy that we would launch in one month’s time to support a nationwide recruiting campaign. He noted that on a previous recruiting effort, a few recruits made mention of the absence of a social media platform, so while he was still dubious, he had decided to try.