A new study on eMarketer suggests that CEOs who tweet are regarded more positively than those who don’t – so it’s high time company big-wigs get their thoughts in order, condense them, and type them out in 140 characters or less.

It looks like CEOs aren’t exactly following the “lead by example” path. Social media branding firm BRANDfrog conducted a survey published on eMarketer that found CEOs lag behind their employees when it comes to Twitter adoption.

The majority of consumers believe that C-level execs should be on Twitter, as it would reflect positively on their company. 78 percent believe CEOs participating on social media leads to better communication, 71 percent believe it improves brand image, and 64 percent believe it offers more transparency. Additionally, 82 percent of employees responding to the survey say they trust a company more if the C-level and other leadership tweets.

And not only does Twitter and other social media use by CEOs improve how a company is perceived, but it also impacts the all-important bottom line. 77 percent of respondents say they are more likely or much more likely to purchase a product from a company if its higher-ups are tweeting.

Of course, despite all of these benefits, many CEOs and other C-levels are still resistant to social media. Tweeting opens up an individual or company to the public more than they might be comfortable with. The level of transparency required for CEOs to really engage on Twitter (and not just retweet press releases and tow the company line) is high indeed – but it’s a necessary component of the new world of marketing.

(CEO image via Shutterstock)