Only 18% of Top CEOs Are on Social Networks

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Social networks like Facebook and Twitter may be gaining users at a quick pace, but at least one group continues to be hesitant about joining: CEOs.

Only 18% of the CEOs of the world's top 50 biggest companies by revenue have one or more social networking accounts, according to a study released Tuesday by global pr firm Weber Shandwick. By comparison, the firm conducted a similar study in 2010 and found that 16% of the top CEOs had at least one social networking account, suggesting that not much has changed in the past three years.

The problem, according to the firm's president of digital, Chris Perry, is that maintaining a profile can be time-consuming and the risks of doing so for CEOs may be viewed as outweighing the rewards. "There is a risk with off-the-cuff commentary," Perry told Mashable. "There are lots of examples of that hurting CEOs and the companies for being seen as undisciplined."

Indeed, the study found that one social network in particular — Twitter — has actually lost members of this elite CEO group, a fact that Perry says could be due in part to a greater perceived potential for risk there compared to LinkedIn or Facebook. Between 2010 and this year, the percentage of the top 50 CEOs on Facebook grew from 4% to 10% while the percentage on Twitter dropped from 8% to 2%.