When it comes to social media, every department may be sold on its benefits, but the most important folks in the room are the hardest to convince: executives.

Social media is an investment. Whether that investment is time, money, labor or something else, executives see it as an expense. And since the goal of executives is to keep a company as profitable as possible, it may not be an expense they are immediately willing to undertake.

Luckily, we have put together a compelling set of arguments to present to skeptical executives when it comes to selling the (very necessary) concept of social media. These five points should help any marketer cross that last hurdle before implementing a social media program and sharing a well-earned ‘told-ya-so’ at the next quarterly meeting. (NOTE: Probably not in your best interest to use those exact words at the next quarterly meeting. A well-organized report should do the trick.)

1. The ‘Leg-Up’ Argument

One of the easiest ways to show that social media is a necessary program is to show where your competitors are failing. We showcased 10 free social media monitoring tools in a blog post last week that you can use for some (very legal) corporate espionage. Listen in on what people are saying about your competitors and explain how this is information that can be used to give your brand a competitive advantage.

2. Scare Them (A Little Bit)

Though it seems hard to believe, there are still plenty of people out there who do not understand the power of SEO and social media. After all, not all executives rose through the ranks in the age of technology and online networking, and may not completely understand their awesome power. Ask them for five keywords with which they associate their brands. Type them into Google. Are they the first result? No? Their chances of being clicked on just fell 36% – and no we’re not kidding. Are they on the first page? No? Down over 90%.

We discussed some of the benefits of social media and SEO in a blog last week. SEO is still one of the most powerful ways of being found online. And even for those executives who do not believe or understand the power of social media, many know about SEO. Explain the added benefits to search rankings as a result of a properly executed social media strategy.

 3. Show Conversations in Real-Time

This method is going to require a little bit more prep than the others. First, use any of the free social media monitoring tools we discussed in our earlier blog. Then, put together a profile of keywords that pulls in live conversations showcasing some leads that your company would be able to target with a social media program. This not only showcases the power of social media, but gets executives excited about implementing the program.

Last year, I was in a meeting with a real estate executive. I put together a very preliminary listening profile and, in our meeting, we pulled out three leads, one of which turned into a referral for the agent. Needless to say, they could not wait to dive into the program head on. Try it – these programs exist for a reason.

4. Present Case Studies

One of the most widely used arguments against the implementation of a social media program is that the results are unproven. This is always a baffling claim, because the evidence that these programs work is staggering. Before meeting with your executives, find some case studies for your industry (and yes, they exist for every industry) examine them and present them, in detail, at your meeting. Hard evidence of success is something executives are trained to look for, and practical examples are always better than theoretical ones.

5. Find More Than One Reason

You might know that the benefits of a social media program are virtually endless, but your executives might not. So, when you go into your meeting, give your executives more than one reason why they need social media. Though it’s obvious to seasoned social marketers, it is not as clear for everyone else.

BONUS: If you want a little push to get you going, set a few things up in the backend that can get your company started. These can be set up on your own time and include small, free listening programs, Google Alerts, or something similar. Having something in place will also help you get over that last hump before implementing a full-scale program.

Have you found any methods that help sell to skeptical executives? Tell us in the comments below or on Twitter!