Leading in the digital age: A study of how social media are transforming the work of communication professionals

•Communication professionals used social media extensively in their work.•Social media use was closely related to professionals’ leadership behaviors.•Demographics and psychographics impacted professionals’ social media management.•Communication professionals’ strategic vision predicted their social media use.

This study examined: (1) how communication professionals’ understanding of social media’s strategic role was associated with their active social media use, and (2) how strategic social media management was related to communication professionals’ leadership behaviors. Analysis of an online survey from a national sample of communication professionals (n = 461) revealed the following. First, social media use was closely related to participants’ leadership behaviors. Second, years of experience, organizational type and size, size of communication staff, and professionals’ primary role as managers significantly impacted the social media use in communication-related work. Finally, communication professionals’ strategic vision about social media predicted their social media use.