Maximise your CEO’s impact on Social Media

Your C-suite and senior executives are potentially your company’s biggest assets on social media, as they have the knowledge, insight and credibility to engage your audiences. With high-value personal networks made up of their peers, they could be driving brand awareness and attracting new leads. 

So how can you tap into this incredibly valuable asset?

In our latest LinkedIn Live, we discussed the emerging trend of Executive Communications, also known as Exec Comms. Luke Brynley-Jones ( Founder and Managing Director), Stef Lait (Client Experience Director) and Helen Sharpe (Strategy Director) looked at what Exec Comms is, and how businesses can use it to their advantage.

What is Social Exec Comms?

As Stef Lait put it, Exec Comms means “helping senior execs to build their social presence with the goal of leveraging their personal credibility and network for marketing purposes…it’s about authenticity and building that peer to peer relationship.”

You might be thinking, “this just sounds like personal branding”, but the key difference is that Exec Comms aims to add value to the business, rather than presenting the individual as an influencer by building their own personal brand. 

Why should you be using Exec Comms with your C-Suite?

Now you know what Exec Comms is, you’re probably wondering how it could benefit your business.

By leveraging the network and reputation of your senior executives, you can speak to a whole new audience with senior-level, peer-to-peer reach. Exec Comms is also a more authentic way to present business values than through traditional PR methods, and gives your brand added credibility.

“Having a two-way conversation with the CEO is going to be far more powerful than having it with someone at the brand.”

Helen Sharpe explains; “we typically see that personal accounts far outperform the ones from the brand, and it really does go back to that human connection…having a two-way conversation with CEO is going to be far more powerful than having it with someone at the brand.”

But it’s not just a one-way street – using Exec Comms can benefit the executive themselves as well as the organisation. By posting high-quality content and thought-leadership pieces, they can enjoy an expanded network and a higher personal profile, which may lead to speaking invitations, future career opportunities and other personal benefits.

How can you get started with an Exec Comms strategy?

The first step on the road to Exec Comms perfection is to assess where the individual is currently with their social media, and how comfortable they are with social media in general. Then you ask the Executive some questions about their personal interests, values, and style, to ensure that any content created for their channels is authentic.

Once you know a bit about the executive, you can start your Exec Comms programme. Here are some of the key steps:

Create a strong profile

This includes making sure there is a profile photo or video, a branded cover photo, and an up-to-date bio that reflects the brand message as well as the executive’s personal values.

Map the existing network

Find out how influential the executive’s current network is, and who they are not currently connected with but would like to get to know. Then you can build a plan for fostering those relationships.

Monitor channels for opportunities 

Monitoring the executive’s network and the network of their connections, while proactively looking out for opportunities to connect and engage with others, helps to keep you on top of what’s trending in relevant industries and what the exec’s peers are discussing. This can then influence the content put out on their channels.

Post regular, authentic content 

Sharing regular content is the most important part of Exec Comms. This content might include sharing relevant articles and thoughts on the industry, selfie videos, or using features on LinkedIn to create polls or celebrate a colleague.

Some members of your C-suite might be less comfortable than others with the idea of using their personal accounts, but as Stef put it, “CEO’s and top executives need to get comfortable putting themselves out there more…they need to get OK with giving a bit more of themselves if they’re  going to the face of these companies.” A great way to get those more reluctant executives on board is to start with someone who is keen and a communicator, and use them as a case study to inspire others.

“One thing we see time and time again is, if you’re a senior person living your values, that’s what drives a lot of engagement”

The thing to remember about creating effective content for Executives is, it’s all about authenticity and personal connection. In our LinkedIn Live, our Founder and CEO Luke Brynley-Jones explained “One thing we see time and time again is, if you’re a senior person living your values, that’s what drives a lot of engagement”.

If you want to learn more about maximising the impact of your CEO on social media, you can watch the full LinkedIn Live for further insights from Luke Brynley-Jones, Stef Lait, and Helen Sharpe. You’ll learn more about the best ways to create an Exec Comms strategy, how to overcome potential challenges, and hear direct examples from case studies.

Register here to watch our LinkedIn Live.