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In the past, business leaders often adopted a hands-off approach to social media marketing, leaving all the details to their capable teams. But times have changed. Today, they’ve found themselves in a new era—one where they must actively participate in representing their brand or business online.
Whether you’re a CEO, COO, CMO, or hold any other executive position, you have the opportunity to leverage social media to drive your company to success. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything, from why you need an online presence, to how to craft an executive social media strategy that delivers optimal results.
Why Executives Should Be on Social Media
Executives who aren’t active on social media risk losing ground to more socially savvy competitors. Explore some reasons why you should strive to maintain a social presence:
It humanizes your brand
A good social media strategy for executives is one that allows you to put a face to your brand, shifting its image from being just another corporation to a relatable entity. Through strategies like storytelling, interacting with customers, and sharing behind-the-scenes looks into your business, you can craft a more authentic persona. This differentiates you in a competitive market and helps you build meaningful connections with your audience.
It builds trust and awareness through thought leadership
According to a LinkedIn study, 63% of buyers believe that thought leadership is a more reliable basis for a company’s competency than other marketing materials. Through techniques like discussing key issues in your industry, you can prove your expertise and demonstrate your deep-rooted passion for your field.
Additionally, the same study reveals that 57% of customers attribute their discovery of brands to thought leadership. Leveraging social media to demonstrate your expertise not only builds trust but also amplifies brand awareness and allows you to connect with new customers.
It encourages employee advocacy
When employees see executives championing the company, it motivates them to do the same. This creates an inspired workforce that’s actively involved in the company’s success, and aligned with its core values and goals.
As employees share content on their personal profiles, they extend the company's reach to their own networks of family and friends. This not only amplifies brand visibility but also bolsters credibility, given that 90% of individuals are more likely to trust recommendations from people they know.
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Brand messages are re-shared 24 times more frequently when distributed on employees’ personal channels, versus on the brand channel.
6 Key Strategies to Ensure Success on Social Media
A well-thought-out plan can help you stand out and drive the desired results on social media. To guide you, our experts have put together the key steps to creating an executive social media strategy:
1. Set clear and well-defined goals
Setting measurable goals is the first step in building a successful social media strategy for executives. Whether increasing brand awareness, building loyalty, or generating leads, well-defined goals help shape your strategy and lay the groundwork for success. They provide a sense of direction and focus, guiding you toward actions that serve a specific purpose.
2. Adopt a multi-channel approach
To maximize impact, adopt a multi-channel approach—the practice of using multiple media channels to implement your strategy. This broadens your reach and provides valuable insights from various channels, which can help you fine-tune your executive social media strategy.
Concentrate on platforms where your audiences are most active. For executives, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) are two of the most popular options. LinkedIn is ideal for forging professional connections and showcasing thought leadership within your field. Meanwhile, Twitter shines as a platform for sharing insights, directly engaging with audiences, and monitoring social conversations in real time.
2. Create an engaging content strategy
An executive social media content strategy differs from one designed for brands or businesses. Instead of saturating your feed with overly promotional content which may come across as self-serving (e.g., “Buy our new product!”), narrow it down to themes that showcase your expertise while allowing you to express your personality.
Identify two to three themes you can confidently and consistently explore. Strive to deliver value and spark conversations, whether it's by discussing industry trends, sharing articles, or spotlighting success stories. Infusing these discussions with your perspectives adds depth and authenticity, enabling you to build stronger relationships with your audience.
Take inspiration from John Bonini of Databox. He uses LinkedIn to share expert tips and express his views on various topics related to content marketing. Through this practice, he solidifies his standing as a credible authority in his field, which in turn, increases engagement and establishes trust with his audience.
3. Schedule posts for maximum impact
Strategic timing is vital for driving engagement and boosting visibility across your social channels. Utilizing dedicated tools can aid in this aspect, allowing you to plan and schedule your content using visual calendars. By leveraging these tools, you can ensure your content goes live at optimal times, thereby maximizing the impact of your executive social media strategy.
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5. Consistently engage with your audience
Social media is a two-way street, and posting alone isn’t enough. As you design your executive social media strategy, make it a priority to proactively respond to comments and mentions. Consider posing thought-provoking questions to spark discussions with your audience.
Interacting with customers can help increase brand recognition and trust, ultimately driving more conversions. Furthermore, engaging with your audience allows you to gather valuable feedback, insights, and ideas, which can guide you in modifying your strategy as you go.
Be inspired by Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb. He uses X to directly interact with customers, whether by reposting photos of their Airbnbs, or responding to inquiries about the app. Through genuine engagement, he connects with customers on a deeper level, while showcasing his business’s commitment to customer-centricity.
6. Measure results and refine your executive social media strategy
Consistent monitoring of your executive social media plan is vital for refining your campaign and securing its success. Regularly compare data against predefined metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to gauge the performance of your social media efforts. By closely tracking metrics such as reach, engagement rate, and conversion rate, you can identify areas for improvement and optimize your plan for better outcomes.
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Extra Tips for Executives on Social Media
Enhance your executive social media presence with these additional tips:
- Be authentic. Remember to be genuine in how you present yourself online. Your followers want to connect with the real you, not a manufactured persona.
- Avoid overly personal posts. While it's essential to infuse personality into your posts, strike a balance between personal and professional. Remember, your executive social media profile represents you and your brand.
- Seek the assistance of your social media team. You probably have other responsibilities on your plate, so don’t hesitate to enlist the support of your social media team. Whether it’s content creation or handling difficult interactions online, your team is always ready to help.
Create an Executive Social Media Strategy with Clearview Social
Social media isn’t just for posting promotional content anymore. It’s a powerful tool that executives like you should also embrace to humanize your brand, build trust, and advocate for your business.
With Clearview Social, developing and executing an executive social media strategy has never been easier. Leveraging AI and automation for social media, our platform offers a suite of features to simplify essential tasks like content creation, scheduling, analysis, and more. And with our advocacy software, we empower your team to effortlessly join you in promoting your company online, amplifying your efforts even further.
Elevate Your Executive Social Media Strategy Now with Clearview Social
Take the next step towards optimizing your executive social media strategy with Clearview Social