21 Apr 3 Ways the Pandemic Changed Executive Social Media
The COVID-19 pandemic forced marketers to pivot in ways they’ve never had to before. As social media became an increasingly important platform for consumers, marketers have had to think outside the box when it comes to delivering important brand messages.
For many marketers, this meant tapping into a new digital marketing strategy: leveraging the company’s executives and positioning them on social media as thought leaders.
Below, read about the three ways the pandemic changed executive social media — and why now, during the post-COVID era, having your company’s executives on social media has never been more important to your digital marketing strategy.
Executives on social media build trust and the company’s image
While social media had to contend with increased misinformation during the COVID pandemic, there’s no denying that many consumers flocked to these platforms as a way to stay updated. For many companies, their digital marketing strategy changed during this time, reflecting a higher degree of authenticity and transparency.
In order to build a more authentic relationship with consumers, many marketers turned to their company’s leadership team as a way to personally engage with their audience. Executives who are more visible on social media tend to have an advantage over their peers who aren’t on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. They’re able to build trust and loyalty among consumers more easily.
Learn how we partnered with one major telecom company to help manage their president’s online presence — and improve company sentiment at the same time.
Executives on social media speak to stakeholders
Executives, particularly those like the founder or CEO, are in a unique position — they’re often the public face of their company. This is why it’s not only important to establish trust using social media, but also to use their platform to communicate with key stakeholders. Examples include:
- Existing (and potential) employees
- Consumers
- Partners
- Investors
- Suppliers
Social media became a critical way for executives to stay connected with stakeholders during the pandemic since in-person meetings were few and far between. In addition, the numerous lockdowns and the rise of remote work changed the business-employee relationship. Consider how during this time, you may have seen posts from CEOs about building and strengthening company culture, even when the entire workforce may be working remotely.
Here’s a tip from our executive social media experts: Not every executive will want to communicate with all stakeholder groups. It’s important to establish who you want your executive’s presence to resonate with, which will help guide your social media strategy and content creation.
Executives on social media fill their networking gaps
The COVID pandemic meant that many conferences and industry events were canceled or moved virtually. For many companies, especially those that relied on in-person relationship building, this dealt a major blow to their networking capabilities.
However, executives can effectively leverage social media to fill their networking gaps by connecting with relevant stakeholders online. With LinkedIn being a popular platform among CEOs, there are a number of ways to reach out and connect with potential prospects. The goal isn’t to be too self-promotional, but to use social media to strike a conversation and build a relationship.
This was exactly the case with one of our executive clients in the technology space. We worked with two of their sales leaders to establish an engaging thought leadership program while also growing their follower base. Read the case study here, including how we increased total monthly engagements 9x.
Of course, by now, many in-person events have resumed, but that’s not to say social media is any less important when it comes to executive networking. It remains a powerful complementary tool to conferences.
The number of executives using social media strategically has accelerated
Executive social media has become a valuable component of any company’s digital marketing strategy. It’s no longer just about positioning the brand, but also about establishing its executive(s) as engaging, knowledgeable, and approachable thought leaders.
Like any digital marketing program, getting started can seem like a daunting task, but it’s more straightforward than you might think. Click the button below to have a conversation with one of our executive social media experts.
Get your executive’s social media program kickstarted!