When developing your executive presence on social media, what type of language do you use more often in your content: "I" or "we"? Using singular first-person pronouns (e.g. "I") versus plural first-person pronouns (e.g. "we") might seem like a small difference, but for CEOs on social media, using one or the other can make a significant impact in terms of how your content is viewed by others. In this article, our social media experts explain how you can create stronger social media messaging by using the right pronouns in your online content.   Developing a more personal executive presence   The use of first-person pronouns, such as “I” or “my,” in your content creates a much more personal tone. It clearly gives ownership to the author and isolates the executive as the one commenting. These types of pronouns can make your social media presence more authentic...

Social media is a powerful tool. When used correctly, it can help CEOs connect with their audience, build their personal brand, and help their company reach its business goals. However, social media is a public platform, and sometimes an executive's message may be misconstrued by the general public, or a spur of the moment Tweet might hurt their company. That being said, the benefits of having your company's leadership team on social media far outweigh the risks. To learn more, take a look at Managing the Risks of Executive Social Media Presence, an article written by our CEO, Elissa Liu. In this article, we look at three different topics that CEOs will want to be careful talking about on social media. We also look at examples of how social media posts have hurt brands in the past, and offer tips on how to...

With a degree in aerospace engineering and her previous work at NASA, Aisha Bowe took her passion for science and founded STEMBoard, a company that provides cost-effective engineering and IT services. By analyzing her Instagram and LinkedIn presence, it's clear that Bowe understands both platforms’ strengths and weaknesses and has successfully created content that is most effective on each one. Keep reading to learn more tips on how executives can use these platforms to build their own social media strategy.   Using a Structured Instagram Layout What makes Instagram different from other social media platforms is its heavy reliance on visual content, whether it's an image or a video. When browsing through a user's feed, you will see the images first, rather than the post's copy. Here is a look at Bowe's Instagram layout: What makes her online presence stand out from other executives...

In our recent series about the top retail executives you should be following on social media, we looked at ways they use online platforms to help build their personal brand while achieving their business objectives. Establishing a brand presence on social media is second nature to most digital marketers, but what about helping their company's executives establish their own profile? One of the first steps is understanding which social media platform would be the best fit for your executives. In this article, we look at some of the most popular social media platforms and what makes them stand out. By the end of this article, marketers should have a clearer picture of which social media platforms to position their executives on.  Before we get started, don't forget to download our free step-by-step guide on how to get your company's executives on social...

For executives who have written articles for third-party publications, sharing a link to their work on social media is an effective way to draw attention to their content. In many cases, these articles are often important company announcements that are delivered by an individual because the messaging is meant to be more relatable to the reader. Chris Kempczinski, the President and Chief Executive Officer at McDonald's Corporation, recently wrote an article for CNN where he discusses the challenging year and how, as a company, McDonald's will overcome these obstacles. He also announced a new social media challenge, #HereForRMHC, stating that the company will be committing $100 million over five years to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. In this article, we take a closer look at his LinkedIn profile and analyze the post he made for his article and how he has promoted...

Social media hashtags are a ubiquitous feature found on many apps. From Instagram to LinkedIn, it's hard to scroll through any feed without seeing other users and brands adding hashtags to their content. For executives with a social media account, it's important to use hashtags both correctly and strategically. Posting consistently on social media is one aspect of a strong online presence, but making sure a CEO's content reaches as many users as possible is another challenge. In this article, we look at three different hashtag groups—popular hashtags, niche hashtags, and branded hashtags—and why an executive would want to use one over the other. Keep reading to the end where our marketing experts provide tips on how to optimize your social media content.   Learn about the pros and cons of three social media hashtag types   Popular hashtags Niche hashtags Branded hashtags Our Expert...

In light of the upcoming U.S. election on November 3rd, over 50 business leaders in the U.S. across several industries have signed a statement shared on Leadership Now Project’s website. The statement is a public call to action about the importance of democracy and voting, even during a period of crisis. In today's article, we take a look at three different executives who participated in this project and examine how they have used their LinkedIn presence to discuss the upcoming election. In analyzing their posts, we have observed that executives have talked about the election by sharing different content types with their followers in three primary ways: sharing a post from a business page, sharing a post from another LinkedIn user, and posting original content.   Georgie Benardete, Co-Founder and CEO of Align17 On LinkedIn, executives have a variety of options for the type...

While many B2C brands incorporate social media as part of their digital marketing strategy, B2B companies have typically lagged behind in establishing a strong online presence. In certain heavily regulated industries, it is not uncommon to see top-performing companies have little to no content on their social media pages. However, just as B2C executives benefit greatly from having a strong social media presence, the same concept applies to B2B executives. In this article, we discuss three reasons why CEOs in a B2B industry should be on social media and provide you with three expert tips on how to get started.   #1: Social media puts executives in front of their audience. Many B2B brands have typically relied on referrals and other traditional marketing methods (e.g. sales agents) as their primary method for driving new business leads. However, as we have seen during the COVID-19...

During the COVID-19 crisis, Arne Sorenson, president and CEO of Marriott International, made headlines with his thoughtful video message in which he showcased strong leadership skills. Given the major global impact of the pandemic, his approach was touted by many as being an example of how executives should address the situation—by being honest, genuine, and outlining a clear path forward. In today's Executive Spotlight, we analyze his LinkedIn and Facebook social media profiles to see how Sorenson has translated his leadership style to his online content. As an executive on social media, his strengths lie in establishing his thought leadership through long-form LinkedIn articles and video content, in order to address topics important to him.   LinkedIn: Establishing a Thought Leadership Strategy With over 770,000 followers on LinkedIn, Sorenson's content draws a lot of user engagement in terms of reactions and comments. Many of...

Social media is essential for today’s business founders and executives to build their reputation. Online reputation management requires a long-term and thoughtful strategy, similar to how brand building is accomplished at a company. In this article, we will discuss how business leaders can use social media to help establish their personal branding and set them up for the future.   How Social Media Impacts Online Reputation Management   Unlike a brand's social media account, executives' accounts are directly tied to the individual, which of course, makes it more personal. Some business leaders focus on brand-related content, such as Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly. Other executives may utilize a completely different social media strategy emphasizing more of their personal interests, like Anand Mahindra. Whichever strategy an executive uses, social media platforms are public and offer executives an effective way to connect with their audience. Because it is...