19 Jul Executive Social Media In The Professional Services Industry

The professional services (PS) industry is broad, ranging from legal and accounting to IT and consulting.

In this article, we share some of the common social media policies to look out for and content ideas that PS executives can post online.

Professional Services Policies and Regulations

While some executives in the PS industries don’t need to contend with the strict compliance requirements like executives in the financial or healthcare spaces, there are still a variety of key regulations and policies that executives should be aware of when using social media for strategic business purposes. Some of the important policies and regulations, as well as major governing bodies, in the professional services industry include:

• The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Code of Professional Conduct
• American Bar Association (ABA)
• Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
• Organizational guidelines on social media use

Depending on which professional services an executive is situated in, some of the above may not apply to them. Before sharing business-related content online, we recommend that executives work with their in-house marketing team and legal/compliance department to determine social media policies they need to adhere to.

As with the majority of other industries, there are confidentiality and privacy policies in the PS industry, especially when considering subsectors like legal and accounting where sensitive client information is handled. These policies exist to maintain client trust. Governing bodies like the ones mentioned above help establish codes of conduct that guide ethical behavior and professional practice.

Social Media Content Professional Services Executives Should Stay Away From

Avoid posting: Confidential or identifiable client information

From firm-level non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to state and national-level policies about using and sharing customer information, executives in the professional services industry should avoid sharing confidential or identifiable information on social media. Not only could this breach privacy laws, but it could also damage client trust.

Avoid posting: Non-compliant endorsements or testimonials

Executives in the professional services sector should steer clear of sharing testimonials and endorsements in situations where clients haven’t given their permission. Marketers may be asking, “What if I want my company’s CEO to share a case study about a recent success story?” We’ll cover that in the next section!

Avoid posting: Misleading claims

Just like in the finance and healthcare industries, making unverified claims can lead to false advertising, which ultimately damage’s the PS firm’s credibility and reputation. For example, stating that your firm can “guarantee a 100% success rate for your clients” can land your social media post in hot water! Everyone wants to put their best foot forward on social media, but avoid making wild and unsubstantiated claims.

Avoid posting: Unprofessional comments

This applies to all executives on social media but it’s important enough to warrant a place on our list. Criticizing competitors, clients, employees, or other stakeholders publicly on social media can create a negative public image for an executive and can even hurt the business’ reputation. At worse, unprofessional comments could lead to defamation claims. Remember that social media is a public forum and a valuable communication tool.

Ideal Social Media Content for Professional Services Executives

Consider posting: Case studies without any identifying information

While you’ll want to avoid full client names, addresses, contact information, and other details that can directly identify the client, case studies remain one of the most effective ways to demonstrate value in the professional services industry. You may have come across case studies that were written in a deliberately vague way, such as, “We helped a client in the women’s health industry achieve 59% higher website traffic in just one year,” or, “A client in the technology sector saw a 25% increase in revenue within six months after implementing our AI strategy.” These are examples of a more suitable way to share client stories.

In some cases, you may want to include names. When creating case studies, reach out to the client to ask for consent to use their company name. In many cases, they may also be open to sharing a short quote or testimonial of their experience working with your team!

Consider posting: What makes your professional services firm unique

Rather than posting negative comments about competitors, consider a more positive angle — what makes your professional services firm unique? How do you support your clients? What makes an executive’s personal social media presence so interesting is that the content is coming from a person, rather than a faceless brand account. This means a PS firm’s executive is in an excellent position to share insights into how they’ve partnered with clients to provide real, meaningful solutions. Staying positive may sound like a cliche, but at the end of the day, potential clients may be looking at an executive’s social media — and positivity goes a long way in making a good first impression.

Consider posting: Casual work-related or personal content

This type of content is what some might refer to as “fluff” — social media posts that aren’t strongly linked to business objectives like driving revenue or website traffic like, say, a case study or a thought leadership article on the company site. That being said, these topics typically outperform branded content. Examples include:

• Sharing a team photo at a recent company-led volunteer event
• A snapshot of a book an executive is currently reading
• A photo of the executive at a recent industry trade show

These more “casual” posts have many benefits, such as:

• Helping to balance out an executive’s social media feed with other types of content so that it’s not 100% branded content all the time
• Creating a more humanized social media feed and showing the executive’s personality
• Attracting potential top talent (i.e. Helping a candidate decide if the company’s work culture aligns with their values)

Building a Professional Services Executive Social Media Presence

Positioning a CEO or other executives on social media can be a significant strategic advantage for companies. Our research into 2024’s Fortune 500 list showed that almost three-quarters of CEOs are on at least one social media platform.

While navigating industry compliance policies and regulations may seem daunting, the reality is that it’s more straightforward than you think! If you’re looking at executive social media as a way to enhance your company’s digital marketing program, click the button below to learn more.

If you missed the previous two articles in this series, check out Executive Social Media in the Financial Industry and Executive Social Media in the Healthcare Industry.

Speak with an executive social media expert!