Many brands today have a social media presence and more executives are seeing the value of being online as well. As a part of a brand’s marketing strategy, executives on social media can be an impactful driving force when it comes to accomplishing business goals. The most effective executive social media accounts are the ones that can stand on its own, while also complementing the brand’s overall marketing strategy. In other words, these are executives who post their own content rather than retweeting or copying every post from the main brand account. In this article, we analyze content tone and topics that resonate best when delivered on an executive’s social media account rather than the general brand account. Digital marketers can use these differences to develop their own social media strategy that is more holistic in its approach.   Brands versus Executives on...

Stephen Kelly, the current Director of Kimble Apps (a professional services automation software) and Locum’s Nest (an app connecting doctors to locum work in hospitals) has many titles under his belt. As the former CEO of Sage Group, he was also previously the CEO of Micro Focus and Chordiant Software, and worked for four years as COO for the U.K. Government. Though his various positions have spanned across different industries, Kelly still manages to maintain a consistent presence on multiple social media platforms. In this article, we will be analyzing Kelly’s LinkedIn and Twitter platforms. We will be looking at the way he utilizes his content and tone on each respective platform, and how these strategies adhere to best practices when it comes to reaching target audiences. Executives can draw inspiration from the way Kelly adjusts his content accordingly, which helps...

This week’s article is a continuation of a previous Front Page Execs post we published a few weeks ago, entitled “How Executives are Tackling Coronavirus.” In it, we discussed the importance of executives using their social media channels to disseminate reputable information about the virus to the public. Social media’s ability to reach a large scale of users makes it an effective tool for doing so. While many of the executives we analyzed in the previous article put out content that actively tackled the spread of misinformation, offered solutions for safer work practices, and provided important healthcare information, the tone over the past week has shifted. Whereas content a few weeks ago focused on providing information, the latest content is branching out into the more inspirational side as many face the ennui and anxiety of staying at home indefinitely. ...

Creating and maintaining an online social media presence is crucial for today’s executives. After all, research shows that over two thirds of consumers believe companies with a social CEO are more trustworthy. This is because many users feel that individuals, like C-suite executives, are much more approachable and relatable than general brand accounts where they do not know who the individual is that they are interacting with. When executives create content for their social media account(s), publishing business-related content can be an effective way to deliver brand-related content and updates. However, one of the biggest mistakes executives make on social media is creating brand-related content that is overtly self-serving or promotional. In this article, we will discuss how executives can seamlessly balance an authentic tone with brand-related content to achieve their business goals, as well as some tips at the end...

Tracee Ellis Ross is a busy woman. Between acting, being a showrunner, and running her own company, Ross has a lot on her plate—yet, she does not miss a beat when it comes to staying connected and marketing her various projects on social media. In this article, we will be analyzing Ross’ Twitter and Instagram accounts. We will be looking at how she utilizes these respective platforms for her company Pattern Beauty’s messaging, and how executives can draw inspiration from Ross’ authenticity and adherence to best practices....

For years, executives and even some brands used the fact they operate in a regulated industry to avoid developing a social media strategy and presence. From various sectors of the financial services industry and the healthcare industry to the alcohol and cannabis industries to name a few, there are a variety of regulations that affect marketing and advertising, including social media. This presents marketers with tricky social media barrier to navigate. However, this does not mean that companies and their executives can do nothing. Having worked with both brands and their key executives to establish a social media presence in several of these industries, we found there are two key steps in developing a successful marketing program in highly-regulated industries. First, it is about clearly understanding the regulatory constraint on any marketing or social media program. The second step is that...

The global coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) epidemic is a cause for concern for many, and reasonably so: the highly contagious virus is spreading rapidly, with no current known cure or vaccination for it. It is precisely the highly contagious nature of the virus that is not only affecting humans, but is in turn affecting consumer markets and workplaces on a massive scale. Another result of this epidemic is widespread panic, ultimately resulting in a large presence of fear-mongering rhetoric online and in news media. The most important thing a person or company in a position of power can do at a time like this is use their platform to provide factual and productive information to the public. In light of this, many companies and executives are taking to social media to tackle misinformation and diffuse fear-based conversations, as well...

Content mix is an important factor when developing a social media strategy for executives. Original video content draws a great deal of engagement among users and sets the executive apart from those who are not utilizing video as part of their strategy. While the majority of social media content is comprised of text or images, videos have grown to become an important part of online content diversity. In fact, one study showed that social media posts with a video gets shared by users 1200% more than other types of posts, such as text and images. In this article, we will be discussing how original video content can benefit executives on social media by giving them another way to connect with their followers.   Why Executives Should Implement Video Content   When it comes to video content, many studies have shown how important this type...

This week, our article focuses on business mogul and philanthropist Bill Gates, and in particular the way he adapts his content according to the platform he is using. The co-founder of Microsoft is perhaps best known as one of the pioneers of the microcomputer revolution, and these days is chiefly known for his humanitarian work through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Gates is extremely active on social media, present on four major social media apps (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram). However, we found that Gates’ Twitter and Instagram in particular are great examples of adhering to different aspects of his business and brand, and do so according to the best practices of each respective platform....

On February 18th, 2020, Sandeep Mathrani begins his role as CEO of WeWork. He was previously the CEO at Brookfield Properties Retail, so his experience in the real estate industry has many hopeful that he can turn the struggling company around. While it appears Mathrani has accounts on both Twitter and LinkedIn, both profiles have not been updated in a long time. He has not tweeted since 2014 and his LinkedIn profile makes no reference to WeWork. It is not often that we feature a CEO that has no social media presence, however Mathrani's new position opens the door for him to implement an executive social media strategy. In this article, instead of analyzing his accounts, we will instead look at the conversation surrounding him on social media. We will then discuss how these topics are relevant and can be shared by...