Molly Johnson-Jones is the founder and CEO of Flexa Careers, a platform that verifies companies and provides more transparency when it comes to job hunting. She was recently named one of the U.K.’s Top Voices 2022 on LinkedIn in the Work-Life Balance category, a list that highlights top content creators on the platform.
It comes as no surprise then that she sat down with U.K. Tech News for an interview where she shared her thoughts about LinkedIn. In this article, we explain and analyze the impressive content that Johnson-Jones shares on LinkedIn that has gained her a following.
Advocating for a Flexible Work Culture
Johnson-Jones has created a following of over 11,000 users on LinkedIn by striking up conversations and debates about her area of expertise — work-life culture. Her posts call for responses and reactions from her followers, which is an effective way to grow her community and improve social media engagement.
Given the pandemic and the subsequent move to remote work, work-life culture has become a major trending topic in the business world. Adjusting to this new way of work has sparked debates among professionals and not everyone agrees with remote work’s effectiveness. With business professionals among the majority of LinkedIn’s demographic, it has become the home of these debates where users can hear other peoples’ opinions and find advice.
Johnson-Jones stated in her U.K. Tech News interview that LinkedIn has been an effective platform not only for herself but for her company as well. By sharing her perspective on a healthy work-life balance, she naturally leads LinkedIn users to her business in a way that feels authentic, rather than “salesy.” Johnson-Jones believes in showing your values and speaking publicly about them. Although not everyone will agree with her advocacy for remote and flexible work and may respond negatively to her posts, she is still starting a conversation where her true values are being displayed.
Should Founders be Outspoken on Social Media?
This was one of the questions asked in the interview — it’s also one that many executives often think about when dealing with their own social media. Johnson-Jones’ answer was an emphatic yes because she believes social media is an excellent platform to show your stance publicly.
That being said, it’s important to remember that there’s a difference between being outspoken and controversial, the latter of which doesn’t work for all executives. Consider how Elon Musk often makes waves on Twitter, but often for the wrong reasons. Being controversial can boost social media metrics like likes and reshares, but it can also come at a cost, whether that’s to the individual or company’s reputation.
Instead, Johnson-Jones is an example of how to effectively be outspoken on social media. In the LinkedIn post we shared above, she explains her views without coming across as aggressive or saying something with the purpose of being controversial. Rather, she’s focused on opening up a dialogue with others to share their opinions. The use of emojis also makes the post visually engaging and the tone more casual and authentic.
We encourage executives to use social media as a platform to speak about topics that are important to them. This includes their company, but other areas that they may be passionate about, such as sustainability, equality, and so on. Although negative responses can happen (it is social media, after all), it’s not something that should scare executives away from establishing their online presence. Rather than worrying about any disagreements from your followers, showing your true beliefs and being honest creates trust between you and your followers and encourages other executives to do the same.
Being Open Online About Health Conditions
Another reason why Johnson-Jones’ LinkedIn is so engaging (and another way she is outspoken on social media) is her honesty about her health and her drive to change the industry. In U.K. Tech News, she opens up about her chronic health condition that made it difficult for her to go into an office, and how she was eventually fired for that reason. Johnson-Jones’ personal experience led to her starting Flexa because she wanted to make it easier for others who were seeking a remote job. She continues to use LinkedIn as a platform to share her story and promote accessibility to all job seekers.
Many executives may feel that sharing personal information on social media is beyond what they’d like to use these platforms for. Others, like Johnson-Jones, share their stories and personal opinions as a way to inspire and rally others. Both strategies are completely valid depending on what your social media goals are. That being said, our own research has found that more personal and authentic posts tend to perform better than heavily corporate or promotional posts.
Be a Conversation Starter on LinkedIn
As we have seen through her social media presence on LinkedIn, Molly Johnson-Jones speaks her mind and is open about her opinions, especially when it comes to hiring practices and advocating for flexible work environments. Her honesty and engaging posts have attracted a lot of users to her account — and her business. We encourage executives to create content that strikes up conversations, using Johnson-Jones as an excellent example.
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