It’s never been more important for organizations to launch an executive social media program, yet for every CEO that’s using social media effectively to drive toward company objectives, there are countless others who are resistant to being online. Marketers, you may be aware of the many strategic reasons why you want to position your company’s executive online, but what can you do to convince them that this effort will be worth it? Here are five reasons why many CEOs don’t want to be on social media — and how, as marketers, you can navigate these challenges to get them online!   Reason #1: Execs Don’t See the Point of Using Social Media One of the most common reasons why executives don’t want to use social media is because they don’t see the point of doing so. In many cases, these execs only have a surface-level...

Maintaining an executive’s social media presence is no longer just a nice-to-have for organizations and their leaders. It’s becoming an essential part of every company’s business model. Still, far too many executives are avoiding social media altogether — and it could be costing them in more ways than expected. Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of having your executives on social media, as well as how it should be positioned differently from the brand’s social media. ...

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...

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...

In this Executive Spotlight, we will be looking at Gene Kelly’s LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. As the chairman and CEO of Southwest Airlines, his company has been greatly impacted by the coronavirus and governments setting restrictions on travel. As we will discuss in this article, Kelly has used his online presence to promote a sense of optimism by focusing on positive company initiatives....

Not all social platforms are equal, and while some platforms like LinkedIn are ideal for showcasing owned content in the form of articles, no platform is quite as well-positioned for leaders to observe, join, and ultimately impact a wider narrative than Twitter. Twitter is a timely, trend-driven platform that is ideal for sharing newsworthy content and authentic perspectives. It can be leveraged not only to have a voice in relevant industry conversations but to also quickly communicate expertise and unique perspectives with followers. It is also a platform that encourages commenting, sharing and discussion. In this blog post, we’ve put together guidelines to help executives effectively leverage the platform for impactful thought leadership on Twitter. "While Twitter increased the character count maximum per tweet from 140 characters to 280 characters in 2017, the ideal length of a tweet has remained between...

Richard Branson says, “I don’t see any separation between work and play – it’s all just living, and I love sharing all of it,” and his LinkedIn profile clearly reflects that sentiment. Dr. Yes—as he is affectionately referred to at Virgin—is a self-proclaimed dyslexic thinker who loathes ties and believes in turning ideas into reality, as demonstrated time and again at Virgin. Branson’s professional LinkedIn profile effectively showcases each aspect of his identity, blending business, personal, and larger social topics to position himself as both a reliable source of information and an approachable person. Richard Branson is currently the number one rated LinkedInfluencer—an exclusive collective of 500+ of the world’s foremost thinkers—let’s shift our executive spotlight to Richard Branson and take a closer look at how he uses LinkedIn to position himself as a revolutionary thought leader. Visuals Richard Branson uses all...