Power And Influencers: CEOs On Social Media
Financial Times, Monday, October 14th, 2024
Pressure is growing on C-suite executives to raise their online game - but they must beware of oversharing
Corporate messaging on social media is often left to younger, tech-savvy staff in a business, or communications professionals, who understand how it might be received.
But chief executives and other C-suite staff are increasingly expected to post regularly on platforms such as LinkedIn to improve their public profile. And, as with all influencers online, authenticity is critical.
There has been a 35 per cent increase in C-suite professionals in the US on LinkedIn in the past five years and a 30 per cent rise in the UK. There has also been a 23 per cent increase in posts from chief executives globally year on year, and their content gets four times more engagement than other content from LinkedIn members. CEOs can expect a 39 per cent surge in followers after posting, according to LinkedIn.
'It is often easier to build trust with people than corporate brands,' says Dan Shapero, chief operating officer at the platform. 'So executives, as an extension of the corporate brand, are using LinkedIn as a way to build connection and trust with the audiences that they care about.'