The social CEO: A new-age imperative

A company chief’s engagement on social media helps to shape the firm’s image

Updated: Aug 4, 2015 08:17:01 AM UTC
ceo_and_social_media
A CEOs ordered activity on social media can not only help him shape his and his organisations imagery, but also increase his likeability and interface with stakeholders

Image: Shutterstock

Chief executive officers use social media as their preferred communication tool for brand management. Company chiefs with an active and engaging social media profile are the new age mandates.

But, there is a lack of awareness on how this tool can play an important role, for a company, in gaining a competitive advantage. The ability to communicate relevant information, rather than being repetitive, an understanding of how social media operates and gaining constant insights on how you’re performing are important. Research predictions show that CEO interactions with the public on social media will double in the next two years.

Since a lot of people are interested in what the head of a company has to share, organisations are increasingly training their CEOs to embrace social media to start conversations and impart information.

A CEO benefits from social media as he gets to explore a number of opportunities to reach the consumers. The CEO can share his thoughts and opinions with people at a global level through Twitter, he can inform and discuss through posts on Facebook, connect with other leaders and share highlights of his company’s progress through LinkedIn and increase his leadership and knowledge through presentations on SlideShare. New and upcoming platforms like Snapchat, Instagram and Pinterest allow a CEO to further increase his outreach and showcase his social media savvy status. Updates on social media broaden the communication between the CEO and the public.

Here are a few tips for CEOs to use social media effectively:

1. Select social networking sites that are ideal for you: Each platform serves a specific purpose. Being active on a range of social networks increases your ability to reach out to a wider audience. It is important to evaluate which platforms are apt for your personality and for your objectives of being on social media. LinkedIn is a useful tool when you wish to engage with executives, develop new business contacts or recruit new talent. When creating your profile on LinkedIn, ensure it doesn’t read like a resume but invites conversations through a story you have to tell. Twitter is where dynamic CEOs can lead from the front, extend their influence and impress stakeholders. It not only helps you share your opinion but also gives you a real-time view of what people are saying about you and your organisation. It will help CEOs set a corporate benchmark and show staff how to engage with their stakeholders. Chief executives are good at listening to the social world, digesting news and gathering opinion. If they want to influence it, the time is rapidly approaching when they will have to engage with it. The ability to engage, disseminate an opinion and have multiple reactions within 140 characters is what adds to the power of Twitter. Ensure your Twitter profile talks about your varied interests and topics you would like to engage on. When considering a platform such as SlideShare, be prepared to have adequate content in the form of presentations and whitepapers that you can share with your followers. Your thought leadership can grow leaps & bounds through SlideShare provided you are sharing company achievements, leadership stories, trainings and strategies that others would learn from and be inspired by.

2. Learn the Language: The tone and style you communicate with on social media plays an important role in drawing crowds and conversations. Try not to be too intimidating or preachy because that’s not what gets people talking on social media. Speak with active users of social media in your company, attend a workshop, read up on each platform or study your organisation’s social media presence and see what gets each social network ticking. The use of emoticons and hashtags add up to your personality and even engagements; so understand them before using them, and keep the frequency to a level of your comfort too.

3. Follow the right people and engage with them appropriately: The CEO must wisely select whom to follow on Twitter or add as a LinkedIn connection. Key employees, brands of interest, news publications, journalists, industry leaders, competitors and mentors form a combination of the followers list of savvy CEOs. While following people is a gradual process, the key towards ensuring your growth and awareness would be through starting conversations with people you follow and with those you desire to be followed by. Knowing what topic to start with, ensures you will win the battle.

4. Be Active and Approachable: Once you’re on the platform, you need to ensure you're available, engaging and constantly providing information worth reading and sharing. The best possible way to ensure this happens is to frequently visit online groups, communities and pages, where discussions take place. Setting a maximum response time and ensuring alerts on your smartphone help being consistent and dependable. A CEO’s point of view acts as an expert opinion and upgrades the conversations on those communities. They can back their opinions with facts and numbers that could be of interest to other members of the community and increase their engagement with you at regular intervals. Your ability to be proactive and jump into conversations to provide answers will grow your stature.

5. Communication on social media includes listening: Before diving into a conversation, spend time seeking out connections and getting a feel for topics that are resonating in the community. Then, you can identify the channels and people that are most applicable for the discussion you want to have in the community. Look at trending hashtags, groups with the maximum buzz and reports that are being extensively discussed. Alongside, listen to what people have to say about your organisation and gain insights into how experiences are translated.

6. Track and Grow: Many recognisable CEOs use the insights they gain from their social media brand handles during reviews and company case studies. Invest in a social media monitoring and scheduling tool that will help you to be spontaneous with your responses, schedule content in advance and be able to gain insights on what does well and what doesn’t. The more you are able to understand the value of your presence, the more influence you will be able to showcase.

A CEO’s ordered activity on social media can not only help him shape the organisation’s image, but also increase his likeability and interface with stakeholders. While it is extremely important for organisations today to embrace this shift, the need to be informed and committed towards consistency are extremely important. A CEO must account for these factors before venturing into the world of social media in order to truly stand out as a social media savvy CEO with an influential voice.

- By Zafar Rais, CEO, Mindshift Interactive

The thoughts and opinions shared here are of the author.

Check out our end of season subscription discounts with a Moneycontrol pro subscription absolutely free. Use code EOSO2021. Click here for details.

Post Your Comment
Required
Required, will not be published
All comments are moderated