Why Your CEO Should Go Social

For years, CEOs protected themselves from the public and left most of the talking to their PR agencies. Regularly communicating in a public forum was simply not part of a CEO’s job description. Today, the massive onslaught of businesses adopting social media has provided a unique opportunity for finally personalizing the voice – and influence – of these company leaders. However, with a few high-profile exceptions (Richard Branson), CEOs have largely remained out of the mix, often too busy to take the time to participate in the incessant roar of the social channels. Executives, particularly the CEO, can provide a perspective that no one else in your business can, and social media offers a great platform to disseminate that message. Here are three reasons your CEO should go social:

• Her perspective is unlike any other: The technology team can walk you through the product, the marketing team through the strategy, but the high-level insights necessary to drive your thought-leadership platform forward? This is your CEO’s bread and butter. With her finger on the pulse of the motivations of the company, the CEO can distill her insight into bite-sized chunks that can intrigue reporters and consumers alike, driving leads and traffic back to the company while also humanizing it.
• He can inject personality into the brand: If your company is anything like those in our roster, its executives likely have some personality bursting to get out. Social platforms provide an opportunity for your executives, and particularly your CEO, to showcase not only insightful industry commentary but also the lighter side of your brand. The CEO can take this as an opportunity to loosen up with vendors, customers and analysts, offering them an unprecedented sense of access to your business.
• It sets an example to further employee engagement: Just about every business wants to grow its level of employee engagement on social media. Often, those within a business’ own walls make the best advocates for a brand. However, there are often limited guidelines as to how employees should go about getting involved and many are concerned about how to take the first step. With distinct leadership from the CEO, employees can learn from his or her example, increasing the total reach and engagement on social channels.

A single individual’s social media profile can never replace a company’s actual brand, of course; equipping your CEO with the tools necessary to get up to speed in this department, however, is an opportunity that in today’s digital age should not be ignored.