Why CXOs should use content strategy to leverage LinkedIn

by Debarati Chakraborty

While interacting with senior-level executives, we realised how difficult it can be for CXOs to look for new projects or jobs.

We also realised that while most industry leaders have LinkedIn accounts, these are hardly leveraged to their fullest potential.

If you are a CXO looking for a new challenging role, it is imperative to build a comprehensive LinkedIn profile and create an authoritative content strategy. But to create the content strategy, you must first have a clear vision of your audience and your goal. Based on this you can work with two strategies to leverage LinkedIn and the opportunities it has to offer.

The two strategies are:
I. Content Strategy
II. Outreach Strategy

In this article, we shall focus on Content Strategy, which can be further divided into:
1. Profile Content
2. Credibility Content

How to build a strong profile and leverage LinkedIn

These key steps can help you up your content game as a CXO on LinkedIn:

Profile Content

1. Use a high-quality and professional photo as your profile picture. Avoid using blurry or group photos or pictures of you in casual clothing.
2. Create a crisp headline that reflects your current role and designation. Avoid using redundant phrases or vague terms.
3. Use the Featured section to highlight recent professional updates and success stories. Avoid content that doesn’t add value to your profile.
4. Craft a short and engaging summary in the About section to showcase your experiences, skills and achievements. Avoid mentioning old or irrelevant information.
5. Begin with your current role in the Experience section and then add a list of your previous positions, responsibilities and achievements. Avoid long paragraphs and use bullet points instead.
6. Mention both hard and soft skills in the Skills section. You may request colleagues and industry peers to endorse your skills. Avoid listing too many skills.
7. Include relevant educational degrees, certifications and industrial training. Avoid adding courses that are not relevant to your career path any longer.
8. Highlight and add links to projects, publications or white papers you have successfully delivered. Avoid mentioning projects that are not pertinent to your current role or industry.
9. Have a solid list of recommendations from colleagues, industry peers and clients. Avoid accepting vague reviews.

Credibility Content

1. Create original content in the form of articles and thought leadership pieces. Your insight as a CXO will add value to your network.
2. Use LinkedIn’s publishing platform to post long-form, in-depth articles. If linked to your Medium or Substack accounts, these will reach a wider variety of audience.
3. Experiment with media formats like presentations or videos to demonstrate your expertise. Make the most of multimedia content, which tends to do well on social media.
4. Like, share and comment on content shared by professional peers. This will help you build relationships with industry leaders.
5. Collaborate with other experts to create joint content or to post on their pages. You will be able to tap into their audience and this will lead to greater visibility for you.
6. Stay updated about your industry’s latest trends and share relevant news articles and market analysis with your network. Add your analysis to position yourself as an expert.
7. Share resources like research papers and e-books that can benefit your network. Your audience will keep coming back to you for relevant content.
8. Attend and speak at webinars, conferences and industry events. Share your inputs to demonstrate your authority on these topics.
9. Join industry-specific groups on LinkedIn and be an active contributor on these platforms. This will showcase your credibility and help you engage with like-minded professionals.

If leveraged successfully, LinkedIn can be used to showcase expertise and create a niche for thought leaders. This can lead to greater engagement, visibility and collaboration, which can result in attracting relevant job or project opportunities.

As a CXO, you need to be consistent in your engagement on this platform and maintain a professional tone while doing so.