How To Be An Influential Executive On Social Media
Make the most of your time and become a thought leader on LinkedIn
In my last article, ”The Digital Executive: Master Social Media, Build Online Presence, Lead Your Tribe — Highlights” I debunked the three myths executives believe about using social media. It’s high time you became the thought leader you are meant to be in this digital age.
You start by focusing on LinkedIn as your primary social media platform, where people go to do business and where many leaders gather. Here are the most crucial steps in posting content and becoming an executive digital leader.
Time Management
As a fellow executive, I understand you have a very narrow window of time and little bandwidth. Every action you take must be quick, sharp, and to the point.
Luckily, a thoughtful post on LinkedIn takes less than 10 minutes to create. Focusing on a singular message will aid you in staying within your allotted time frame.
Your posts don’t need to be overly eloquent or perfectly polished; that’s a time zapper and won’t pay off. You should still, however, proofread your post for spelling and grammar errors. Aim to write between 700 to 1300 characters (150 to 200 words). LinkedIn’s algorithm favors this length as it promotes longer user engagement on your post.
You have several options when it comes to cadence: post or share content every day, every week, every two weeks, or once a month. More engagement means faster growth earlier on and will lead to a broader influence when participating in online conversations.
Schedule your social media activities in advance. Save article links and ideas ahead of time. Add these saved topics to your calendar where you’ve blocked out 10 minutes for your weekly, bi-weekly, or daily post.
Finding the flow to put the content out there can be challenging at first. Remind yourself that your team, employees, and customers look forward to your thoughts and leadership through consistent posting. Before you know it, you will have it down to an art.
After devising your plan of attack, sharing your experiences, expertise, and insights with your growing tribe will become an automated process.
Authenticity
Be Authentic. Don’t worry about making your post the best. It’s better for your authentic voice to come through and that your writing sounds organic. Even if it’s a little rough around the edges, if your post speaks personally to the issues that you, the executive, find essential, your audience will recognize the value.
“A Guide to Social Media for Executives,” written by Tim Denning, a prolific Australian writer, and blogger, gives some great advice on being authentic on social media. He proposes you write exactly how you would speak in a natural setting as if you were having a conversation with someone over coffee.
Here are some additional tips he shares:
- Say what you think respectfully.
- Share your thoughts.
- Inject words you say every day.
- Show your life outside of work and how it can be helpful.
- Be vulnerable. Don’t just show when you win; show when you lose.
By starting now and building your authentic voice on social media, you will cultivate a rapport and reputation with your audience that will stay with you for years to come.
Service and Patience
Unless you rank among Richard Branson or Oprah, you likely won’t be an overnight success on LinkedIn. You need to put in some time like everyone else. There are no substitutes for showing up consistently.
Remember, your social media platform isn’t about you, per se. You are a source of knowledge, inspiration, and leadership for your community, company, employees, and clients.
When you are starting from scratch, it will take time and effort to build your tribe. Don’t get discouraged. Stay persistent and true to yourself. Trust me; it will only be a matter of time before you create a platform where you can reach your intended audience and make a significant impact.
This blog post, “Executives on Social Media: The Value of Social Leadership,” by Everyone Social sums up my point:
“ . . . Executives on social media are a great way to inspire and teach future leaders and those who aspire to lead a team later on in their careers. . . It’s sort of a way to give back, be an inspiration, and teach others while still growing their own networks. Executive thought leadership can be beneficial to their reputation, and that of the brand’s, not to mention be seen as industry expertise.”
Adding value and serving your audience should be your primary goal. People WILL see through your intentions.
In Summary
As an executive in the digital-first era, you need to be leading on LinkedIn. Schedule 10 minutes in your calendar regularly to write and keep your posts concise and to the point. Don’t worry about being fancy; just be yourself. Your primary purpose on social media as a digital leader is to serve. Participate in as many online conversations as you can to build relationships and make your audience feel seen. Be patient, genuine, and consistent, and you will become a thought leader and an influential executive on social media.
Click the link to sign up for the launch announcement and pre-order availability of my latest book, Digital-First Leadership: Master Social Media, Build Online Presence, Lead Your Tribe.
You can also download a sneak peek before it comes out in April 2021: http://bit.ly/digitalfirstleadership
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