What Should Corporate Executives Talk about on Social Media?

The power of social media escapes many C-level executives. Many PR professionals are attempting to educate CEOs and other C-level executives on the benefits of business executives actively participating on social media.

“There’s been a lot of industry buzz encouraging CEOs and other senior business leaders to engage on social media, but not much has been said about what the general public expects from senior leaders once they start posting, tweeting and sharing,” said Steve Halsey, principal of G&S Business Communications.

So what should they post? The standard approach on social media is, ummm, social and quite personal. According to the results of a survey by G&S and Harris Poll, CEOs fall under a more businesslike standard. People don’t want business leaders to post personal antidotes on social media; they want C-level company officials to talk about company news and provide insights about the business.

As far as the public is concerned, the voices of the CEO and the company are essentially the same. That voice should remain focused on the business and be businesslike even on social media. Executives on social media can and should deliver the company’s story, messages, opinions and perspective. The major social media networks for business executives are Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+.

The survey findings hold important implications for PR executives who inform executive leadership about social media practices and may even manage the CEO’s social media accounts.

What the Public Wants

The poll finds that 36% of Americans want business leaders on social media to talk about their company’s vision, 35% want them to talk about their company’s products and services, 32% want them to talk about their company’s customer service issues and experiences and 25% want to hear about employee culture and engagement. By contrast, only 18% want professional development tips, only 15% want personal stories or anecdotes and only 13% want advice on running a business.

The survey also found that:

• 46% of Americans equate a senior business leader’s active presence on social media with keeping others informed on their company’s business activities.
• Only 16% equate it with sharing personal stories and anecdotes.
• Only 28% equate a senior leader’s active presence on social media with personally managing his or her own account instead of using a ghostwriter or marketing team.

Social Media as a News Channel

The research also shows that social media presents substantial opportunity to improve confidence in the corporation, especially among millennials (ages 18-34) and Generation X members (ages 35 to 44).

These age groups are more likely to learn about company activities through social media, are more likely to trust information on social media, and place greater trust in senior leaders who are transparent on social channels.

63% of millennials and 58% of younger Gen Xers increasingly hear about what’s going on with companies through social media versus other channels.

53% of millennials and 47% of younger Gen Xers place greater trust in company information when it comes through social media versus channels.

67% of millennials and 61% of younger Gen Xers find senior leaders more trustworthy when they are transparent on social media.

Active executive level participation on social media helps an organization create a sense of transparency that consumers expect and like.

CEOs Slow to Adopt Social Media

CEO adoption of social media has been slow. According to the 2015 Social CEO Report by software provider Domo and CEO.com, 61% of Fortune 500 Company CEOs are not active on any of the major social networks. Twitter registrations increased slightly over the past year, but only 60% of CEOs who have Twitter accounts are actually tweeting.

That lack of activity is at odds with the public’s widespread use of social media.

“The era of CEOs remaining aloof and in the shadows, never mixing with mere mortals, is over,” writes Ryan Holmes, CEO of Hootsuite, in a Fast Company article. “Today, building trust with customers and rapport with employees requires offering up a real, human face for the brand. Social media represents one of the most powerful ways for CEOs to do this, efficiently and at scale.”

In other words, while the subject matter should focus on the business, the tone of CEO participation on social media should be congenial and engaging – talking with instead of talking to. Self-deprecating humor always seems to be well-received.

Social Media Practices for Social Media

• Get the right tools. A social media management tool can help save time, a top desire of executives. Tools allow users to schedule posts and tweet during off-work hours.
• Cover the basics. For instance, every CEO should maintain an up-to-date profile on LinkedIn
• Understand the risks. Understand social media best practices for avoiding a crisis assures content is safe and appropriate.
• The corporate PR team can craft posts for the CEO’s review and approval, says Lindsey Gusenburg at HubSpot. The use of the PR team certainly does not preclude the CEO from posting his original posts and responses as well. Though this approach may lack “authenticity,” it does assure consistent activity and engagement.
• CEOs of small and midsize companies can use social media to respond directly to customer complaints or to quell a potential PR crisis, says Virginia Miracle, executive vice president of professional services at Spredfast. “It’s sharing correct information straight from the horse’s mouth,” Miracle tells Entrepreneur. “You can’t wait for the next news cycle. It’s a wonderful opportunity if you embrace it in the right way.”
• Examine examples of leading executives on Twitter such as Eddy Cue of Apple @cue, Richard Branson of Virgin Group @RichardBranson, and Jack Dorsey, interim CEO of Twitter @jack.

Bottom Line: Americans want to see social media posts from senior business leaders, and they what to see posts about the corporate vision and its products and activities, a new survey reveals. The findings highlight the growing power of social media for PR and corporate communications.