Your company is on LinkedIn. But are your executives?
If your organization’s LinkedIn strategy begins and ends with the company page, you’re leaving an important communications opportunity on the table. Your executives can bring credibility, reach and personality to your brand in ways a company page alone can’t.
Here are three reasons your executives should have an active presence on the platform.
- People trust people.
People are more likely to trust and engage with an individual than a corporate brand. In fact, individual LinkedIn pages can generate significantly more engagement than company pages.
Executives also typically have networks that extend well beyond their organization’s followers. Their connections may include former colleagues, industry peers, clients, prospects and people from entirely different industries. When an executive shares a company milestone, an industry perspective or a lesson learned, that broader network becomes an additional audience for the organization.
- Executive voices make company stories more human.
An executive’s LinkedIn presence shouldn’t simply be another corporate marketing channel. The most effective content comes from the leader’s own perspective and experience.
That might mean sharing an observation about the industry, a lesson from a recent project or a behind-the-scenes moment with the team. Highlighting an employee’s accomplishment or celebrating a milestone can recognize the team while also telling an authentic story about the organization.
When employees and the public see leaders consistently living and communicating the organization’s mission, values and strategy, it strengthens connection to the organization and supports both retention and recruiting.
- Brief, consistent activity moves the needle.
Executives who aren’t active on LinkedIn don’t need to become prolific content creators overnight. Start by optimizing the profile with a strong photo, headline and bio that tells the executive’s story.
Next, identify a handful of industry leaders, publications and organizations worth following. Spend five to 10 minutes a day thoughtfully commenting on their posts. This builds visibility while establishing the executive as an engaged participant in the industry.
Finally, develop a realistic posting cadence. The content should come from the executive’s perspective, not simply a repost of the company’s content. An observation, lesson or point of view is often more valuable than a polished corporate announcement.
Above all, be authentic. A genuine executive voice will almost always resonate more than content that feels overly polished, scripted or manufactured. And that human connection can benefit far more than LinkedIn engagement; it can open doors to new relationships, prospects, partnerships, employees and opportunities for broader thought leadership.
A strong LinkedIn presence is one way to build a more visible, credible executive social ecosystem. Elmore can help you identify the right platforms, messages and opportunities to position your leaders as trusted voices, turning their expertise into meaningful connections for your organization. Contact us to learn how we can help your executives show up online with greater impact.
