Are You a Socially Engaged CEO?

An important part of my job is to explore social media websites and decipher how they are benefitting businesses.  Among various platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, I find LinkedIn to be the most practical in the professional world because of its modern ways of connecting professionals and its ability to maximize one’s ROI. 

It goes without saying: social media is the best way to connect with others on a global scale.  Recently I noticed an increase of social activity among CEOs of good size firms as opposed to the lesser-known small businesses.  Pamela Hackett, CEO of Proudfoot, is a good example of a Socially Engaged CEO that caught my attention. Since we both orbit in the same industry, I see her activities daily and was wondering if it was really her putting in great networking efforts.  Pamela was quick to confirm that she was, indeed, the person behind the screen and felt as though it was time well spent.  She was making her presence known to other professionals in the field and strengthening relationships that were already established.  Pamela admitted to recognizing the importance of a LinkedIn presence while some of her competitors were still using the yellow pages to generate leads. 

I understand that most CEOs may think they are too busy to surf LinkedIn, but effective ones know how to do just enough to maximize their ROI. A few ways to do so include: 

• LIKE a post about your customers – It will send a loud message that you are “in the know” when it comes to your industry and your customers. 
• Comment on a good business article – This is the best way to showcase professional development and proclaim, “I’m always learning and growing.” 
• Connect to influential business minded people – “Who you know” outpaces “What you know” in many situations.  Network as much as possible! 
• Share a post about recent acquisition, strategic alliance, or expansion – this sends a loud message to the competition and potential customers.  Your company is ever evolving and expanding.  
• Announce promotions – This shows employee appreciation and is the best way to attract new talent. 

You can accomplish all of the above in less time than it takes to drink your morning coffee. Don’t fall prey to people who feel that you’re a social media addict and you’re not paying attention to your job. Our president can manage to tweet several times a day and he still runs the biggest corporation in the world. He figured out the power of social media and it’s time for the rest of CEO’s to do the same. 

I’m far from claiming to be an expertise in social media, but I’m a good observer of what works and how the business world is changing. Generating business is all about getting exposure in the right way.  

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