Most of the executives named in Brunswick Group’s Top 100 Connected Leaders Index are already tapping into the underused opportunity that LinkedIn blogging presents.
They know the power that being a social executive can bring. Brandfog’s Global Social CEO Survey shows that social CEOs are seen as better leaders (75%), help build brand trust (70%) and positively influence purchase decisions (55%). Being socially active also improves employee attraction and engagement, with research by LikeableInfluence showing that 80% of employees would prefer to work for a social SEO
Yet less than half of S&P 500 and FTSE 350 CEOs have a social media presence according to Brunswick Group’s 2019 Connected Leadership report, and of those, only one in four are active on their networks.
If you wish to influence and build trust with B2B buyers, talent and employees, then LinkedIn is the network to do it on, with 303 million active users a month. Posting and sharing aren't enough - your executives should be blogging on LinkedIn and here are four compelling reasons why.
LinkedIn Blogging Helps Builds Authenticity
Executives often keep a low profile on social media and only share branded content, which may explain why Edelman’s Trust Barometer 2019 shows that only 47% trust CEOs’ content (compared with 65% for technical experts and 57% of regular employees).
Yet entrepreneurial companies such as tech and fintech start-ups often buck this trend, realising that they are the essence or extension of their brand. They understand that sharing their personal stories and passions helps build brand (and personal) authenticity and that professionals on LinkedIn are curious about how leaders get to where they are now.
LinkedIn Is The Perfect Platform For Thought Leadership Blogging
Not everyone has the potential to be a thought leader, no matter how hard they strive, and not everyone can make it to the C-Suite. They have to look at the bigger picture, at opportunities and threats, at emerging technologies and shifting landscapes to create a vision and strategy. They require in-depth knowledge, an agile and forward-thinking mindset, humility, personality and the ability to inspire. All of which makes executives the perfect candidates for thought leadership.
LinkedIn's platform is set up for thought leadership. It's where professionals head to for business and career advice in one place and to be inspired by leaders in their field. A quick tour of recommended hashtags shows that LinkedIn users are following the very topics that executives can provide thought leadership blogs on:
#innovation: 38.5M followers
#leadership: 1.9M followers
#personaldevelopment: 14.6M
#productivity: 8.5M
#strategy: 5M
#emotionalintelligence: 2.9M
#culture: 4.7M
SEO Not Required: The Viralness Of LinkedIn
Ranking for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is highly competitive, especially when attempting to rank for broad thought leadership topics. With a solid social strategy in place, it's much easier to get executives‘ voices in front of the audience they want to while the topic is still current.
LinkedIn's new algorithm update now works to help the average users who would most feel the impact of a like, comment or share (instead of established influencers like Richard Branson). Along with the introduction of hashtags, it's now much easier for executives' blogs be seen by those who would value it.
We've seen many executives start with small networks of 500-1000 connections but see blogs and posts go viral.
Jens Amail – SAP Managing Director
Carsten Knobel – Henkel CEO
Bill McDermott – ServiceNOW
Ryan Holmes – Hootsuite CEO
It’s A Powerful Tool For Attracting And Retaining Talent
Professional social networks are one of the most powerful ways to attract quality candidates, according to EPloy’s Candidate Attraction Report 2019-20. They are second only to employee referrals for quality but they generate a far greater quantity of applicants.
Attracting that quality talent on LinkedIn requires a strong employer brand, with LinkedIn reporting that 75% of job seekers consider this before applying for a job. This is even more critical when trying to access the passive market, with companies with a strong employer brand having a 31% greater InMail acceptance rate.
With the current skills shortage, attracting and retaining quality talent by communicating your Employee Value Proposition is a must. By blogging on LinkedIn about issues that relate to this, your executives send a clear message that they live and breathe the essence of your brand from the top down, building trust and authenticity.
The C-Suite can no longer afford to be shy about blogging on LinkedIn, not if they want to build an authentic brand for customers, prospects and talent that will help them get a competitive edge in today’s digital world. Find out more from industry experts about the importance of the C-Suite embracing social media and how to enable them to become better social leaders with our Leadership Activation Workbook.