10 Influential CEOs in Social Media
The number of people using social media globally is at 4.65 billion to the Digital 2022 April Global Statshot Report. That equates to 58.7% of the world’s population.
If you are the owner of a start-up company or you probably run your business already, maybe you are looking for someone worthy of emulation and how they managed their business.
This article will look into ten influential CEOs on social media and how you can get inspiration and ideas from them and then apply them on your own.
What is social leadership?
The enterprise’s future is in the hands of its CEOs, founders, and senior executives. Do they need to deal with social media when they have the responsibilities of the business world on their shoulders?
Not just celebrities and influencers use social media to their advantage. CEOs on social media are utilizing Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn more than ever to grow an online following while they manage their companies.
Social leadership is essential in business industries that involve too many workers to supervise, which often entails managing several scattered employees you do not frequently contact in person. Social leadership is the practice of using technology to influence others at work.
You can choose how your company will win in its market as a business leader. However, you need to enlist help; you can’t achieve victory alone. Knowing that a group of professionals is accountable for conceiving and executing all choices and ideas is the first step in being a social leader. However, being a social leader involves more than simply being aware of the team; it also entails knowing how to foster a culture of respect, caring, and trust.
These team principles will encourage open communication and collaboration among all team members, fostering an environment where everyone feels a greater responsibility for guiding the business through an unstable economic environment.
Why do executives need to be active on social media?
1. Gain a competitive advantage
Your favorite companies may have shared stuff on their social media sites. CEOs on social media should promote their brand wisely. Social media is a popular platform for many brands to promote the blogs, videos, and other content they have put so much effort into producing. This is because those who listen to them are usually interested in something they have to offer and might even find it valuable.
Disseminating content as an executive makes it simpler for others to view, discover, and share it. By posting the material, there is an opportunity to increase brand recognition.
2. Inspire the team and their customers
The rest of the team is driven to do the same when leaders actively engage in social sharing. The leader’s social media messages may give the organization hope.
The norm for how corporate employees should use social media can be set by CEOs on social media who have a solid strategy and know what to publish, which will improve the feeling of belonging among employees. Their companies benefit, as a result, increasing their entire market share of voice.
3. Expand thought leadership
Social media is the best platform for brands to communicate the insights and information that consumers are seeking from them. Whatever sector your company operates in, social media gives the chance to position your company as a thought leader and a trusted source on issues about your company’s expertise.
Social media offers a different platform for executives to establish themselves as thought leaders in their business, in addition to speaking engagements and guest pieces. CEOs on social media can build attention and credibility on social media by posting information from other sources, discussing market trends, and highlighting business triumphs.
4. Create a positive impact
The most popular communication instrument of our generation is social media. CEOs are more prepared to lead if they use social media to engage and communicate with their team members and clients as it is easy and convenient to use.
Executives being thought leaders in their professions is one of the most acceptable ways for a firm to stand out. For example, Bill Gates frequently publishes essays on LinkedIn about subjects he is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about. These pieces serve as discussion starters, proof of knowledge, and a way to interact with readers.
5. Become influencers and marketers of their own brands
Building an engaging social media presence can significantly improve the brand. In fact, according to a Brandfrog poll, 77% of respondents were more inclined or substantially more likely to buy from a firm whose CEO is in social media and executive leadership participates on social media to describe the values and mission.
It makes information about the company’s operations and values transparent for customers. Customer trust is essential to a business because consumers have high brand expectations.
6. Manage PR in a brand crisis
Executives are expected to interact positively with various stakeholders, including their employees, investors, and the media. Social media allows for a stronger perceived and functional connection between employees and their executives. It provides crucial insight for potential investors into the company’s performance more individually.
10 influential CEOs in social media
#1 – Ibrahim Al-Haidos, Fursan
Entrepreneur and CEO Ibrahim Al-Haidos is well known for his work with the luxury handbag business, Fursan. Al-Haidos’ primary social media outlet is Instagram, where he has more than 100,000 followers. In addition to posting frequently, he also enjoys posting images of his family and daily life. His dedication to sharing his personal and professional endeavors keeps the public interested. According to a brief check, his branded SERPs mostly show owned profiles with a few interviews interspersed. Al-Hairdos is committed to upholding his reputation as a successful businessman and a family guy.
#2 – Dan Schulman, Paypal
With 191K followers on LinkedIn, Dan Schulman, the CEO of the well-known online payment system PayPal, has a lot of followers. Schulman frequently writes on how PayPal is coping with the pandemic, particularly the move toward online shopping. Because the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively influenced in-person client encounters, Schulman understands the value of technology like PayPal during this crisis. To keep his clients up to date, Schulman also utilizes LinkedIn to offer comprehensive company updates and developments in his posts.
#3 – Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble
Wolfe Herd co-created Bumble, a dating app where women initiate the first move in 2014. Wolfe Herd has integrated her political views on her Twitter account, which has 34.4k followers. By reading what she has to say on social media about supporting women-owned businesses, bringing up gender inequity, speaking out against sexism, and facing online abuse, readers learn more about her as a person and the issues she wants to draw attention to.
#4 – Mary Barra, General Motors
Having over 1.2 million LinkedIn followers and over 48K Twitter followers, Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors, is a well-connected businessperson. With an average of one article posted each month, Barra makes excellent use of LinkedIn’s article area. These all have something to do with General Motors and give readers an inside peek at the business. Executives can communicate more of their ideas on LinkedIn by using the article feature, particularly in a longer format. Barro uses Twitter primarily to disseminate information on the GM brand, much like her LinkedIn profile, and frequently links users to other LinkedIn articles.
#5 – Aaron Levie, Box
One of the CEOs on social media is Box’s Aaron Levie. Box is a platform for managing and sharing files in the cloud. On Twitter, Aaron Levie has 2.4 million followers. Levie is a discussion starter on Twitter and uses his platform to offer his ideas, viewpoints, and suggestions on software, technology, and cryptocurrencies. He successfully engages with his followers on social media in a genuine way. He has amassed a sizable following by sharing his thoughts, experiences, and occasionally even some jokes. Levie is a natural conversationalist who doesn’t hesitate to express his views and interact openly with other individuals.
#6 – Brian Scudamore, O2E Brands
Founder and CEO of O2E Brands, Brian Scudamore’s Facebook page features his business while maintaining a welcoming, personable, and personal tone. One way he achieves this is by answering questions from his followers or soliciting their thoughts and ideas in his posts. This demonstrates that he cares about hearing his follower’s opinions by interacting with them and promoting two-way conversation. Scudamore proves that communication can assist leaders in building customer trust.
#7 – Lynn Good, Duke Energy
Are You Prepared for a Shifting Workforce? was posted by Duke Energy CEO Lynn Good on LinkedIn and reached 27,000 individuals. She has 137 600 followers on LinkedIn. Lynn Good is the CEO, President, and Chairman of the Board of Duke Energy, an electric power holding corporation. Good is currently one of the highest-paid female executives in the United States, which may be why many people know her best also through social media.
#8 – Doug McMillon, Walmart
Doug McMillon, CEO of Walmart, is concerned with his social media accounts. Instagram and Facebook are McMillon’s primary social media platforms, and he posts there more frequently. McMillon decides to share personal experiences with his 30,800 Instagram followers to reveal who he truly is. McMillon is verified on his social media sites, so his 103,140 Facebook followers typically see the same posts as his Instagram followers. McMillon spends time writing posts about his employees.
#9 – Elon Musk, Tesla
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla has 100M Twitter followers. Elon Musk is blatantly real, engaging, and enjoyable, which is why his social media presence is so powerful. Additionally, Musk stirs up controversy to keep the attention centered on him. Despite the pressure from clients, critics, and governing bodies, he is not hesitant to speak out on social media. He embraces stress and performs the ridiculous.
#10 – Adena Friedman, Nasdaq
Nasdaq’s president and chief executive officer, Adena Friedman, was recognized as one of the world’s top 40 most powerful women in 2015. Friedman became the first woman to head a significant U.S. stock exchange when she was appointed to Nasdaq in 2017. With such a powerful social media record of sharing cutting-edge industry news and motivational content for other female entrepreneurs, her branded search results authenticate and support her expertise.
Conclusion
The CEO is more than just the company’s face. However, with the changing technological and business landscape, you must be active on social media as a CEO. Your brand will gain when you are genuine, involved, and attentive to your audience. A strong social media presence can favor your brand visibility and perception in addition to the numerous advantages it offers.
A social media presence is necessary for CEOs at private and small businesses as well in order to establish credibility and foster growth. Also, if you want to create an account and post engaging and compelling content for your audience, you should do it with stunning photos. You may try an instant background remover if you want to upload content to your followers.
What’s stopping you from using social media when almost everyone else is? Executives have to go online now. It’s high time to create one.
Further reading