Gone are the days when social media was considered an unnecessary distraction. For executives who are in charge of managing the company's reputation - whether founders, CEOs or communication and marketing managers, a healthy social media presence is crucial. It goes to show that the leader is active in terms of current affairs, industry trends as well as with the on goings of the company. It makes the leader more approachable and authentic, as their thoughts and opinions reach the audience straight from their minds, instead of as a third-party news update. But more importantly, a leader’s social media presence goes on to humanise the brand. It sets an example not only for consumers but also for the workforce by maintaining employee relations. Leaders walking the talk, builds employee advocacy and employer branding, by retaining current employees and driving future recruitment.
There are many such inspiring leaders. But today, let’s take a look at these 5 corporate leaders whose social media reflects both individual and company culture, thereby driving motivation.
1. Nikhil Narayanan
Creative Director at Ogilvy
With a touch of wit and a hint of sarcasm, Nikhil Narayanan gets thousands, if not more, to read his thoughts on LinkedIn. Being the Creative Director at Ogilvy, his posts mostly revolve around content creation, the importance of being relevant and staying original. If you read between the lines, you’ll realise that he gives tips and insights into the advertising industry - all with a humorous tone. This honest posting from his personal handle, makes him come across as a lighthearted yet serious leader who is trying his best to be human and in turn, humanise Ogilvy.
2. Caterina Fake
Co Founder at Flickr & Hunch; Board Member at Etsy
Investor, co-founder, podcast host and board member of multiple brands, Caterina Fake’s Twitter account is where she speaks her mind - whether it is politics, technology, philanthropy or social issues. She is bold, and says it like it is, through her tweets, personal blog and comments related to her interests. If there’s one thing there’s less conversation about, it’s her businesses. Yet, by establishing herself on social media, Caterina passes on her decisiveness onto those who work for her and others who would want to in the future.
3. Ankur Warikoo
Founder and Board Member at Nearbuy
A firm believer in telling engaging success stories, Ankur Warikoo, currently the co-founder and board member of Nearbuy is a frequent poster on LinkedIn. Not only does he lead a business but is also a thought leader who has established his personal motivational channel called ‘Warikoo Wednesdays’. Through this video series and LinkedIn posts, he mentors his audience about leadership and communication. With this sort of workplace culture consulting, not only does this build his own image but also that of Nearbuy’s, by giving users a peek into what it would be like to work for his brand.
4. Elon Musk
Founder and CEO at SpaceX
Elon Musk is no stranger to Twitteratti. He started off on Twitter by sharing news and promoting his business, which led to Musk earning the connected CEO label. He is transparent, and doesn’t shy away from sharing his thoughts about technology, on politics and social issues. They may be edgy, but certainly teach a thing or two about being impactful and generating conversations. His words are bold, and not everyone agrees with what he has to say. But being a forward-thinking trend-setter, he embraces criticism, which in turn reflects greatly on his brand.
5. Sara Blakely
Founder and CEO at Spanx
With her hilarious posts on social media, Sara Blakely gives her audience a glimpse of Spanx - her shapewear and intimates brand. She is accomplished and extremely decisive, inspiring many youngsters to make their dreams come true. On social, Blakely talks about her brand but does not hard sell, opens up about her fears and strongly supports women's empowerment. But the most awaited posts on her social media are the ones with her family. With this, she gives her audience a sense of who she truly is, while building credibility as well as making her brand and her more relatable than ever before.
The Impact of a Strong Social Media Presence
Through their individual social media accounts, these people establish themselves as great leaders, and create a strong brand visibility and recall with honest posting. You remember them, their brands or products even when you're offline. They don’t need trending topics to be visible and engaging, and there's a lot to learn from this, for other leaders and the Human Resources and PR teams working on executive training. After all, in the age of social media, putting in time and resources will help personal growth as well as bring a good return on investment for the organisation.