Should a CEO of a tech company be active on Linkedin?

With 57+ million company pages and 65+ millions decision makers, Linkedin has become a powerhouse for B2B brands. People from all roles actively post thoughts on their jobs and share knowledge. 

However, one would assume that the C-suite is supposed to be focused solely on leading the company and dealing with strategy in the background, while employees maintain the company’s public image online.

Things have changed, especially in tech companies.

C-level presence on social media builds trust

Did you know that 68.7% of people think that the “C-level social media engagement makes a brand seem more honest and trustworthy?”  Modern leadership requires the role of the CEO to become more visible and approachable.

Whether we’re talking about B2B or B2C communication, the essence is human-to-human. As a CEO on social media, you could connect with your customers and users, establish deep trust, and humanize your brand in the eyes of the public.

The benefits are huge. 

For example – If a company is building a new tech product, C-suite appearing publicly would allow the company to test the product-market fit and get valuable feedback from users way faster. 

Why? Because people would get direct access to the visionary behind the product. If they can influence it, they’re more likely to buy it afterwards and believe in it.

Here’s another example. If you’re fighting off category competitors, a strong public image will give you an advantage in form of follower support. Public opinion on social media has proven to be a strong leverage in many cases. 

In the free market, it might be the asset you need to retain the leading position.

It affects employer branding efforts

Tech companies around the world are struggling to attract talent today. Recruiters are working hard day in day out to find new candidates. That struggle is one of the reasons why employer branding got so much traction in recent years.

Job seekers expect a great compensation and benefits package by default from every IT company, so now engineers are picking the employer based on its company culture.

If a CEO shows up every day and communicates publicly with employees, it could send off a powerful message to tech candidates that they’re ready to be in the trenches and they have a strong bond with teams.

Show that you’re there for your employees. Comment on their posts. Praise them for a job well done. It’s encouraging to see that the captain is there to both steer the ship and have some fun on board.

Using thought leadership to build authority

The public expects from a person leading the tech company to provide insights that enrich the tech industry altogether. In the era of knowledge sharing, it’s vital to take part and contribute. Being recognized as a powerful thinker will strengthen your company’s brand and position you as a go-to resource.

The best things the post about are:

• Ideals, 
• relatable stories,
• analyses of other people’s perspectives, and
• praises of good practices.

Ideals and relatable stories are perhaps the strongest tool in your arsenal for building authority. Dry experiences from the office won’t be as interesting as your personal transformational story. 

What made you the way you are today? What advice would you give to anyone trying to follow in your footsteps? What are your predictions (and personal challenges) for years to come? 

Connecting with people on a personal level builds authority.

To summarize

Tech CEOs bear huge responsibilities for the course of their company. However, the public has gotten tired of cold corporate communication. It’s not relatable. The CEO should be present on the currently biggest business network, Linkedin, and build trust, authority, and employer brand.

If you liked the article, feel free to share it further with your network!