From 'digital recluse' to 'digital hero', where are you on the scale?

When it comes to B2B, people buy from people, so it was shocking to uncover in our recent study that almost half of the tech C-suite have NEVER posted to their personal LinkedIn accounts.As a means of reaching clients, prospects and other industry influencers on a single platform, LinkedIn is a powerful, constant, and prevalent touchpoint. But it’s being overlooked.In a webinar earlier this month, Steven Bartlett, founder of social media marketing agency Social Chain and investor on Dragon’s Den, emphasised the importance of personal branding and the impact it can have on the commercial success of a business. He said: “if you do LinkedIn well enough, you can build an unbelievable business.” And I couldn’t agree more.So, as a member of a brand’s comms team, it's up to you to support the C-suite with a solid plan for how they can be visible and active across their social platforms.But are you currently making the most of their social channels?Earlier this month, we launched a quick-fire quiz to help you benchmark your executives’ digital prowess against some of the technology industry’s finest. After answering eight simple questions, we’ll assign a digital persona to their scores as well as some tailored recommendations on how they can establish themselves as digital heroes.But what are these digital personas I hear you ask? Let’s break it down…

• Digital recluse: these individuals are social media hermits. Their social media profiles are dormant…they don’t post anything, nor do they engage with their followers. Our study reveals that over a third (37%) of CEOs working in industries at the forefront of technology fall into this camp, which is a wasted opportunity. It’s time for you to encourage these folks to take action and increase their presence online.
• Digital bystander: when we say ‘bystander’ it’s just a polite way of saying ‘you’re a lurker.’ And no one likes a lurker. These are the individuals who observe but don’t actively engage with their followers’ content. It sounds simple but liking and commenting on the posts authored by the people you want to get in front of is key. Sadly, a quarter of CEOs fall into this category.
• Digital contender: these are the people who have a good social presence, and their profiles pack some punch. They’re pretty active — posting and engaging with their followers’ posts at least once a week. They also receive decent engagement on their own content…but there’s room for improvement to reach that ‘hero’ status.
• Digital hero: thought leaders and influencers in their own right. These are the folks that are very active on social media and receive over 50 engagements on their posts. They also engage with their followers’ content a few times a week and have over 1000 connections. This is where the magic starts to happen. By being so active on social media, they’re creating an opportunity in which their followers (prospects and customers included) come to see them as experts giving valuable advice, which can heavily influence buying decisions. That said, only 18% of CEOs in our study are Digital Heroes.

With C-suite individuals often possessing the most extensive networks, any brand striving to improve engagement, customer loyalty, employee advocacy or investor confidence should be looking to tap into their contacts online.Find out where your execs are on the scale by encouraging them to take this quiz: https://bit.ly/3rnoyav