1-800-GOT-JUNK? Founder’s Secret Recipe For Social Media Success
So, you posted a guaranteed hit on your LinkedIn page and it didn’t go viral. Now what?
The social media landscape is constantly changing, and quickly, too. What’s trending one day flops the next, and what was flopping yesterday is viral today. How do you get ahead in such a rapidly shifting space?
Brian Scudamore, CEO and Founder of O2E Brands and 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, shared his tips with us on how to make the most of your social media accounts. He’s a certified expert, having won “Best Leader on Facebook” in the 2020 CSuite Awards, and is also one of the judges this year — so you’ll want to read on to see what he’s looking for in an outstanding social media profile.
Why do executive social media?
Business leaders are busy, and for some, it’s hard to justify spending time on social media. But it’s not just a way to spout whatever is on the CEO’s mind — it’s a tool for connecting with all stakeholders. Brian tells us that in his experience, “it has been a phenomenal tool for sharing stories, not just externally, but also with our team internally – especially as our team has become more remote.”
Posting leadership stories on social media is a great way to build company culture, which helps with employee retention and acquisition — in fact, 4 in 5 employees would rather work for a CEO who’s active on social media than one who’s not. Plus, besides the ROI on being an active poster, even browsing it is useful — Brian finds extra value on LinkedIn from the ideas and inspiration that he stumbles across.
Brian’s recipe for success
Brian’s approach to social media is all about authenticity. We asked him about the biggest lesson he’s learned from using social media as a leader, and he says “you have nothing to lose by being yourself. People follow you to get the real you.” You see this authenticity the moment you spot his profile picture, in which he’s holding up a banana phone with a grin, and the personal stories he shares are full of it too.
But that’s not the only ingredient to a successful social media account. Strategy and intention matter too. For Brian, that means gearing posts toward the needs of his audience. He recommends asking yourself the same question he asks with every post: How do I want someone viewing this post to feel?
He’s been practicing this more over the past few years as the internet has gotten both more addictive and more stressful. Posting things that will make your followers feel differently than the rest of their online experience is instrumental to growing an audience.
But Brian says that moving forward, social media posters would be wise to consider not just how readers will feel, but whether or not they’ll even care. The next social media trend business leaders should know about, according to him: “Telling stories that matter. There is too much noise drowning out great stories. I try to ask myself before posting: Who will care to read this?”
The data backs up the hunch — the median time spent on reading a blog post is 37 seconds (if you’re still here, thanks!) and research shows that people literally dissociate when browsing social media. Reaching an audience is hard — actually reaching them is even harder. Posting genuine, reader-focused content that will stick out among the crowd is the key to social success.
Where to find inspiration
You can follow Brian for inspiration on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, and you can check out our co-founder’s video interview with him here. Brian also recommends Jason Feifer, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur, for the unique perspective that he’s gained from knowing so many entrepreneurs. You can also take a look at our previous winners for more all-star accounts.
The Helm is sponsoring the 2023 CSuite Awards, founded and operated by CSuite Content. If you are or know a leader who’s doing great work on social media, consider applying! The early bird deadline is February 28. Follow this link to learn more: https://www.csuiteawards.com
