Any CEO worth their year-end bonus is on LinkedIn. The platform is the place to connect and network for professionals in all industries.

By choice or necessity, however, many CEOs, founders, and business leaders are also spreading their messages and personal brand across other platforms. But which platforms are right for which leaders? And what are some of the trends that we’re seeing as executives face the challenges of effectively using social media this year?

In this post, we’re going to look at the social media platforms that executives are using and why, as well as some of the factors that could influence your social media platform strategy in the months ahead.

Understanding audiences and expectations on different social media platforms

LinkedIn for CEOs

As mentioned, LinkedIn is the safe space for the entrepreneurial and professional classes. According to Influential Executive, in 2020 62% of Fortune 500 CEOs were on social media, of which LinkedIn was the number one choice, with 92% coverage. In a 2022 survey, the publication found that, of 352 Fortune 500 CEOs on social media, 97% of them are on LinkedIn.

It’s easy to see why. LinkedIn is like a big boardroom meeting where you’re in control of the whiteboard. The platform demands little to get started: a brief bio, a profile pic (and maybe an image or two that reflects your company, a la CEO Kristin Peck of global animal health company Zoetis Inc), and occasional posts about industry trends, professional milestones or company news. You’re reaching colleagues, consumers, peers, journalists and others, on your own terms and while controlling the narrative.

However, the rules become murkier on other platforms.

X/Twitter for CEOs

Twitter/X demands newsier, flashier, and more frequent posts. The platform rewards leaders who post industry updates, opinions, and hot takes. Showing genuine excitement about a product’s launch, expanding the reach of thought leadership to build your personal brand, communicating directly with followers, managing crises and reaching out to other entrepreneurs are other ways CEOs use the platform.

According to the 2022 Influential Executive study, 31% of Fortune 500 CEOs on social media had a Twitter account, an 15% increase from 2020. Twitter/X is a favorite for people like Jason Fried, CEO of software company 37signals, who are in tech, innovation, and B2B industries. As the home of breaking news, Twitter/X is also a critical platform for executives looking to follow and connect directly with media professionals.

Instagram for CEOs

Instagram also sees its share of execs posting. Business leaders are more likely to let their hair down on the image-first platform than on X or LinkedIn by sharing “authentic” brand-building pics of spouses, kids and pets.

But execs also fill their feeds with behind-the-scenes videos, photos, and stories that showcase company culture, events, and achievements. CEOs and influencers in the fashion, travel, food, and health and wellness industries (including Jillian Michaels, below) like Instagram for its ability to showcase visual content related to clothes, destinations, restaurants, fitness routines, recipes, and exercise tips.

TikTok for CEOs

While less popular among CEOs, TikTok has been attracting more execs who want to connect with younger audiences. The short-form video platform is one of the most popular apps with Gen Z (although it does trail behind YouTube according to some stats) and millennials. Short, engaging videos related to your industry or company culture work best.

By posting brief interviews with ordinary people about their financial dreams and concerns, entrepreneur/investor Simon Squibb has amassed a following in the millions. Gary Vaynerchuk, entrepreneur and CEO of VaynerMedia, has also garnered a large following for posts that include entrepreneurial tips and inspirational content. That said, lingering concerns around Chinese ownership and shifting US regulations may present a red flag for CEOs thinking of joining TikTok.

Facebook for CEOs

One online meeting-place that execs seem to be slowly backing away from is Facebook. With its aging demographic—Facebook is the most popular platform for those aged 50-59 and second most popular among 40-49-year-olds—the one channel to rule them all is no longer top-of-mind for many businesses.

Still, some execs and brands, particularly B2C retailers, cling to the Meta holding for its broad user base and steroidal advertising capabilities. Businesses tend to share longer-form content, such as articles, videos, and status updates, while CEOs can engage with customers, employees, and stakeholders and provide updates on company initiatives. The platform also has a powerful culture of engagement. It might be worth noting however that between 2022-3, Facebook, X, and Pinterest all saw drops in use by business.

Emerging trends

Hootsuite has identified three emerging social media trends for businesses and execs in 2024.

AI. Marketers are eager to use AI and AI-generated content. One problem is that audiences are less certain about the new technology, although that depends on age—for example, Gen Z is more likely to engage and trust AI-generated content. They also have more confidence in their ability to tell the real from the fake. A challenge for business will be to “move beyond defining ‘real’ and ‘authentic’ based on whether something was created exclusively by a human,” notes Hootsuite.

Platform. One of the top ROI concerns for businesses is following their audience. The average social media user logs into about seven platforms a month, according to one source. This offers a challenge to leaders who are trying to position their businesses on several different platforms at once, since content needs to be tailored to the lingo, trends, hashtags, word counts, and visual specs of each platform—and also because platforms are constantly changing. Companies have begun triaging their use of platforms by looking at where their highest ROI is coming from.

Entertainment. According to Hootsuite’s Social Trends 2024 survey, the number one reason that consumers use social media is to be entertained and to mentally unwind. That means that YOU, the exec, or at least your team, needs to put on the old top hat and taps and give us a show. Brands that publish entertaining content on social media will own eyeballs in the year(s) ahead. A few ways to get ahead of this are to ask your followers what they want to see through polls and Q&As and experiment with new content types. Play the long game and avoid too much self-promotion.

Using metrics to decide which platforms work best for you

There are several metrics by which to gauge the ROI of your activity on social media platforms. First though, you’ll need to define your goals, whether that is to grow the amount of your followers, sell more products, generate more leads, or cultivate a single relationship with a high-value prospect. You also need to know who your target audience is and where they can be found.

Tools on the platforms themselves as well as third-party tools like Hootsuite, Shield (for LinkedIn) and Sprout Social can let you measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. Metrics include the number of likes, comments, shares, views, conversion rates and click-through rates your posts receive on different platforms. You can also track the ROI from your efforts by measuring website traffic, lead generation, sales, and customer acquisition that result from your presence on certain channels.

Further, you can compare your social media performance against industry benchmarks and best practices. Analyze the ways in which competitors and other industry leaders use the same platforms and whether they are achieving their objectives.

Finally, listen to feedback from your audience and monitor conversations about your brand or business. Sentiment analysis, reviews, and customer inquiries can help you gauge your company’s reputation and identify areas for improvement.

Social media is an ever-growing and ever-changing part of our daily lives. Executives who are able to parse the differences in the channels and then leverage content to appeal to their respective audiences will have an advantage over their competitors.

Of course, this is easier said than done—leaders need to keep their eye on the prize while the field is ever-shifting. Full-service social media agencies like CSuite Content can take the guesswork out of managing your social media accounts and maximize your ROI by targeting the right platforms for your business and leadership message.

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