How CEOs Should Use LinkedIn

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CEOs who post on LinkedIn should ignore much of the conventional wisdom about social media.

According to an analysis by communications firm Kekst CNC, the most engaging CEO posts are:

–Text only

–Long (over 200 characters)

–Personal

–Not linked to stories

That goes against the grain of years of social media orthodoxy which argues that the best strategy is to write short items linked to supporting articles hyperlinked to everyone and freighted down by hashtags to “optimize” search.

According to the report: “The smartest, most effective tactic is the least popular with CEOs: posting plain text. A post with simple text gets more than twice the number of average engagements.”

Kekst doesn’t say why text outperforms, but it’s clear to anyone who doomscrolls the Internet these days that photos have fallen out of favor and hashtags are comically unhip, particularly among younger influencers on Twitter.

The problem with pictures is that as many as one-third of the photos that CEOs use are “stock photos.” No one wants to see an outdated headshot, generic building or company sign.

Researchers doing the study, among the better pieces of analysis I’ve seen on the topic, crunched the numbers manually. That’s a reflection of how hard it is to get and process the data. It included 4,494 posts by 184 CEOs in four countries.

The analysts say that longer posts show commitment and depth. According to Kekst: “People expect CEOs to take more space and time to build a personal connection.”

The demand for length may also reflect a fatigue with the short attention-span economy. People are tired of hors d’oeuvres. They want a meal.

According to Kekst, three quarters of CEOs post “personal” content related to public appearances, office visits, personal travel and career and personal milestones.

It makes sense personal posts get twice as much engagement as any other type. Everyone loves a story. People want details they can relate to.

Personal posts should obviously include the protagonist.

But saying you are delighted to visit the Singapore office doesn’t do much. You need to include something you saw or did or learned.

Deborah Liu, CEO of Ancestry, is a model. She writes about her work and home experience, managing to connect it to life and business lessons that feel both practical and authentic.

One surprise in the Kekst report: less than two thirds of Fortune 100 CEOs even have a LinkedIn page.

I believe public writing will increasingly be viewed like public speaking, i.e. part of the job of communicating to stakeholders. CEOs increasingly will be expected to participate.

My advice for CEOs or anyone posting online would be to write something original. Don’t worry about the links and photos and hashtags. Just contribute.

To paraphrase Michael Pollan, the best posts: Tell stories. Mostly with examples. Not too short.

BRIEF OBSERVATIONS

GENERATION GAP: I love this public exchange on Twitter between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his brother Jack. It's a timely reminder of how communication changes from generation to generation. It's hard to imagine an older group of S&P 500 CEOs chatting like this in public. It is something that "just wasn't done," but now is. Makes me wonder about how other aspects of leadership will evolve.

BEING EFFICIENT: Soccer superstar Lionel Messi has long been admired for his uncanny ability to position himself on the field in the most effective place to score goals. During the last World Cup that perception was proven with data derived from GPS sensors that show Messi's ratio of goals scored to steps taken. It's a great example of Messi's genius and the value of data.

LIVING IN THE CITY: Living in the city you get to observe major milestones in the lives of strangers, everything from marriage proposals to a parent teaching her daughter how to ride a bike. It's wild how our brains process the information, extrapolating from the specific sight of a girl on a bike to immediately understanding it's the first time she's learning.

NO ONE LIKES BEING GRADED: Many companies have adopted the process of 180-degree self-reviews to provide feedback. Peer review is a centerpiece of academic research. Nevertheless, people still don't like it. Not even Einstein.

THE IMPOSSIBLE IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE: Whenever things seem dark, when it seems like there is no hope. It's helpful to remember all the people who survived falls from tremendous heights. There's always a chance.