A 2023 PR Trend in Executive Social Media Management
- Kayla Pineda
- Mar 28, 2023
- 3 min read
The future of executive social media management is one of the top trends for PR in 2023
By: Kayla Pineda
As a public relations professional, I researched the public relations trends of 2023. In this search for these trends, I found executive social media management. This trending PR topic allows companies to humanize their image and create a more authentic connection with their audience. Having the CEO and face of the company share their persona sets the tone for its culture and industry expertise.
According to Forbes (2021), your social media presence has a direct impact on your company’s bottom line. The use of social media has been increasing since 2013. According to Statista (2022), the social media marketing usage rate in the U.S. is 92.1%. It has been proven that a business executive’s presence on social media influences a customer’s purchase decision. There are different ways for CEOs to approach social media:
· Humanized social media posts
· Soft branding
· Hiring a social media manager
A company that has successfully used this trend is AT&T and Chief Executive Officer John Stankey. The LinkedIn page for Stankey displays consistency with posts, authenticity, and informational updates on the company. AT&T has previously hired social media managers to keep the CEO active on his social media platforms.
Humanizing the Executive
Creating social media posts that humanize the executive will bring an audience closer and allow connections to build with the company. It shows the public a less corporate face and more of an authentic version of themselves. A great example has been CEO Stankey posting pictures with their summer interns and applauding them for their great work. It’s encouraged to use hashtags and current slang, it’s important to use language that better targets the company’s audience.
Soft Branding
Influencers need their niche and voice on social media. The same rules apply to executive figures on social media, it’s important to stay in your niche and stay connected with your targeted audience. It’s best to list the values and mission of the company whether it’s in a thoughtful post or the bio.
Forbes (2021) claims that staying focused on your top three areas will keep you focused and help elevate your profile in the right areas.
Pop star Ariana Grande launched her beauty line in 2021 called R.E.M Beauty. She’s released question-and-answer videos, reels, funny TikToks and photos of her fans who use her products. In each post, her team ensures that these posts don’t overlap with her singing career and are within her beauty niche.
Hiring a Professional Social Media Manager
This tactic allows a younger generation to keep the company up to date on social media trends. This also prevents the CEO from being overwhelmed and inconsistent on their platforms. According to Danger Dynamite, the benefits of hiring a professional social media manager are that experts save time, build brand recognition, content creator, increased traffic and engagement/relationship building. Yes, it is important to have all the platforms, but it is less effective if the executive is not active on any of them.
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About the Author:
Kayla Pineda is an up-and-coming public relations professional in Dallas, Texas. Kayla studied journalism with a focus on Public Relations at the University of North Texas in Denton. She is expected to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in May 2023.
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