CEOs on Twitter – Good for the Brand or an Unnecessary Move?

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While some CEOs jumped on the bandwagon from the onset seeing the benefits of the social platform, others are more reluctant – whether fearful of the limelight and not knowing what to say, or just reluctant to put in the time.  Some may be wondering… well, what’s the point? The point is, for CEOs comfortable in the spotlight, it’s a great way to connect with customers and/or build your brand’s reputation.

So who should be on Twitter? Is there an industry that accepts CEOs on Twitter more than others? Let’s start by taking a look a few active c-suite execs on Twitter. These include:

• “Fun story on Google Cars http://goo.gl/RP26 it’s wild to be in a car that is driving itself. Note the wisdom of the taxi driver at the end.” – Google CEO, Eric Schmidt, (@Ericschmidt)
• “Check out our amazing @Communispace Latino team — & preview our upcoming research http://tinyurl.com/26mb2dl” – Communispace CEO, Diane Hessan (@CommunispaceCEO)
• “Great Malcolm Gladwell article about making the office more like a vibrant, buzzing neighborhood: http://bit.ly/ccU7eA” – Zappos CEO, Tony Hseish (@Zappos)

These CEO’s come from very different industries – a tech, business-to-business and consumer facing company, so no, the industry does not matter. What their tweets all have in common is a good balance between keeping a corporate presence by sharing company information, and at the same time tearing down the corporate walls just a little and showing their own personalities.

Now let’s take a look at a CEO on the other end of the spectrum: Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. While in Kiev, Ukraine, speaking at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, Ballmer was asked by an audience member when he was going to start tweeting, his response was “I have a Twitter account. I’m just very private about who I really am on Twitter.” He went on to unveil his handle (@stevebmicrosoft) to the audience (picked up by TechCrunch) and issue his 3rd tweet to date live, “I love kpi.” Now with a total of 4 tweets, it’s evident that this may not be the platform for Ballmer. However, Ballmer shouldn’t worry because he’s far from alone. According to a recent survey, about two-thirds of CEOs from the world’s largest companies don’t use social media at all.

For CEOs on the fence, check out this article by Ragan.com, ‘Should your CEO participate on social media?‘. It includes some good advice on criteria to think about before taking the plunge.

For those ready to dive in, here’s some advice: first and foremost, don’t speak on behalf of anyone but yourself – authenticity is key. Social media is a platform for you to build targeted influencer relationships and connect with peers. However, it’s important to remember to interact – not broadcast. By this we mean, respond to questions and comments left by others, comment externally on blogs, forums and social networks as appropriate, share and comment on other peoples thoughts, ideas and links. Authenticity is also tied to personality – which can be used as a CEO and brand differentiator.

Here are some simple ways for CEO’s to jump in to the social conversation:

• Expand on media interview topics
• Share opinions on industry trends
• Recap speaking engagements
• Give view from ‘behind the scenes’ at your brand
• Ask for feedback when appropriate

If you’re still unsure to tweet or not to tweet, Text 100 is always more than happy to sit down and chat to see what’s right for your CEO. Just drop us a line.