Boss, you’re not on Twitter at all

CEOs have always been the public face of companies. This applies even more so in this age of social media. If CEOs use this opportunity, such as by actively tweeting, corporate communication receives an extra human component. Both internally and externally.

But what if the CEO is not on Twitter? Fortunately this is not an issue at Switzerland Tourism: our boss has been tweeting privately since 2009, and from 2018 in an official capacity since becoming CEO.

Like his predecessors, Martin Nydegger is aware of the significance of this window into the company. Companies and organizations with strong links to government, such as Switzerland Tourism, want to be noticed on social media and online in general. But there is very little interest in corporate content. Readers have low attention spans, with plenty of alternative sources of information out there – welcome to the era of “content shock”. This is where the concept of “corporate influencers” comes into play: CEOs can help attract additional interest, raise awareness, ease content shock for customers, and shape the organization’s public image.

Humans prefer communicating with other humans; with people they can trust and engage in direct dialogue. Impersonal content from a faceless account is pretty useless. On social media even more so. It’s better for CEOs to become ambassadors in their area – official influencers with credibility and a face. The long-term success of this approach is clear to see in business leaders like Elon Musk and Richard Branson. As well as the everyday business elite such as Joe Kaeser at Siemens, Hannes Armetsreiter at Vodafone Germany and Tina Müller at Douglas. Not forgetting our CEO here at Switzerland Tourism, Martin Nydegger.

CEOs are not only at the head of the chain in operational matters; they are also the first point of contact in communication and PR. This is why they need to post on social media as real people, to say what’s on their mind, and present their company, brands and ethos behind a visible face. This turns CEOs into “corporate messengers” and helps add a human touch to their companies. Both externally and internally, in particular. If a CEO communicates in an appealing way, including on Twitter, they may be followed by target groups and other players from business and communications, but also ideally by the company’s own people.

Seen from this angle, CEOs are the foundation of successful corporate influencer programmes as they are the top influencers and are role models in showing how things are done.

But CEOs do need to put effort into their Twitter communication. They have to be authentic and prepared to engage fully, with the necessary tact and composure of course. In turn, companies must have faith in their CEOs and show transparency in all structures, processes and guidelines.

The more willing a CEO is to share their personal and professional life, the higher their credibility. This is where being a social media-savvy CEO can bring considerable added value. Conclusion: #CEOonTwitter.

Dominic Stöcklin leads the social media team at Switzerland Tourism and is speaking on this subject at Connecta Bern.