5 ways to increase executives’ authenticity on social media

Executives increasingly use online sites, but how can they (you) do it without having every post sound like a committee wrote it? A panel from a recent Ragan Facebook summit weighs in.

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When it comes to executive presences on Facebook and other social media platforms, any number of questions can arise.

How to find an authentic voice when a gaggle of people reviews every post by the chief executive? How should you make best use of that brief meeting you’re allotted with the top dog? Should a leader stake out a position on hot political issues?

The answers come down to taking the time to learn what your leaders are passionate about—and helping them find their voice, said a panel of experts at a recent Ragan Facebook Leadership Communications conference.

Often when an agency is assigned to position an executive, its members are told, OK, you’ve got six weeks. Go lock yourselves in a room, and come back and tell us what we should be saying,” said Justin Blake, global lead for executive positioning at Edelman. “That is not a recipe for authenticity.”

In the search for authenticity, Roberta Thomson, director of corporate communications at Facebook, moderated a panel of the following people:

Here are a few of their recommendations:

1. Do your homework.

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