The category of people we are addressing here are usually very busy, are frequent flyers, Take vital Strategic Decisions by the minute and have hundreds of people ready to take care of practically EVERYTHING’ for them! However, it may not always be the best option for them to handover their social media handles to third person completely. Let us see Why, What, Where and How of getting started on Social Media for the Leadership Positioning.
I. First Decision Point- The Organisation Leader/Founder (possibly in consultation with his/her trusted aides) needs to decide the structure for enabling his social media engagement. There are two or more ways one can go about it-
a. The Leader could be sharing his posts himself from his mobile, while the message/ creative is created by his core strategic team
b. The complete social media engagement (planning, posting, tracking, and random post/like/comments/responses) can be managed by his core strategic team in consultation with him- while he could track his own handles from his mobile handset.
II. Top reasons-Why is it a good idea to manage your social handles by yourself?
1. SOCIAL is SENISITIVE- Just the way-‘YOU’, ‘Your bank accounts’ and ‘Your mobile phones’ are inseparable identities, ‘Your Social Media Brand Identity’ = ‘YOU’. Are you ready to entrust all of yourself to some agency or individual-who may have questionable intention?
a. We can further elaborate on ‘How to select the Right Person to Manage Your Social Presence? And why is it better to give part controls to an Individual rather than an Agency?
2. ONLINE PERSONA- The image that you wish to Project must be controlled by you 70-80% of the time.
3. CONNECTING WHERE and WITH WHOM-The people you want to stay connected with are all super busy and are now available on different sets of Social Handles.
4. BE ACCESSIBLE-If you sometimes want to be accessible to the people who wish to directly reach you (share concerns, feedback etc), how can they do that? They don’t have your mobile number or office landline (as you are most likely frequent traveller). So how can they leave some feedback or share confidential information with you, without hitting one of your doorkeepers?
5. Who is responding on your behalf through one-to-one chat messenger on your FB/LinkedIn/Instagram/Twitter/Website/ any other? Invest in Quality, Honest & Experienced Resources in terms of both Content Writing, Video Making, Design, Strategic Thinking and ability to collaborate and match timelines.
6. What is the Number or Email being fed at the time of opening your social handles?- Is it your number/ email? Or again a managed number/ email by your trusted aide (Afterall, it is for you to decide how much to trust even your closest aide)?
7. Whom do you wish to Connect on Priority? – This is something you would know best, else you may give directives (define your network and audience of interest) to the individual professional who manages your handles.
8. Should one use Paid Marketing for Personal Social Handles?– Mostly, all Leaders are Leaders because they already have a certain popularity quotient in their Industry or region. Therefore. it is advisable to build-up with organic engagement supported by relevant posting, use of language that establishes personal connect at all times. People are following you because of ‘ÝOU’. The TEAM managed social handles just provide a ‘PEAK in to your Professional or Personal Life’. However the feeling to communicate and connect with ‘The Leader’ is a personal bond, relationship, matter of pride, access for your followers and also a channel for ‘The Leader’ to remain accessible to all types of feedback/information/messages.
9. Finally-When you need to post something instantly, a person may not always be available at your disposal, thereby causing delay in the world of Instant Messaging and Posting. This can be managed somewhat-if we use pre-planned Scheduler of Social Posts for a set duration of one/two months.
III. Important Decisions to make before you get started?
a. Google Yourself and check what appears and how it looks?
- Where all your presence is appearing in search
- Does it give the impression that you wish to project?
- Identify missing links?
- What Brand Persona you wish to create? Ex: Thought Leader, Fitness Aficionado, Socially & Environmentally Sensitive, Leader with Global Approach, Technology & Research Enabler and so on
- What type of audience you wish to connect with?
- Technical Decisions- From which specific Gadgets you wish to control your social Media engagement and how many? (Mobile/Tab/Laptop)?
- Who can be your personal Social Media Executive Partner and Social Media Strategic Advisor?
- Whether to subscribe to select paid automation apps and services to enable effective social media engagement? Then which ones?
IV. How to get started on your personal handset?
a. Step 1- Choose a dedicated hand-phone for social media usage, which is separate from all your banking and personal use handset, so that privacy and confidentiality is not compromised in any case.
b. Step 2- Download identified social media channel apps from playstore-such as Linkedin, FB, Instagram and Twitter
c. Step 3- Login to each of these and start posting & responding, you need to allow & accept terms of access.
d.Step 4- Once you become comfortable with step ‘c’ using all your social handles, after 2-3 months- you can download a social media tool –to post to all handles at one go. Usually these tools operate on monthly or annual paid model. The tools also allow you to collaborate with your social media executive partner and advisor and set a schedule for the same. The list of tools is available here. I recommend Buffer for Beginners and Co-schedule
V. What actions to start on social handles?
a. Completely Update Your Social Media Profiles
b. Utilise Social Media Posting Apps on your handset
c. Share Content on a Regular Basis-as per your annual Content Strategy (calendar) + With Variations for-In Group Conversations + Shares + Comments + Unplanned occasions and incidents
d. Create & Curate Engaging Content through a series of Articles/Posts/Podcasts/Videos
e. Ensure- the Content is Genuine & Authentic.
f. Invest in professional photo and audio/ video shooting (Covering both Professional & Personal side of your personality- again your choice)
g. Import Your Contacts. <to download contacts in an excel>
h. Find & Join Groups (relevant groups) and engage in these
i. Discuss and define your Brand Voice, Image & Tone to maintain Consistent image
j. Point ‘d’ above will build your followers, additionally connect to contacts suggested by platforms like LinkedIn, search and send message to VC’s and other top Management personnel with a context ‘why you are sending an invite to them’
k. Subscribe to premium facility where relevant , ex: LinkedIn
Last but Never the Least – “Never Lose Control on Strings of Your Life” and if you have lost some Control- you can Always REGAIN the LOST GROUND, as nothing ever is Permanent. All the Best going Social!
