How Do CEOs Use Digital Media to Influence Their World?

The definition of CEO influence has transformed. Digital platforms now serve as the primary channels through which business leaders build visibility and shape conversations in their industries.

A 2022 report by corporate advisory firm Brunswick showed that readers of business newspapers and websites trusted a CEO who uses social media up five times more than one who does not. 

The same report said that employees would prefer to work for a CEO who uses social media compared to one who does not by a factor of four to one.  

According to a recent report from H/Advisors Abernathy, 70% of CEOs are active on social media. Of those CEOs, 64% of CEOs are on LinkedIn and 32% are on X.

And being on social media pays off for CEOs, with their average engagement rate being four times the average – that’s quadruple the average number of likes, shares and comments. 

Indeed, the average CEO has 360,000 followers on LinkedIn.

CEOs of some of the world’s biggest companies use social media to communicate in different ways. 

CP Gurnani, CEO of software consultancy Tech Mahindra, believes that social media is the most efficient tool to directly engage, connect and share with his more than 150,000 employees.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, uses social media to communicate core values such as social justice, equality, and diversity. 

And Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Walmart, often uses social media to make appreciation posts detailing his visits to various company-owned stores around the country, giving shoutouts to employees and posting photos of him meeting the staff. 

Choose your platform 

The platforms CEOs choose reflect corporate strategy. Different platforms serve different audiences, with LinkedIn working for B2B messaging while other social networks reach consumers directly.

Managing the message

Of course, any social posting by a CEO needs careful management.

Elon Musk’s infamous 2008 announcement on Twitter that he could be taking Tesla private again cost the company and him personally US$20m each after being fined by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Last month, the SEC slapped US fantasy sports and gambling platform DraftKings Inc with a US$200,000 fine after its PR team shared non-public information on the CEO’s personal X and LinkedIn accounts. 

To that end, CEOs use their own digital content teams. These specialists craft messages, analyse metrics and maintain consistency across platforms - at a cost. 

The average monthly cost for a social media marketing and management strategy across multiple channels can cost companies anything between US$3,000 and US$20,000 a month.

For a Fortune 500 company, you’re looking at US$20,000 a month plus.   

Digital training should form part of executive development. The Harvard Business School, which provides leadership education, reports increasing demand for social media strategy courses among C-suite participants.

Measuring engagement

Digital influence requires measurement. Tools such as Brandwatch, a social media monitoring platform, track message reach and sentiment. This data informs future communication strategies.

And engagement metrics drive decisions. When Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger's posts about chip manufacturing received high engagement, the company increased investment in public semiconductor education.

The practice extends beyond tech. Traditional industry CEOs use digital channels to shift market perception. BP's leadership uses LinkedIn to communicate about renewable energy investment, marking their transition beyond petroleum.

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