A great executive content program is a communications leader’s best friend. It builds trust with audiences, had a bonkers ROI, and just makes your life easier.
But you can’t do it all willy-nilly.
A great…no, a kickass executive content program takes a bit of effort and planning. Over the years, I’ve learned a few things about what a kickass program looks like.
Here are the 3 Keys to creating such a program.
Identify the Right Executive Spokespeople
Typically, you want your CEO to be your main executivespokesperson. But not necessarily.
More important than title or position is finding an executive who “gets it.” Someone who is willing to share their stories and show a bit of personality.
And, of course, it should be an executive with some important sh*t to say. About your company. About employees. About your customers. About his or herself.
Who it is doesn’t matter that much. As long as it’s someone who’s willing to have an authentic voice and show up online consistently.
Uncover Great Stories
Okay, you found the right executive(s) for your program. But the question they always ask is, “What should I talk about?”
This is where your talent as a communicator comes through. Work with the executive to uncover stories that will be interesting to your audiences.
Celebrate your employees. Share the executive’s personal stories and experiences. Shine a light on the ways your customers are changing the world.
This should be a collaborative process between you and the executive. Don’t be afraid to get a little personal on occasion, because that’s what audiences like.
And above all, don’t turn the executive’s feed into acorporate jargon-laden series of ads.
Capture Moments
Some of the best content comes from the spontaneous, unexpected moments. Impromptu meetings with customers. Catching employees in random acts of ass-kicking. Ideas and epiphanies that can strike at any time.
The best way to capture those is to have a dedicated member of your team follow the executive around with a video camera. But that’s rarely practical, and gets quite expensive.
The better approach is to train your executives to be mindful of those moments and try to capture them when they happen. At the very least, have them take a few notes or snap a quick photo that you can use to craft content.
You don’t need much. Just one or two posts like this every month (in addition to your regular cadence of content) is all you need to really connect with your audience.
Of course, there’s more to a kickass executive content program than this. But if yours incorporates these three keys, you’re well on your way.
And if you need any help planning or executing yours, I’d be honored to be part of your team. Set up a free, no-strings-attached discovery call.