To be there or not to be there is no longer the question. Because the online presence of business leaders has become more crucial than ever, The Metrics Factory organized its fifth Wake Up Your Audience Around this issue.
With the mantra and program “Be online to lead offline”, this breakfast conference brought together the expertise of Marshal Sar (Social Media Manager at BNP Paribas Personal Finance), Richard Saint-Etienne (CEO of the SHAN agency) and Mickael Cordeiro (Senior Corporate Consultant at The Metrics Factory). And was orchestrated by Michel Picot, editor-in-chief of the Business Club of France.
(se) convince to go
“Consumers want managers to be more involved in networks,” says Michel Picot. So you have to be there, “because otherwise others will speak for you.” “Social networks are an accelerator of notoriety and reputation,” adds Richard Saint-Etienne. A lot of studies point in this direction, but we still have to convince.”
Presence and speaking online raise a lot of questions for leaders. How do you get them involved? “First of all, you have to adapt to the personality of your manager and his appetite for social networks,” says Marshal Sar. When he joined BNP Paribas PersonalFinance three years ago, he was the digital voice of its CEO, Laurent David.
“At first he was suspicious of social networks, so I had to draw his attention to what it could do for him.” He knew that Laurent David liked numbers, understanding and discovering new things. “So I took advantage of the weekly feedback to go beyond quantitative analyses, and explain to him why a particular tweet worked or not, acculturate him and give him advice.” Today Laurent David publishes his posts himself. “He publishes less frequently than when I did it for him, but his publications have more impact now.”
A good strategy is to physically present other connected leaders or industry experts to your CEO. “For Laurent David, I organized a lunch with Amy McIlwain. She showed him different types of presences and opened his mind.” He then posted his first selfie on Twitter. “It was in a pretty cool context, we saw him having a drink after a seminar. The post was a hit.”
What platforms and what messages?
Two platforms therefore seem to be preferred by managers: Twitter and Linkedin. The first makes it possible to reach more an audience outside the business world. “Linkedin is made to value the words of managers, develops Michel Picot. People are more politically correct, which makes it a great place to congratulate or mobilize your teams.” So, when he became CEO of Danone in 2014, Emmanuel Faber presented his vision for the group on Linkedin Pulse.
Based on a TMF study on the presence of CAC40 HR managers and SME managers on social networks, Mickael Cordeiro notes that they are three times more active on Linkedin than on Twitter.
Are there rules or topics to avoid? For Marshal Sar, “it is above all common sense, such as avoiding denigrating the competition.” “For a network strategy to succeed, the footprint must be clear. That is to say “prioritizing information, asking the right questions about its current positioning and its long-term ambitions”, specifies Richard Saint-Etienne.
While it is appropriate to follow an editorial line according to your sector and/or profession, displaying a more personal side is not likely. “80% of a company's reputation is made through the image of its CEO,” recalls Marshal Sar. “When you follow a CEO on networks, you follow not only the company, but also the man behind the profile.”
“Some leaders remain very consistent in what they tweet and retweet,” says Mickael Cordeiro. But extending your voice to topics related to or exogenous to your economic activity can be wise... or risky.
Based on his study, he takes two examples from businesses of different sizes. That of Caroline Guillaumin, communication and human resources manager at Société Générale, a partner of the XV of France. “Her tweets are very linked to Societe Generale, but her retweets are much more personal.”
On the other hand, Jean-Louis Louvel, CEO and founder of PGS Group. But also president of the Rouen Normandie Rugby club, which represents a very important part of his numerous publications on LinkedIn. “His sports-related publications allow him to interest an audience outside his sector of activity.”
The CEOs of SMEs, often founders, also have an advantage over their peers from larger companies. “Because of their more compact network of SMEs and ETIs, the voice of their manager will have a direct effect on their audience.” A word that will not fail to accompany The Metrics Factory.
https://www.slideshare.net/metricsfactory/wake-up-your-audience-ceo-20-be-online-to-lead-offline
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