The Key Elements of a Successful Executive Visibility Program
Visibility often marks the success of top executives. Think of Amazon and you picture Jeff Bezos; think of Berkshire Hathaway and you see Warren Buffett.
Corporate leaders are expected to maintain a high level of visibility, approachability and relatability.
Reason: Executive visibility influences various business aspects, such as employee retention, talent acquisition, customer trust and loyalty and investor confidence.
Outcome: Presenting your company's executives as thought leaders and industry experts builds credibility, attracts leads, secures partnerships and investors, and drives business growth.
Looking to create a successful executive visibility program? This posts shares four foundational elements to incorporate.
Want to get your CEO published? Our guide takes you through five steps for creating, implementing and promoting bylined articles.
1. Media Coverage: Earning Third-Party Validation
Media coverage is the cornerstone of a successful executive visibility program. By securing opportunities like executive interviews, profiles and contributed articles in industry publications and business media, your executives become visible, build credibility and establish themselves as thought leaders in your industry.
To maximize the impact of your executive visibility program and secure high-profile media coverage, focus on:
- Securing executive or corporate profile stories: Executives need to become storytellers. Journalists at tier one publications like Forbes, Fortune and Wall Street Journal want to create characters out of the company executives and paint a picture that helps readers feel like they are getting to “know” them as individuals. To capture the interest of these journalists, executives must be willing to share personal anecdotes and reveal a bit about themselves as real people. For example, a reporter might focus on how the differing personalities and work styles of co-CEOs complement each other in driving rapid company growth. The key is to provide journalists with compelling details that bring the executives to life on the page.
Of course, these journalists are also intensely interested in the business side of the story. Executives should be prepared to discuss their company's growth strategy, significant investments, plans to reach new markets and customers, and how they are working to overcome challenges. Specific examples are a must—vague generalities won't cut it. Whenever possible, executives should share financial evidence, user metrics and other hard data to back up their claims and demonstrate profitability and success.
Reporters are looking for stories they can really sink their teeth into, with relatable characters, dramatic tension and high stakes. The most successful profile pieces weave together the human element with the business narrative. If executives can master the art of storytelling and get comfortable sharing on a personal level, while also having command of the facts and figures, they'll be well on their way to landing a coveted profile piece in a tier one publication. And the visibility and credibility that comes with this level of earned media is well worth the effort. A glowing profile can put a company on the map, build trust with key stakeholders and take an executive from relative obscurity to a recognized thought leader. - Getting quoted in the media: Executives should come to the table willing to share a contrarian viewpoint or new perspective on an established idea. Journalists want to learn where people are missing the boat on key issues. Remember to always prepare for media interviews. Executives should have some form of talking points at their fingertips so they can clearly articulate the key messages and points they plan to communicate. We often schedule mock interviews in advance of media interviews to help executives practice weaving these messages into their answers in a natural way, using stories and examples to make the key points memorable. When preparing for an interview, anticipate potential questions, including controversial ones, and help the executive rehearse their answers out loud. Remind them to keep responses concise and stay on message. We recommend providing them with a cheat sheet of key facts and figures they can practice referring to without sounding overly scripted. Remember, anything your executive says to a reporter should be considered on the record. (Remind them of that!)
To ensure your executives are well-prepared to be quoted in the media and that their messaging aligns with your overall communications strategy, consider conducting a media audit focused on executive visibility. Analyze factors such as the topics your executives are currently being quoted on, the sentiment of those mentions and how their share of voice compares to other industry thought leaders. Use these insights to identify gaps and opportunities to refine your executives' narrative and target the right journalists and outlets to increase their visibility. By providing your spokespeople with data-driven recommendations and coaching them on how to effectively communicate your key messages while telling engaging stories, you can help them become go-to sources for reporters and establish them as authoritative voices in your industry.
Finally, remember that building relationships with journalists is crucial for getting quoted regularly. Follow target reporters on social media, engage with their content and look for opportunities to provide helpful insights and commentary. Ensure your executives will make themselves available as a go-to source in their areas of expertise. And, by available, we mean they need to make time for quick-turn media interviews. Sometimes that means moving other meetings to accommodate a journalist's deadline. - Publishing thought leadership bylines in industry publications: Bylined articles showcase the expertise, knowledge and professionalism your executives and your company provide to the industry. These thought leadership pieces give your executives a platform to share their unique insights, demonstrate their industry expertise and position themselves and your company as trusted authorities. A well-written bylined article can educate your target audience, spark meaningful conversations and even influence industry trends. However, crafting a compelling piece requires more than just subject matter expertise. The quality of writing in a bylined article should reflect the caliber of your executives and your brand. These aren’t jobs to be assigned to junior writers or as an afterthought for an already overstretched staffer. Ghostwriting is a common necessity as your company executives don’t have time in their day to spend researching and crafting bylined articles to contribute to industry publications. But they do have the name and title to lend credibility to the article, and they typically have the experience and depth of knowledge to set the stage. Download How To Get Your CEO Published and our Bylined Articles Best Practices Case Study for more information.
Building genuine relationships with journalists is an ongoing process, but it pays dividends. By consistently providing value and respecting deadlines, your executives can become the go-to sources in your industry.
2. Speaking Engagements: Putting Your Executives in the Spotlight
Speaking engagements are one of the most powerful ways to boost visibility and establish your executives as thought leaders in your industry. By securing opportunities for your executives to speak at major conferences, trade shows and events, you give them a platform to share their unique insights, showcase their expertise and connect with key audiences.
To maximize the impact of your executive speaking program, focus on:
- Targeting the right events: Not all speaking opportunities are created equal. Look for events that attract your target customers, partners and influencers. Consider factors like audience size and composition, event reputation and media presence when prioritizing your efforts. Ideally, you want to secure speaking slots that position your executives as keynote speakers or featured presenters. Make sure your executives are positioned alongside their peers. Your CEO should never be on a panel with product-level speakers, for example.
Need a strategic approach for creating a successful speaker program? Read our blog post, "10 Steps To Building A Winning Speaker Program For Your Company Or Client."
- Developing powerful content: A compelling speaking abstract is key to getting selected for top speaking opportunities. Your abstract should focus on the unique insights and provocative ideas your executive can bring to the topic at hand. Once selected, put significant effort into developing a speech that educates, inspires and entertains the audience. Incorporate storytelling, real-world examples and interactive elements to keep the audience engaged. Consider hiring a professional speechwriter or presentation coach to help your executive hone their content and delivery.
- Leveraging a speechwriter: Not all executives are natural-born writers or storytellers. That's where a speechwriter can be a valuable asset. A skilled speechwriter can help your executive distill their key messages and insights into a clear, compelling narrative. He can work with your executive to develop powerful stories, examples and analogies that bring their ideas to life. Perhaps most importantly, they can capture your executive's authentic voice and personality on the page, so the speech feels natural and engaging when delivered. While it does require an additional investment, partnering with a speechwriter can be well worth it for high-stakes speaking engagements. Our Partner in Charge of Executive Visibility has written speeches for some of the highest-ranking executives at Google, AMD and Seagate. So, he’s worth his weight in gold.
- Amplifying the impact: Speaking engagements provide valuable content creation opportunities. Record your executives' presentations and repurpose the footage into short video clips for social media. If you can't record it during the actual session, record it during a dry-run rehearsal. Turn the speech into a series of blog posts or bylined articles. Use pull quotes from the presentation in social media graphics. By repurposing the content and distributing it across multiple channels, you extend the reach and lifetime value of the speaking engagement. You can also use the speaking slot to drive booth traffic and facilitate meetings with key customers and partners at the event.
Speaking slots aren't one-and-done opportunities. An integrated marketing and PR team will make sure this content is leveraged across multiple channels—from social video clips to blog posts—to maximize and measure impact.
3. Social Media: Building Thought Leadership and Engagement
A strong social media presence is a must for any executive visibility program. By building a strong presence on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, your executives can share their thought leadership content, engage with key audiences and build their personal brands— and by extension, the company's brand. (Again, think Jeff Bezos.)
To help your executives maximize their social media impact, focus on:
- Developing a compelling profile: Your executives' social media profiles are often the first thing people see when they search for them online. Make sure their profiles are fully optimized with a professional headshot, compelling bio and clear positioning as an expert in their field. Use keywords strategically in headlines, summaries and job descriptions to improve search visibility. Highlight key accomplishments, publications and speaking engagements to establish credibility.
- Sharing valuable content: To build a following on social media, your executives need to consistently share content that educates, informs and inspires their target audience. Encourage them to post a mix of their own thought leadership content (blog posts, videos, infographics, etc.), curated industry news and insights, as well as personalized commentary on trending topics. Aim for a ratio of about 60% original content, 30% curated content and 10% promotional content. Use visual elements like images, videos and pull quotes to make the content more engaging.
- Engaging with the community: Social media is all about building relationships and fostering meaningful conversations. Encourage your executives to actively participate in relevant LinkedIn Groups, Twitter chats and other online forums where their target audience congregates. But they shouldn't just broadcast their own ideas—they should strive to create a real dialogue. That means commenting on other people's posts, asking questions and sharing thoughtful feedback. By consistently providing valuable insights and engaging in two-way conversations, your executives can cultivate relationships with key influencers, peers and potential customers.
When someone takes the time to comment on your executive's post, it's important to reciprocate and keep the conversation going. Train your executives to promptly respond to comments and messages, even if it's just to say a quick “thank you.” This responsiveness shows that they value their followers' input and are invested in building a real community, not just amassing a large follower count.
Proactively engaging with other influencers' content is another powerful way to build relationships and expand your executive's reach on social media. Have them set aside time each day to read and comment on posts from other thought leaders in their industry (and any journalists or analysts they are following). When they come across an interesting article or insightful comment, they should share it with their own followers and add their unique perspective. By consistently providing value to the community, your executives can enhance their credibility, gain new followers and open doors to potential partnerships and opportunities.
Executives who prioritize responsiveness on social media stand out. Promptly acknowledging comments—even just to say 'thank you' —shows the executive values follower input.
4. Awards and Recognition: Celebrating Your Executives' Achievements
Industry awards and recognition programs are a powerful way to validate your executives' expertise and accomplishments, while also generating valuable visibility and credibility for your brand.
To make the most of awards and recognition in your executive visibility program, focus on:
- Finding the right opportunities: There are countless awards programs out there, so it's important to prioritize those that are most relevant and prestigious for your industry and target audience. Look for opportunities that recognize the specific achievements and attributes you want to highlight for your executives, such as innovation, leadership or community impact. Prioritize awards with rigorous judging criteria and a strong media presence for maximum credibility.
- Developing standout nominations: To win awards, you need to craft compelling nominations that showcase your executives' unique achievements and tell a powerful story. Start by gathering input from your executive on their proudest accomplishments, as well as testimonials from colleagues, customers or partners who can speak to their impact. Use this content to craft a nomination that highlights specific examples, metrics and anecdotes that illustrate their excellence. Tailor the nomination to the specific criteria and positioning of the award.
- Maximizing the visibility: Winning an award is just the first step. To maximize the value of the recognition, you need to promote it through multiple channels over an extended period of time. Showcase the award on your website and your executive's professional bio and social media profiles. Leverage social promotion to share the news with your target audience. Incorporate the award into your executive's speaking and media bios going forward. By treating the award as a strategic asset, you can use it to create a powerful halo effect for your executives, their personal brands and your company.
Putting It All Together
A successful executive visibility program requires an integrated and multifaceted approach that leverages speaking engagements, media coverage, social media and awards to showcase your leaders as experts and build credibility for your brand.
At JONES, we specialize in helping B2B tech companies develop and execute comprehensive executive visibility strategies tailored to their unique needs and goals. From identifying speaking opportunities and crafting compelling award nominations, to securing media coverage and building social media thought leadership, we can help you raise the bar for your executives.
If you're ready to take your executive visibility to the next level, book some time on my calendar to learn more about how we can help.