This post is by Ekaterina Walter, a social media strategist at Intel. She is a part of Intel’s Social Media Center of Excellence and is responsible for company wide social media empowerment and corporate social networking strategy.
For certain companies, their identity has always been bound up with the personality of their chief executive: you think of Microsoft and you think of Bill Gates; Apple and Steve Jobs; Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. But for some CEOs, social media has enabled them to cultivate their public image to an extent that was unimaginable before the explosion of online networking. The following are five of some of the most successful executives to reach out to a whole new audience:
1. Tony Hsieh
Twitter: @zappos
Followers: ~1,800,000
Who is he?
CEO of Zappos, co-founder of Link Exchange, tech investor, advocator of happiness.
Recent tweet
“‘How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.’ -Anne Frank”
Social media credentials
An early Twitter enthusiast, the same positivity that Tony Hsieh brought to Zappos shines through every area of his social media interaction. Unlike other CEOs who use Twitter, Hsieh’s Twitter account is the official Zappos feed, which just goes to underline Hsieh’s passion for sharing his ethos; his tweets frequently feature inspirational quotes and articles about happiness.
2. Tim O’Reilly
Twitter: @timoreilly
Followers: ~1,500,000
Blog: O’Reilly Radar
Who is he?
Founder and CEO, O’Reilly Media: computer books, tech conferences. Supporter of the free software and open source movements.
Recent tweet
“Interesting. Now there’s an Occupy the Web hackathon in San Francisco this weekend http://www.eventbrite.com/event/2325537746/efbnen #ows”
Social media credentials
Even a cursory glance at Tim O’Reilly’s blog posts and Twitter feed reveals a man who is utterly dedicated to openness and innovation in the tech industry, and is passionate about engaging others. While excited about emerging technologies, O’Reilly stands firmly against patents that stifle development and users’ rights, and this is reflected in his tweets: his feed is full of re-tweets of others’ views and his responses to followers’ questions on these issues. Twitter’s user-driven ethos is the perfect platform for him to connect with like-minded supporters.
3. Richard Branson
Twitter: @richardbranson
Followers: ~1,400,000
Who is he?
Founder of Virgin Group: transport, media, eco-technologies. Serial world attempts and supporter of ecological and humanitarian causes.
Recent tweet
“talk at @globalzero of similarity between nuclear disarmament & porcupines having sex: need to do both very carefully!”
Social media credentials
Branson’s Virgin Group has always had a reputation for customer-led experiences and Branson’s early adoption of social media as a conduit for sharing developments with the public while actively seeking their feedback has only increased his profile as a leader who is happier rolling up his sleeves than wearing a suit. His informal yet highly energetic approach to business is reflected in his Twitter feed and constant blogging: he shares photos from his exhausting itinerary and news from his ecological and humanitarian work while engaging in banter with other users in any spare minute.
4. Padmasree Warrior
Twitter: @Padmasree
Followers: ~1,400,000
Who is she?
Senior Vice President Engineering and Chief Technology Officer at Cisco Systems
Recent tweet
“‘Leadership is to take people elsewhere’ My fave Bob Galvin quote. He was an amazing speaker, I learned a lot from. RIP”
Social media credentials
Padmasree Warrior’s engaging and energetic approach to her role driving new technologies for Cisco is hugely apparent in her enthusiasm for listening to new ideas and sharing the opinions of others. While her own tweets are often inspirational or news-based, a large percentage of her Twitter feed is taken up by responding to questions or re-tweeting interesting thoughts or articles. There is a real sense of a two-way conversation, as well as inspiring leadership, which is rare in such a high-profile figure.
5. Nancy Lublin
Twitter: @nancylublin
Followers: ~4,000
Also: @dosomething ~470.000 followers
Who is she?
CEO of nonprofit organizations Do Something and Dress for Success.
Recent tweet:
“My dream dinner party: one-armed drummer from Def Leppard, Tipper Gore, South Park guys, and @aplusk. Who are your 4?”
Social media credentials
Nancy Lublin made volunteer work cool for teenagers. Teenagers are a notoriously hard-to-engage group and Lublin has been able to use social media to not only reach a whole swathe, but to persuade them to alter their habits and ideas, something that far larger corporations have often struggled with. Do Something ropes in celebrities and uses Twitter, Facebook and You Tube to connect with young people, but Lublin has always steered clear of a top-down approach, with staff members at Do Something having their own Twitter feeds. The result is natural, often funny, frequently motivating and always authentic.
Who is your favorite executive on social networks?
Image credit: hronos7, via iStockphoto