CEO Reputation Management: As the CEO or founder of a company, not only are you potentially the one who has put in the blood, sweat and tears into the company to get it to where it is today, you are also the voice and symbol for the brand as well. It’s never been so crucial for what an individual might say or do, to leave a huge lasting impact on the brand, business or organization they represent.
With over 2 billion users on social media across the world, it’s completely changing how information is being shared, commented on by others and the scariest part of it all — it’s pretty much out of your control.
The best way to protect the reputation of both yourself and the brands you might represent, is to simply be careful and know what the say and do, before you actually do it.
Weber Shadwick recently came out with their own list of 12 tips for CEOs to better understand how to protect their reputation online in this social media driven world. We’ve hand selected five of them for you to implement into your personal and business branding today.
5 Tips for Improved CEO Reputation Management
1 – Assess the CEO’s reputational premium.
Gone are the days when the big CEOs and money makers simply sit in their offices at the top of their multi-million dollar headquarters. Now CEOs are inspirational, motivational and shakers within the industry. The best way to get premium and positive exposure for your CEO, is to actually put in the time and effort to see what they are good at, how they can help others and not try to keep them hidden away. Make the CEO of your brand an asset and not a liability.
2 – Bolster CEO reputation among your own employees.
The reputation and persona of a CEO starts with the employees and individuals they work with. The CEO of your brand should not be untouchable, nor should they think of themselves higher than anyone they work with. By focusing on the reputation your CEO has with their employees, you can quickly and effective build a powerful team of supports within your company that expands well beyond your imagination.
3 – Bulk up on media training.
Not every CEO needs to be seeking media attention and always trying to be in the spotlight, but it is important to make sure your CEO is comfortable in these positions and can clearly communicate with not only the media but also everyone else who is listening. The best CEOs know how to tell stories, relate with their customers and provide value in the process.
4 – Carefully evaluate CEO’s stance on public policy.
As important as it is for the CEO of your company to occasionally be in the public eye and answer questions from the media, it’s also important for your internal team to also know the CEO’s opinions on company policies and what they might say and when. No matter what the CEO of your brand says, it will also be reflected back on the brand, it’s employees and investors.
5 – Be an industry advocate.
If you were to look at the most influential and well known CEOs in the world today, you would see that they are all industry advocates, experts and thinkers. This is the type of CEO that grabs attention and gains loyalty in the social media world. The focus doesn’t have to be on technology or business, but instead to find where the CEO of your brand can become an advocate while also receiving an improved reputation and global appreciation for your brand.
It doesn’t matter how old, young, experienced or well-liked the CEO of your brand is… the important thing is that you monitor and respect what is being said about them online. In today’s world of social media and the internet — you simply have no other option to protect your CEO and brand at the same time.
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