Why You Need an Executive Brand

13 Jan, 2020

If your healthcare organization has a strong reputation for delivering quality care, you’re probably doing a great job of marketing your brand through media and social channels. But, did you know that it’s just as important to elevate your executive brand?

An executive brand defines who you are, how you are contributing and what you plan to accomplish. By creating a thoughtful, strategic plan to share your brand story, you will be seen as a more effective people leader—both internally and externally. It also positions your company as innovative, customer-focused thought leaders, which builds customer loyalty and trust. When delivered effectively, your executive brand can create a more genuine following to the company as a whole.

The good news is that you don’t have to go it alone. In fact, you shouldn’t. One of the best ways to reach current clients, prospects and future employees is through your team members. Customers gain confidence in a brand when they can interact with the people behind the scenes. So, what are the best ways in today’s technologically-driven world to get your messaging out there? You guessed it—social media.

Here are the top three things you can do to build your executive brand awareness:

• Share original content
  With over 645 million members, LinkedIn is the most powerful networking platform today. Create a communication plan for sharing your original thought leadership content at least once a week. To inspire readers to open and comment on your posts, try posting open-ended questions such as, “What is the #1 thing executives can do to encourage employee engagement?”

• Engage with others
  It’s not enough to just share content, it’s equally important to engage with your connections, as well. When your connections post thought-provoking messages, take the time to like or comment on their posts. People notice when you are more active on LinkedIn, which will result in an increase in notifications, connection requests and messages. By using your brand to engage with others, you’re not just building awareness, you’re building relationships.

• Involve your team
  When you give your employees a voice, you’re building a trusted and accessible brand. Your team has unique perspectives that speak to different audience segments. And because individual employees have 10 times as many social media followers as brand accounts, encouraging them to share their insights can result in unparalleled brand engagement.

Don’t look at executive branding as optional—make it a priority. Most companies are behind the curve when it comes to positioning their executives as thought leaders in their space, which creates a huge opportunity for you to get a head start on your competition.

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