As part of our monthly content series, The Colour Of Marketing, we spend quality time listening to the thoughts and insights of the people who know what’s what when it comes to the world of SME marketing. In this edition, we talk with author and LinkedIn personal branding expert Damian Corbet about why personal branding is essential for business leaders today.

Hi Damian, thanks for taking time to speak with us. Can you start by telling us a bit about you and how you got into personal branding on LinkedIn?

I worked in B2B PR and communications for a conglomerate with over 50 small-to-medium subsidiary companies. We were basically an in-house agency for these companies.

About 10 years ago, while with this organisation, I was invited to speak about social media to a group of executives from some subsidies as part of the executive development programme. Those present included managing directors and sales, marketing, production, and finance directors—a really mixed bunch.

I spoke on a Thursday evening, after they’d all had dinner and a few drinks, so I was worried they wouldn’t be very attentive. Quite the opposite happened, though, and they were all very engaged. So, I thought there must be more senior leaders could and should be doing to be ‘more social’ as part of their overall personal brand.

Why do you believe personal branding is essential for business leaders today?

It’s absolutely essential—especially in our current climate of misinformation and mistrust. People—whether potential customers, suppliers, investors, supporters, or potential employees—need to know that the organisation they’re dealing with has a good reputation. That starts at the top, with the leadership team.

How can business leaders use their personal brand to humanise their company’s brand?

This is related to my previous answer. Business leaders—especially CEOs and Managing Directors—are increasingly seen as part of the brand. By being approachable and conveying trust and honesty, they directly influence the brand’s being seen as more human.

What role does authenticity play in personal branding, especially for business leaders on LinkedIn?

Authenticity and trust are everything! The annual Edelman Trust Barometer regularly cites the importance of business leaders being seen as authentic and as arbiters of trust.

How can leaders use storytelling to connect with their audience and build trust?

Storytelling has become a bit of a buzzword of late, but it’s always been there. Humanity grew up on stories—they’re what we all relate to at a deep level. A powerful story well told—whether it’s about a fictional character or how an organisation is trying to make a difference to its customers—can have a profound effect.

What types of content should business leaders focus on to humanise their brand on LinkedIn effectively?

Horses for courses, as they say! It all depends on the sector and the role of the business. As mentioned previously, business leaders can do a lot to humanise their brands simply by coming across as’ normal’ human beings. By being active on LinkedIn and sharing company updates, personal insights, insights from industry thought leaders, and wider business news, they can’t help but bring more humanity to the brand.

What are some effective ways for leaders to engage with their audience on LinkedIn?

Engage. It’s as simple as that! Like or respond to comments on their posts. But more than that, they should also seek out what their peers and industry experts are saying and comment on their posts. Share. Have conversations. Get seen and heard. This does not need to be very time-consuming. A 10-minute dip into LinkedIn once or twice daily is all that’s needed.

How can leaders foster a sense of community and loyalty among their followers?

I prefer to use ‘community’ instead of ‘followers’. Think about how community works in real life. It involves taking part in social events and talking to people. It’s not that different on LinkedIn. As I alluded to above, leaders need to seek out and engage in the conversations and discussions that matter to them. This works externally and internally, with employees just as much.

How can businesses measure the impact of their leaders’ personal branding efforts on LinkedIn?

Measurement is always a tricky subject. How does one measure the impact of giving a speech at a conference, attending a networking event, or being interviewed for a news article? We can’t, really, except in rather abstract terms. But as leaders, we do these things because we know they are important. It’s really no different on LinkedIn.

What are some common mistakes business leaders make when building their personal brand, and how can they avoid them?

Being too chatty and personal. We all want to see the ‘real person’ behind the picture and name, but we don’t necessarily want to know too much about your hobbies or your personal opinions about society at large—and definitely not about politics! Being ‘too’ personal is a common mistake with leaders who’ve been told by their team that they need to get more active on LinkedIn. Active does not mean sharing inane content.

Can you share a few examples of business leaders who have successfully used their personal brand to benefit their company?

Absolutely! I urge readers to check out the leaders below to see what best practice looks like.

Nicola Hodson is the CEO of IBM UK & Ireland. She is one of those CEOs who intuitively understands the power of storytelling as a way of humanising herself and, by extension, IBM.

Whether she’s discussing the importance of resiliency, what success means to her, or how poetry is “a powerful creation for asking questions, making us look at things differently and providing comfort when we may need it,” her posts draw you in.

Ben Page, CEO of Ipsos. Like Nicola, Ben seems to be a natural at social media. Whether he’s sharing his take on economics, politics, the world of work, or his occasional series on the quality of executive dining rooms, his output is fresh, intelligent, and engaging.

Chris Mason is the CEO of FISITA (the international membership body for the technology of mobility community). What I like about his approach to LinkedIn is how he uses it to keep his (and, by extension, FISITA’s) online community constantly updated about new developments.

Yes, the company’s LinkedIn account does this as well, but by sharing it from his account, Chris makes the news more personal by adding his own take. He also regularly shares industry news and articles the community may find interesting.

Sophie Devonshire, CEO of The Marketing Society, is a brilliant example of the CEO being the ‘Chief Branding Officer’ or ‘Chief Cheerleader’. She has an uncanny ability to bring the brand to the attention of many more people than simply the followers of the organisation’s LinkedIn page.

Whether it’s celebrating the power of storytelling at the Marketing Society Awards ceremony, asking, ‘Do you get feedback on your feedback skills?’, exploring how to leave a role with grace (not fear), or sharing leadership musings from CEO James Timpson (who was recently appointed Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation by the new UK government), Sophie’s content is always refreshing and thought-provoking.

How can leaders strike a balance between sharing personal insights and maintaining a professional image?

Ben Page, mentioned above, occasionally comments on the quality of executive dining rooms in his posts. These are clearly tongue-in-cheek, but they could conceivably come across in the wrong way. But he makes up for it with the rest of his output.

What I’m trying to get across here (and which I mentioned in an earlier answer) is not to get too personal in your posts. It’s fine to share a selfie from a football game, for example, or even a picture from a recent holiday, but bear in mind that if you were in a corporate booth or Monte Carlo, not everyone would be able to relate to it. So, do share appropriate personal posts, but make them relatable.  

What are the key elements that impact a leader’s presence on LinkedIn?

1. Have the right mindset – one that doesn’t see the social media age as a threat but rather as an incredible, valuable opportunity.
2. Being on social media requires transparency. It’s only by sharing and interacting with people that leaders can remove the façade of elitism and get closer to stakeholders and employees.
3. Be interesting and passionate about what they do and how they share it with their community.
4. They are willing to engage.
5. An understanding that in the social media age, they ARE the brand.

How should leaders handle negative feedback or a crisis on LinkedIn to maintain brand integrity?

Negative feedback can happen. We see a lot more negativity and ‘trolling’ on social media these days—even on LinkedIn. If a negative comment is genuine, don’t ignore it. Respond in a sensible, understanding way. If that doesn’t work, encourage the individual to get in touch with the organisation offline. If it’s a troll, block and ignore it.

For a genuine crisis, you must have a social media process already in place. We all know of the stories of CEOs who made things worse with cack-handed responses, either on social media or to the press. Be prepared as much as you can. Have a stock comment that can be tweaked and put out. Then, try to encourage people to follow up offline.

What future trends do you see in personal branding for business leaders on LinkedIn?

I see more video, definitely. That will require leaders to be prepared not just to share words and images but also to speak to a camera. This can be daunting, but with the right coaching and guidance, it’s a doddle.

I also see social media splintering into more niche platforms that cater to specific demographics, age groups, or topics and interests.

Thanks for speaking with us, Damian.

Next month, we’ll be chatting with Michael Gegg, a professional services marketing expert and founder of PSM Communications, about how human content and personal branding can help shape your b2b marketing.