For many executives, LinkedIn falls into the category of “I probably should be doing more with that.”

You know it’s more powerful than a digital rolodex, but it can be hard to know how to use it effectively and when to prioritize it amid the urgent decisions and demands of your day-to-day.

The reframe: LinkedIn’s value is not in the status updates or connection requests, but in its ability to position you as a visible, authentic and generous leader, which can – and should – help to grow your business and tangibly advance your company’s objectives.

Here’s why: It’s increasingly likely that your most important audiences – customers, corporate partners, investors and employees – are all on the platform. Effectively using LinkedIn is taking the opportunity to lead the conversation in a room where everyone is already listening.

• Several independent studies have found that a CEO’s posts drive significantly more engagement than posts from a company page.
• That’s not too surprising, given today’s leaders are expected to have a visible online platform and presence – and audiences are actively seeking them out.
• Consumers, partners and stakeholders look to your digital thought leadership to understand who you are as a leader. Trust in your way of thinking and decision-making can lead to trust in your company – a valuable competitive advantage. In fact, 93% of business executives say that building trust improves the bottom line.
• What’s more, 73% of decision-makers trust thought leadership pieces over marketing materials to assess an organization’s capabilities.

The Playbook: Using LinkedIn to effectively build trust, raise your executive profile and advance business goals comes down to connection, value-adds and the right support team.

Connection: As CEO, you’re talking to peers, key stakeholders, employees and industry insiders. You have a unique opportunity to create valuable conversations with others, share your take on company news or industry trends, and humanize your organization’s brand and culture.

• Posts that share the “why” behind a decision, recognize employees or demonstrate your personal values will help readers feel connected to what you have to say.
  
  Dirk Van de Put, CEO of Mondelēz International, uses his platform to congratulate employees and leaders, connect to the company’s commitment to sustainability and share the behind-the-scenes of new partnerships to give followers a window into his priorities as a leader.
• It may feel counterintuitive, but one study of LinkedIn posts by Fortune 100 CEOs found that thoughtful, text-heavy posts received the most engagement by far. This is probably because it feels the most authentic – a leader simply typing out their thoughts and direct insights.

Value-adds: People follow leaders on social media because they want to learn from them – their ideas, industry perspective, and behind-the-scenes take on the company. In addition to prioritizing authentic connection, think about what value you can offer to your audience that will help them in some way. Is it a personal story with an encouraging take-away, greater detail on a company announcement, or a spotlight on an industry partner that everyone should know? Thinking about your topics through this filter will help ensure your posts are building trust.

• Adena Friedman, CEO of NASDAQ, regularly writes lengthy posts that share her unique perspective on the state of global markets, mixed with stories of her travels and a celebration of the people she’s met. Her reflections bring a personal and relatable angle to the valuable insights that her nearly 600,000 followers won’t find anywhere else.

The right support team: Few leaders have the time to do all of this on their own. That’s why we recommend a support team of trusted advisors who understand your unique voice and personal stories along with the rhythms of LinkedIn.

• A good support team can manage many of these activities for you – from suggesting articles to comment on, to drafting thought leadership pieces and discussion responses for your review – based on your expertise, history and voice.
• With the help of a team, you can build a regular cadence of posting and engagement that boosts your impact by creating trust and expectation. You’ll increase the opportunity for connection and conversation, and people will know where to turn if they need to hear from you in a crisis.