Make the most of your supply chain leaders’ social media accounts by following these steps.

I’ve written many times before about the importance of supply chain leaders being on social media as the face of their brands. Social media presents a huge opportunity for executives to use their relative industry celebrity to be an extension of their organizations.

So you are ready to commit to a more active social media presence (or you’re going to be ghost-posting for your executive). Where do you begin?

We’ve come up with 4 tips for supply chain leaders to making the most of their presence on social media.

4 tips for supply chain leaders on social media

1) Find the right platform (or platforms) for you.

The first thing to consider is your target audience. If you’re looking to reach a young demographic, for example, Snapchat is probably the way to go, as 45% of its users are under the age of 24. Likewise, if your brand would be well-served by live video (hint: it probably will!), Facebook Live and Instagram Stories offer great possibilities.

Next, think about your personal voice, and what type of content you are likely to be posting. Thought leadership can often best be established on LinkedIn. But that doesn’t mean that Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube aren’t also good avenues to present your voice to the world. Pick the platforms that you feel speak most to your audience and best serve your brand.

2) Use your creative side.

Supply chain and logistics leadership requires a tremendous amount of creativity and innovation. Let these qualities shine through in your social media presence! You have the tools to spark more engagement, increase follower count, and make your posts go viral.

This means using your unique voice to be a storyteller, engage your audience, and create a face for your brand. If you need some inspiration, check out these 7 Twitter accounts.

3) Create space for conversation.

Too many would-be social media mavens fall into the trap of posting the kind of content that doesn’t invite interaction. Instead, be a conversation-starter.

First, take a look at your audience and what kind of interactions they have online. You can scan the pages of other leaders in your niche as a reference point.

You can generate interaction and engagement by showing gratitude, listening to your audience, handling queries, posting thought-provoking content, and posing questions in your posts.

4) Avoid controversy.

This might seem obvious, but there’s a fine line to walk between posting or re-posting thought-provoking content and becoming an inadvertently controversial figure.

Keep in mind that, in the public platforms that are social media, all your moves will be under constant scrutiny from your fans, followers, and people in their networks. This means that while cultivating a personal voice, it’s important to maintain a level of professionalism. And stay away from posting anything that can make you a lightning rod for controversy!

Where do you go to follow supply chain leaders on social media?

Related posts:

• 5 Must-Read Books for Supply Chain Leaders
• Top 10 Leadership Posts of 2017
• 5 Social Media Tips for Supply Chain Executives