While it’s hard to say exactly how much, as LinkedIn doesn’t share a lot of specifics, LinkedIn usage is on the rise, with more and more people turning to the professional social network to share businesses-related updates with an increasingly engaged audience.
That’s partly been spurred by the changes at Twitter (now X), which has seen a lot of professional discussion switching to other apps. LinkedIn has been a key beneficiary, and today, LinkedIn has shared some new insight into just how much of that discussion is coming from C-suite execs.
As reported by The Financial Times:
“There’s been a 35% increase in C-suite professionals in the U.S. on LinkedIn in the past five years, and a 30% rise in the U.K. There’s also been a 23% increase in posts from chief executives globally year on year, and their content gets four times more engagement than other content from LinkedIn members.”
Which makes sense. CEOs are people who have both experience and influence, and as such, LinkedIn members are going to pay attention to what they have to say in the app. Indeed, LinkedIn also reports that CEOs see a 39% increase in followers, on average, after increasing their posting frequency.
But why the increase in activity? CEOs have often claimed that they simply don’t have the time to post on social media, despite pressure from PR leaders. But now, they are finding more time and motivation to be more active.
So why the shift?
Part of that could be related to the latest round of AI tools, and simplified processes for automating content creation. Time-restricted CEOs can now utilize generative AI to come up with more compelling, resonant content, or to distill their ideas into more palatable copy, with the assistance of PR pros and editors to improve their messaging.
More and more platforms are incorporating AI tools into their posting systems (including LinkedIn), and it could be that CEOs now have more capacity to be able to create and communicate their ideas more easily.
That’s not to say that they’re letting AI tools represent them, as such, but AI creation tools do streamline the process, which could be prompting more business leaders to join in the conversation.
Or again, it could just be that the conversation is growing, and CEOs are now more interested in participating. LinkedIn reported that active user sessions increased by 13% last quarter, and continue to rise each reporting period.
Maybe, then, business leaders are simply seeing that the conversation is ramping up, and they now have more motivation to play a part.
There’s also the fact that people get more engagement than brands in the app.
As per LinkedIn’s COO Dan Shapero:
“It’s often easier to build trust with people than corporate brands, so executives, as an extension of the corporate brand, are using LinkedIn as a way to build connection and trust with the audiences that they care about.”
Maybe that message is finally seeping in at the higher levels, which is what’s seeing a shift in communications strategy.
Either way, it’s worth noting the increase in CEO activity in the app, and the relative impact that could have on your LinkedIn strategy. If you’re trying to reach this audience, and connect with top decision-makers, more of them are now more active in the app than ever.