Beyond the Boardroom: How CEOs Are Leveraging Social Media for Powerful Personal Branding

Everyone always talks about business branding, but we don't see enough people talk about personal branding for CEOs.

The concept is almost the same. You define and promote what you stand for as an individual. You're putting your unique value out there, and it often links back to your business. And it's not just about getting people to like you. 43% of market value is tied to a CEO's reputation, and people will pay up to 13.57x more for individuals considered elite experts (Kurogo).

It's more than ego. Well, it's a little bit about ego, and the best place to flaunt that is social media. Social media platforms quickly became the go-to for CEOs wanting powerful personal branding and access to millions of viewers. Read on to find out more.

What's Personal Branding?

Personal branding shapes how others perceive you.

People have always judged leaders on their communication style, values, and digital presence. The only difference today is the medium. Now, it's not boardrooms and keynote speeches. Perception is built through LinkedIn posts, Instagram Reels, or tweets.

You can think of personal branding as reputation management. It's the intersection of who you are, what you stand for, and how you communicate it. Done well, it humanizes leaders who might otherwise feel distant. One study proves that. Data published on Kurogo stated 77% of consumers prefer buying from companies with a CEO who is active on social media.

Personal Branding vs. Business Branding

Business branding the company: the mission, products, logos, and campaigns. Personal branding is about the individual: your tone, beliefs, and expertise.

The difference becomes clear when a CEO leaves. The company brand stays. The personal brand goes with them. Elon Musk is the perfect example. His influence spreads across Tesla, SpaceX, and X (formerly Twitter). Musk's personal brand is bold, controversial, and full of risk-taking, but it always drives consumers to look at his business, and that's what he wants.

Despite that, we have to stress that the two work together. The CEO's personal brand should reinforce the company's image. But that doesn't mean there shouldn't be a distinction in promotion. The same Kurogo data states, 'B2B buyers are 2x more likely to choose a brand that conveys personal over business value.'

We'll give you an example so that you can see the subtle difference. The business value of a woman's fitness clothing company could be selling high-quality and affordable products. The CEOs value activewear. The CEO's value could be creating clothing that empowers women to feel confident enough to improve themselves through fitness. Both messages lead to the same end—consumers buying products—but the message is different.

Why CEOs Must Do Personal and Business Branding

According to Brunswick Group research, 82% of people are more likely to trust a company when its senior leaders are active online. So, now you have two statistics that show customers trust and prefer buying from companies that have a CEO who's active on social media.

Personal branding drives trust. Business branding drives recognition. Together, they create authority. Often, it’s easy to see how closely the two link together. CEOs using their personal platform for branding will always link back to their business. Whether it’s a bio link to their website or a landing page or a link inserted into an Instagram post, the business promotion is often always there. Use of a bio link website is actually the perfect example that helps direct customers to a business without being too in their faces. Hopp by Wix is the best linktree alternative and an example of how subtle pushes towards a business don’t have to feel forced.

It's not just about external audiences either. A Weber Shandwick survey found that 77% of employees would prefer to work for a company whose leader actively communicates online.

How Social Media Became the Go-To Tool for Personal Branding

Ten years ago, executives might have relied on conferences or media interviews. Now, it's social media. Why wait for a journalist when you can publish directly to millions?

Platforms like LinkedIn and X provide scale, speed, and control. They also offer analytics—something a TV appearance can't give. A post can reach thousands within hours, and leaders can measure exactly who engaged and why.

The pandemic accelerated this shift. With in-person meetings on hold, CEOs had to go digital. That trend remained, and now we're seeing CEOs doing silly TikTok dances to follow a trend and appeal to new consumers.

How CEOs Are Using Social Media for Personal Branding

Well, TikTok dances are literally one of them. CEOs are more likely to jump on a trend and make it relevant to their business.

The best CEO accounts don't read like corporate PR; they have fun with it and appeal to consumers on a human level. They read like humans talking.

The head of Microsoft, Satya Nadella, always shares insights on leadership and innovation, but as if she's talking to her followers. Whitney Wolfe Herd, who founded the dating app Bumble, uses Instagram to promote women's empowerment and entrepreneurial challenges. It's real connections.

For us, the best CEO branding posts include:

• Posting authentic stories about challenges and lessons.

• Giving clear opinions on industry trends.

• Posting about employee achievements and company culture.

• Engaging with followers instead of broadcasting one-way.

• Being a little bit silly and following a trend.

TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn

• TikTok: TikTok is excellent for fast growth and has a huge younger demographic. CEOs use it to show a more playful side. The risk is that it demands constant creativity and can feel off-brand if done poorly.

• Instagram: Highly visual. Perfect for behind-the-scenes culture shots, travel, and personal milestones. Good for relatability, but less effective for deep thought leadership.

• X: Still the go-to for real-time commentary. CEOs in tech and politics thrive on X. There's a risk that the platform has become more polarized. We wouldn't say it's suitable for every niche.

• LinkedIn: For us, LinkedIn wins. It's professional, but it has rapidly become the business's answer to social media. CEOs share insights and stories and make posts as if they're updating their Facebook followers after a weekend away. It's professional, trusted, and highly effective for thought leadership. According to LinkedIn’s own data, content shared by executives drives 2x more engagement than content shared by their company pages.

What Are Consumers Interested In Seeing?

It's not product updates or press releases. Edelman's research shows 71% of people want CEOs to speak about societal issues and not business.

They want to see value.

That doesn't mean every leader needs to go headfirst into politics. In fact, for your personal and business reputation, we'd say to stay well away from that. It means people want to know what you stand for. Transparency about challenges, insights into leadership decisions, and genuine human moments all perform better than staged promotional content.

One example is when Patagonia's ex-CEO, Yvon Chouinard, announced he was giving away the company to fight climate change. The message went viral because it felt real.

Looking at the data and the information we've given you, you can say that personal branding is just as essential as business branding. The difference is that people don't talk about the power of personal branding through social media platforms enough.

FAQs

Is my personal brand different from my business brand?

Yes. Your personal brand promotes what you believe in, and that should tie into your business. Your business sells products and services.

How can I make my personal brand stand out?

Use social media platforms and discuss trending topics related to the industry your business is in.

What's the best platform for sharing my personal brand?

Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn are the top three social media platforms for sharing your personal brand. Adjust the tone and delivery depending on the platform to make it relevant.