In 2021 company spokespeople are responsible for more than just being the mouthpiece during media interviews. As business leaders (and as individuals) they also have an opportunity to leverage social media channels to help promote, build and maintain their company and brand.

Increasingly, research shows that understanding how to build your brand on social media channels – and specifically the go-to business platform of LinkedIn – is now a business imperative. According to the 2019 “Connected Leadership” study by the Brunswick Group, 65% of employees say it’s important for CEOs to actively communicate about their companies online, while 60% check executive social media accounts before accepting a job offer.

Recently Hill+Knowlton Strategies South Africa launched a social media training programme for executives and spokespeople with a specific focus on LinkedIn. The training is designed to help business executives and CEOs understand the essentials of social media and how they can use it for business.

In the last month we’ve rolled this out to a few of our corporate clients across the continent with great success. And of course, due to the new nature of work, this training can be delivered fully remotely.

In the three-hour practical session (depending upon the number of participants), spokespeople learn more about the LinkedIn platform, how it works, how to create a profile that stands out, how best to use the platform to make and engage with connections, and how to leverage their brand to position themselves and the company appropriately.