How marketers can boost their executives’ presence on LinkedIn, from a LinkedIn Top Voice

Of all the consulting requests I receive, helping executives (or their teams) strengthen their LinkedIn presence is the most common — and for good reason. LinkedIn is no longer optional for executives. It’s where top talent, investors, journalists, and industry peers vet leaders and build trust — often before they’ve ever met you.

I’ve seen this firsthand throughout my career. As a founding editor at LinkedIn, I worked on the LinkedIn Influencer program (now known as LinkedIn Top Voices) and watched how the platform evolved into the ultimate professional networking tool.

Since then, I’ve created 20 courses as a LinkedIn Learning Instructor, earned LinkedIn Top Voice recognition with more than 320,000 followers, and wrote about the platform in my bestselling book, Unforgettable Presence.

Most importantly, I’ve worked with C-Suite executives and senior leaders across Fortune 500 companies, startups, and beyond to help them shape a strategic, credible LinkedIn presence.

What I‘ve learned is this: LinkedIn is the ultimate virtual watercooler. Here’s why it matters, and how marketers can make the most of it.

Why LinkedIn Matters for Executives

The benefits of an executive LinkedIn presence extend far beyond personal branding. Here are the four areas where I’ve seen the biggest impact.

1. Attract top talent.

Today’s candidates make it a priority to research company leaders before applying for a job. A strong LinkedIn presence builds trust, signals authenticity, and can directly influence a candidate’s decision to join your organization.

It also gives candidates a clearer picture of your company’s culture, values, and what it’s like to work with your leadership team.

2. Establish thought leadership.

Maintaining a consistent presence on LinkedIn positions executives as industry leaders, opening doors to speaking opportunities, interviews, and strategic partnerships. (In fact, many of my own media opportunities have come directly from my LinkedIn.)

Plus, regularly sharing insights or personal reflections can help spark ongoing conversations that reinforce an executive’s leadership and credibility over time.

3. Boost company visibility.

Executive posts regularly outperform company posts in reach and engagement. Why? Because people ultimately connect with people. When executives actively engage in online discussions, they amplify the company’s overall visibility by showing the human behind the brand. Their presence can make the company feel more authentic, relatable, and trustworthy.

4. Create strong first impressions.

An executive’s LinkedIn profile often creates the critical first impression for investors, partners, and potential collaborators. A comprehensive and engaging profile not only sets clear expectations and establishes credibility but also allows the executive to proactively shape perceptions. It also reinforces your value — well before any meetings or sales conversations take place.

People connect with people, not logos.

Investors, partners, and top talent want genuine human insights—not polished picture-perfect corporate profiles. An executive’s LinkedIn profile should make visitors feel they’ve genuinely “met” the leader behind the title.

I’ve seen executives with strong in-person presence get negatively impacted by a weak online presence because their profile didn’t reflect who they really are. If someone meets an impressive CEO in person but their LinkedIn is missing a profile picture and has bare bones information, it’s going to impact how you perceive them (this is a real story I heard from someone, by the way!). Executives can avoid this disconnect by ensuring their executive’s profile consistently includes:

• Original insights on industry trends that demonstrate thought leadership.
• Authentic personal reflections and stories that humanize and engage.
• Meaningful milestones and company achievements that build credibility.
• An approachable, authoritative tone that allows you to connect with your audience.

Let’s take a look at these steps in action.

Case Study: How I Helped a Fortune 500 CEO Build Their LinkedIn Presence

Here’s how I helped one CEO at a Fortune 500 consumer goods retail company grow a bare bones LinkedIn presence into a recognized LinkedIn Top Voice.

The Situation

This CEO’s team reached out to me knowing how important LinkedIn was for establishing credibility. With major announcements on the horizon, they expected a surge in profile traffic, and needed the page to reflect the leader behind the role.

The Challenge

The CEO’s LinkedIn presence was minimal. His communications team was also uncertain about content strategy, unaware of LinkedIn best practices, and unsure how to authentically represent the CEO’s persona online.

They needed fast, strategic guidance to boost credibility and visibility — especially as industry peers and potential partners would be paying attention.

The Strategy

My approach was systematic and data-driven, prioritizing three steps.

1. Competitor Analysis

We jointly created a list of peer executives and competitors. Then, I analyzed the competition’s content from the past six months. We looked at everything:

• Do they leave comments?
• How many are LinkedIn Top Voices?
• What topics are they posting — personal, professional, or promotional?
• What formats do they use — text, images, or video?

This analysis uncovered unexpected opportunities to differentiate the CEO’s presence (and also get a better understanding of what peers were doing), making their LinkedIn strategy even more impactful.

Pro tip: Don’t limit competitor analysis to your industry. Broaden your scope to include executives across sectors who excel on LinkedIn

2. Profile Optimization

I evaluated the executive’s profile using my custom rubric, scoring every single part of their profile and providing specific suggestions for improvement based on what I learned about this person and the competitive landscape.

3. Content Strategy Development

We defined content themes and built a posting rhythm that balanced personal and professional content—while also staying realistic about a posting cadence (remember: you don’t want to start off with a schedule that will cause burnout or that is impossible to maintain, especially while ramping up).

The team needed to get approvals, which took time, and wasn’t super familiar with the platform. So, we started with simpler company news content first, then gradually incorporated more personal stories tied to professional insights.

The Results

The impact extended far beyond what we initially expected. Within a few months, the executive became a LinkedIn Top Voice, which created a ripple effect throughout the organization. Other C-suite teammates became more active on LinkedIn after seeing the power of his presence firsthand, and it also boosted company culture as employees were excited to get to know their CEO better.

Additionally, the communications team also gained a clearer understanding of the competitive LinkedIn landscape and how to use the platform effectively.

Most importantly, we saw meaningful increases in the metrics that actually matter: follower count, profile views, connection requests, and direct messages. These are all clear indicators that people were not only seeing the content but taking actionable steps to stay connected.

Pro tip: While nothing is guaranteed on LinkedIn, a good rule of thumb is consistent activity on LinkedIn (at least 1x/week) should give you enough data to assess what is working. When you double down on that, you will slowly start to see momentum (remember: LinkedIn is a long game!).

How Marketers Can Support Executive LinkedIn Success

If you‘re a marketer looking to boost your executive’s LinkedIn presence, here’s your tactical playbook to get started.

1. Define content pillars and voice.

Start by identifying two to three core themes that align with your executive‘s expertise and your company’s goals. These might include leadership, innovation, people development, or industry trends.

Then decide on the tone: Are they visionary? Warm? Analytical? Direct?

To uncover the right themes and tone, ask reflective questions like:

• What are you passionate about?
• How did you end up in this industry?
• What made you want to pursue a C-suite role?
• What was a big challenge or turning point in your career?

These questions help you understand who they are — not just as a leader, but as a person — and give you stories to draw from later.

Pro tip: Executives at large public companies often have less room for experimentation on LinkedIn. Make sure to coordinate closely with both the communications and executive teams to ensure alignment from the start.

2. Choose your content formats.

Text posts are often the easiest starting point. Add a photo when possible for better engagement (posts with images get 2x the number of comments).

While video is having a big moment on LinkedIn, it‘s a heavier lift for executives and their teams. I don’t see many executives doing carousels.

3. Balance your content mix.

I recommend four types of LinkedIn content: personal, educational, professional, and promotional. Promotional posts should make up no more than 25% of your overall content. The balance between the first three depends on your executive and team goals, but mixing them creates a compelling combination.

When you’re starting out, company news (like earnings reports) is often the easiest content to create because it is more straightforward. As you build confidence, incorporate more personal stories — always tied to professional insights — like sharing experiences from industry events or leadership lessons learned.

Pro tip: Don’t underestimate the power of commenting on LinkedIn. It builds reputation and reach with minimal effort.

4. Track what actually matters.

Don‘t get caught up in vanity metrics. I actually don’t include engagement as a main KPI when working with executives, because no one has control over the algorithm or how people will engage.

Instead, focus on metrics that indicate genuine interest: follower growth, profile visits, connection requests, and direct messages. These show that people are seeing your content and are interested in taking the next step.

5. Stay consistent.

You don’t need to post every day, but consistency is crucial for staying top of mind. According to LinkedIn Top Voices program requirements, aim for at least two original posts per month.

Showing up regularly builds familiarity — and familiarity builds trust.

Start today, build tomorrow.

LinkedIn is an essential tool for executives aiming to amplify their influence and elevate their companies. Don’t wait for strategic milestones or annual reviews. Initiate conversations now about their online presence.

Clarify what they want to be known for. Identify the stories that will resonate. The sooner you start, the stronger their presence will be.