It’s hard to say exactly how much, since LinkedIn doesn’t share many details, but usage of LinkedIn is on the rise, with people using it to share business-related updates with an increasingly engaged audience. More and more people are turning to professional social networks.
This has been partially spurred by changes at Twitter (now X), and there’s been a lot of professional discussion about switching to other apps. LinkedIn has been a significant beneficiary, and today LinkedIn shared some new insights into how much of that discussion is coming from executives.
The Financial Times reports:
“Over the past five years, there has been a 35% increase in executive professionals on LinkedIn in the US and a 30% increase in the UK. We have also seen a 23% year-on-year increase in posts from global CEOs. Globally, the number of posts has increased by 23%, and this content receives 4x more engagement from LinkedIn members than other content.”
That makes sense. Because CEOs have both experience and influence, LinkedIn members will pay attention to what they say within the app. In fact, LinkedIn also reports that CEOs see an average 39% increase in followers after increasing their posting frequency.
But why has there been an increase in activity? CEOs often claim they simply don’t have the time to post on social media, despite pressure from PR leaders. But now they find more time and motivation to become more active.
So why the shift?
Some of this may be related to modern AI tools and simplifying the process of automating content creation. Time-constrained CEOs can leverage generative AI to come up with more engaging and resonant content, or make ideas more palatable, while improving messaging with help from PR professionals and editors. Now you can distill it into a copy.
More platforms are incorporating AI tools into their posting systems (including LinkedIn), potentially improving CEOs’ ability to create and communicate their ideas more easily.
While AI tools are not replacing them per se, AI authoring tools may streamline the process and bring more business leaders into the conversation.
Or maybe the conversation is simply growing and the CEO is interested in participating. LinkedIn reported that active user sessions increased 13% last quarter and continue to increase each reporting period.
Perhaps business leaders simply recognize the conversation is heating up and are more willing to play a role.
There’s also the fact that users get more engagement within apps than brands.
Dan Shapero, COO of LinkedIn, said:
“It’s often easier to build trust with people than with a corporate brand, so by extension, it’s easier to build trust with management. Corporate brands use LinkedIn as a way to connect and build trust with engaged audiences. ”
Perhaps that message has finally trickled down to the upper echelons, which signals a change in communication strategy.
Either way, the increase in CEO activity within the app and the relative impact it may have on LinkedIn strategy is worth noting. If you’re looking to reach these users and connect with top decision makers, more users are becoming more active within your apps than ever before.
