How Executive Visibility Helps Drive Diversity and Inclusion in Tech

A top-ranking female executive who heads the second largest division of a major technology company is an outspoken advocate for women in STEM and defense, and diversity and inclusion (D&I). When we launched our partnership, she had an established reputation in workplace culture and D&I. And her social channels reflected that. Her network – primarily comprised of current and former employees –  engaged highly with her mentorship and culture posts. But as she took on a greater role within the organization, she needed to expand beyond her “niche.”

OBJECTIVES

• Execute social media audit to analyze current performance of social profiles, uncover key observations and measure channel strength, content and audience
• Based on findings from the audit, define the audience and craft consistent social media posts to highlight her authority on business and leadership topics for which she’s already well-regarded (D&I and workplace), and those for which she wishes to better known (tech and defense)
• Determine an impactful and reasonable cadence for posting and engaging on social
• Leverage social to highlight her thought leadership from speaking engagements and stay connected to people she meets

OUR APPROACH

Our program aimed to elevate the executive’s business leadership profile, while further establishing our client’s thought leadership on future of defense topics to reach, attract and influence the company’s customer base, and establish it as a global employer of choice. Through a targeted social strategy, we sought to help amplify the topics important to both her and the business, while expanding her external network.

RESULTS

In a six-month period, we successfully:

• Increased followers on LinkedIn by nearly 50%.
• Garnered an average of more than 7,000 views and 200 engagements (likes, comments and shares) per post.
• Earned more than 5,000 engagements (likes, comments and shares).
• Increased “likes” across topic areas. A post about the company’s technology became one of her most popular monthly posts.
• Expanded network of followers outside the organization.

The analytics are impressive but personal anecdotes speak volumes, too. The chairman of the board at S&P Global shared our client’s LinkedIn post about her TED Talk at a Board of Directors Meeting, raving about her social presence. This sparked discussion among board members about the growing value of social media.

People continue to approach our client at meetings to compliment her presence on social. She is raising her profile and strengthening her reputation, online and off.