- Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky was a content consumer but never saw herself as a creator.
- Since becoming a top exec, she had to overcome her fears of posting to build her online presence.
- Novoselsky said it’s important to meet customers where they are and be relatable as a CEO.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Irina Novoselsky, CEO of the social media management platform Hootsuite. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
Before becoming Hootsuite’s CEO, I lived on social media and consumed my news, information, and trends online — but I was more of a passive consumer than a content creator.
When I became CEO in 2023, I leaned more into content creation. I felt the role of CEOs was changing, and I wanted to interact with our customers directly online.
It’s a scary jump to go from passive consumer to content creator. I’ve sat across from dozens of executives who are hesitant about social media. Many leave dealing with it up to their 22-year-old intern or social media team, but leaders need to interact directly with customers.
Reports suggest customers are more likely to buy something if the CEO has a strong social media presence. Leaders need to show up where their customers are at. We don’t have the luxury of deciding whether to post. You’re late if you’re not doing it.
I was scared to put myself out there, but authenticity is important to customers
When I started posting as a CEO, the first thing that came into my head was fear. I wondered what to say and was cautious about putting myself out there. Though I still feel nervous now, I’ve also received overwhelming support. People are hungry for real voices.
A lot of the CEOs and customers we work with want to talk about their company and product, and that’s it. However, from surveys we know people want to see posts from brands and executives that showcase an authentic point of view.
This involves putting yourself out there, which can be scary. It’s your name, face, and thoughts. You’re opening yourself up for debate. Executives want to make sure we’re protecting our company and brand, and talking about our own personal thoughts can put that at risk.
I started making video content to post on LinkedIn
I have accounts on multiple social media platforms, but I only post on LinkedIn, where I have over 18,000 followers. It feels like the right professional environment for me to post on. I set aside at least 15 to 30 minutes a day to engage with people online. Over the past year, I’ve increased my LinkedIn follower count by several thousand.
I started ramping up my social media efforts by commenting on other people’s posts and following executives and leaders I was interested in. The more time I spent listening to what my customers and peers were saying online, the more ideas I had about things I wanted to say.
English is a second language for me, so I find writing more difficult than talking. Though I started with written posts, I found creating videos easier. I could just open up a camera and go, even when walking to a meeting or in the back of a cab.
I’ve shared personal and professional stories to give people a peek behind the curtain of my life and often include lessons I want to pass on to other business leaders. For example, I recently posted about being daunted by networking events and why the discomfort is a great opportunity to grow.
The videos aren’t live, so I can decide not to post them later. Sometimes, if there’s background noise, I’ll have someone make some edits, but they’re mostly what you see is what you get. The more raw and authentic it is, the better. They tend to drive impressions, bringing awareness to the brand, which can also bring in potential revenue.
It’s important that leaders have control over what’s posted on their account
In the past, especially early on in my journey, I’ve asked people to double-check my posts to make sure I wasn’t doing anything to put the company at risk. I think it’s a healthy thing for leaders to do.
I’ve also asked our social media team if they had ideas about what I should post about or for suggestions about how to improve posts. It’s useful to get help from the experts, but at the end of the day, it’s my voice, my thoughts, and mostly my language.
I’m sure there are people who have ghostwriters who do everything for them without them reviewing it, but the whole point is it needs to be authentic. It’s my face recording the videos, so I have to believe what I’m saying.
Leaders should use any help they can get, but since it’s your voice and your name, having final control over it is really important.
I’ve journeyed with how much of my personality to share online
When I became a CEO for the first time at a previous company, I thought I needed to act and talk in a certain way and that I shouldn’t use emojis or exclamation marks.
I got tired of having a double persona, and once I leaned into who I actually was, it made my leadership life a lot easier. Now, I embrace emojis and show my authentic self in my videos.
One of the biggest vulnerability points was when I shared a picture of me and my parents, celebrating my immigration anniversary. I was thinking about how many years we’ve been in America and what it’s meant for my family.
I felt so vulnerable posting it and called my social media team to ask if I’d made a terrible decision. Self-doubt is normal. More leaders should talk about it and embrace it.
It’s scary to put your thoughts out there, but that’s the role of a leader.
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