How to Tweet Like a CEO
Land O’Lakes president and CEO Beth Ford is one of the highest-profile Twin Cities executives on Twitter. Her Twitter bio for @BethFordLOL (that’s Land O’Lakes, not laugh out loud) reads “championing agriculture, farmers and a stronger connection between rural and urban America.” She tweets some company news, but more often she tweets stats and studies about rural America and farmers. Like this one: “The homework gap affects more than 12M students, with the biggest hurdle being broadband access & affordability. @usedgov says 18% of 5- to-17-year-olds in ‘remote rural’ districts have no internet at home, compared to 13% in cities and 7% in suburbs. #RuralRealities.”
Here’s why Ford takes time to tweet.
“Staying connected with my team, our entire organization, our members, customers, and consumers is critical to success. As a leader, you set the tone. I always say what I love most about my job is the people, and building strong connections fuels progress and success. We’re all busy, but keeping my phone close by to enable swift responses on email—even if brief—respects those who need eyes on something quickly. Tell me upfront what you need so I can prioritize effectively and be responsive. I also appreciate new platforms like Twitter that allow me to connect with many different people from many different places. While it can sometimes be a tough environment, it enables two-way connection in an immediate and authentic way.”