Channel 4 CEO Alec Simmeron recorded his resignation last month in a relaxed sweater holding his phone at arm length. She posted a video of Heartfelt on LinkedIn, informing her 84,000 followers of her decision to “slightly break my heart.”
Mahon is seeing an increasing number of business leaders making short, normally unscripted social media videos as a way to communicate directly with their audiences. According to the platform’s own statistics, over the past two years, the number of posts shared by LinkedIn’s chief executives has increased by 52%, and among users, videos have increased by twice the rate of other formats.
Social videos about Tiktok and other sites have been booming for years, but recently they have begun to take off among business users. Executives see this format as a way to reach shareholders and customers on their own terms. Short clips, often shot on mobile phones, are a low-cost way to achieve levels of informality and even intimacy with stakeholders that help build personal brands and project a warmer “human” image.
William Peake, a global managing partner at law firm Harneys and a regular video poster, contrasts with the refined corporate messaging typical of Chief executives, and the trend of self-made, often incomplete 60-90 second recordings. The latter allows the boss to “hide behind the heavy curated copies written by people who write the words on their behalf,” Peak says. “The video content is really honest because there’s no place to run and no place to hide.”
He talks to his followers about topics such as work/life balance (he admits he has nothing) and legal department issues. One recent video on how lawyers need to think further from a customer service perspective has earned 250,000 views.
Some CEOs have used video to update and reassure customers during the crisis. For example, when British Airways CEO Shawn Doyle spoke about a blackout at Heathrow Airport in March.
Others focus on their company performance. Jamie Dimon, head of JPMorgan Chase, posted his first short video last month. There, we have compiled the important messages from our annual letter to shareholders. Dimon didn’t have a phone, but the feel was still surprisingly informal. He was casually dressed, leaving behind some stumblings.
Of course, there are many bosses that don’t come naturally to talk to the camera. Jonathan Blake, a former BBC journalist communications coach who is now director of PR consultant Headland, says requests from corporate clients seeking video skills support are becoming more frequent. “They’re seeing their peers posting on LinkedIn, and they want to give it a try,” he says.
His advice to leaders in favor of videos is to find a way to “not only suit the business you lead, but also show a bit of your personality and make people want to see.”
Blackstone’s president and chief operating officer John Gray has “talked” the video format of the signature, but LinkedIn’s chief operating officer Daniel Shapero often records as he walks through his greenery California neighborhood.
Those who prefer something more professional can choose an approach that is between wobbling iPhone videos and the informality of the corporate bulging. One example comes from Sainsbury’s, who marked the results for 2024/2025 with a tasteful video in the style of a news report. Supermarket CEO Simon Roberts acts as a presenter and visits the store to talk to staff about new products and innovations. It’s a trend in showing him as an informal and realistic boss, but it has high production value.
Blake tells management who wants to get to the screen that consistency is important. They should post regularly. This takes time and requires commitment. He also suggests that newcomers in the video have more of a “3CS” in mind. “Clearness, confidence, connection.”
Blake adds that leaders must think about how the message will land along with “the audience as a whole.” But the real value for many bosses is that the video gives them a direct line to the staff. “There’s no need to go through the sign-off layer or write emails that no one reads,” he points out.
Shapero from LinkedIn said: “I usually find an important message to say, and I might choose a catchphrase.
He says he discovered, “somewhere (around) two or three takes, I understand it correctly. It feels natural, but not overly rehearsed.”
One of the bonuses to creating videos was the change in relationships with colleagues. “People are involved unlike me,” he says. “They open themselves a little more to me. They tell me as if they know me.”
To some extent, CEOs have caught up with younger employees. Young employees even share an elaborate dance routine in favor of “performance-based” salaries through Tiktok’s “quiet quit” and “Come to Work With With Me” videos.
Social videos focusing on the lives of more mature professionals took time to move on, but it is now changing rapidly. “You have to be there,” says Daniel Roth, Editor-in-Chief of LinkedIn and Vice President of Content Development. “The CEO’s job is always moving forward, and video is an easy way to connect with employees, customers and investors.”
However, it appears that the dance has not been caught at all yet.
Tips for becoming a video star
dos
Before posting colly, experiment before reviewing content with colleagues.
If you are not feeling well in front of the camera camera, we will pay for training.
✅I know what you want to say: What is your message? Who is the audience?
Oll King Keep it Short: 60-90 seconds.
odd accepts strange stumbling. Even Jamie Dimon leaves them behind.
Please reply to the comment after posting the by video. No one likes “Post and Ghost.”
adrictioned Learn from skilled performers: Nicholas Thompson of the Atlantic and Daniel EK of Spotify are unofficial. For more sophisticated take, check out Thasunda Brown Duckett of Tiaa, a leading financial services company.
Please don’t
Do not read from scripts scripts.
Don’t overload content content: less.
❌Don’t think too much.
❌ Don’t make everything about yourself.
