Just last month, we applauded appellate attorney Theodore Boutrous (@BoutrousTed) for embracing Twitter. Well, its time CEOs do too. The Washington Business Journal recently found that, “only 2 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs are on Twitter, and only a small fraction of those are active.” Why, you may ask? Some of their top excuses include: “I do not have the time,” “social media is for young people,” and “I do not know how to use social media.” Experts say, and HC agrees, that this is a missed opportunity.

For nearly any company selling products or services, it is beneficial for clients and customers to feel highly engaged, and there are few better forums to create that engagement than the Twitterverse.

There is a difference between company Twitter accounts (@HellermanComm) and executive accounts (@jhellerman). While company handles share company updates and announcements, CEOs should be using Twitter to share their own thoughts and opinions. When done responsibly, this helps humanize the brand.

Additional benefits of CEO Twitter participation, as identified by Stacey Miller of Vocus, Inc., include:

• It puts a friendly face to the company name;
• Shows ultimate leadership, transparency and honesty;
• Allows CEOs to share information about their firm and industry; and
• Is a great networking tool.

For nearly any company selling products or services, it is beneficial for clients and customers to feel highly engaged, and there are few better forums to create that engagement than the Twitterverse. That engagement is deepened when customers feel a human, or personal, connection to the CEO. Of course, for that humanizing effect to occur, humans must be running the CEO Twitter account – preferably the CEO him or herself. A CEO can use a team to tweet on his or her behalf, but even – or especially – when that is the case, the tweets should maintain a personal, energetic tone.

It is acceptable for CEOs to not post too often. But the most effective CEO accounts will be responsive, frequently responding to customer comments directed at them and never going dark for extended periods of time. CEOs should aim to tweet three times a day (morning, afternoon, and night) and promote company handles and trends without making promotion the sole focus of the account.

If you need any help humanizing your brand, ask HC.