As LinkedIn evolves as a hub for consuming and sharing professionally oriented content, more C-suite executives are posting on the platform to connect with their customers and employees.

According to LinkedIn, C-suite leaders have increased their posts by 9% year over year on the platform, resulting in a notable 37% uptick in post engagement. (Disclosure: I teach marketing and career development courses on LinkedIn Learning.)

In line with this shift, many CEOs are moonlighting as LinkedIn creators, publishing content and interacting with others on the platform as company ambassadors.

Of course, there can be challenges when representing your brand in a public forum, from being mindful of regulatory compliance to avoiding coming across as tone-deaf or disingenuous. (No one wants to be the next “crying CEO.”)

Here’s how three CEOs are making the most of their LinkedIn presence:

1. EXPRESS YOUR GENUINE SELF

Relatability isn’t attainable overnight, but a result of a continued effort of showcasing your perspective, values, and priorities.

Purposefully incorporating aspects of your point of view and background into what you’re publishing, like your interests, challenges, and ambitions, can help people build a connection with you as a leader.

Morgan DeBaun, the CEO of Blavity, a media and tech company that caters to Black millennial and Gen Z audiences, often incorporates her own experiences into her LinkedIn posts, making topics more conversational and relatable by providing helpful context.

For example, she has mentioned how her personal history correlates with an upcoming company event, reflected on her worries as an early founder, and discussed lessons learned from reframing what brings her joy professionally and personally.

“My advice to other leaders is to use social media as an opportunity to show the human side of your brand,” says DeBaun. “Don’t be afraid to share your personal journey, the challenges you’ve faced, and the lessons you’ve learned. People connect with stories and authenticity, so use that to your advantage.”

The goal isn’t to center everything you’re sharing on your experience as the CEO, but instead bring some of your personality to every post.

2. PRIORITIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE EMPLOYEES

The popular assumption is that you’ll use LinkedIn to promote your firm to customers, shareholders, and external audiences, but some leaders say it can be helpful for communicating with employees.

You can tailor your updates to speak directly to your team by highlighting their contributions to the company’s progress, showcasing the brand’s culture and mission in action, and addressing employees one-on-one in the comments.

LinkedIn is a low-effort way for employees to stay informed but can help drive a noticeable improvement in their engagement, especially when you’re recognizing their work publicly.

Vas Narasimhan, the CEO of pharmaceutical giant Novartis, comments on his employees’ LinkedIn posts with encouragement, helpful context on their contributions, and with personal thank yous.

“We use the platform to share our journey—our successes, the ways we overcome challenges, and our vision for a healthier world,” says Narasimhan. And as a leader of a global company, he says, it also gives him another opportunity to engage with employees across the world without constraints of travel.

“It’s not simply about showcasing our achievements; it’s about creating a community united by a shared purpose to shape a healthier future and encouraging emerging leaders in our company and beyond to leverage their leadership and talents to tackle some of the most pressing challenges of our time,” he says.

3. ATTRACT AND RECRUIT TALENT

“I think the most unique thing to me about LinkedIn is the recruiting aspect,” says Everette Taylor, the CEO of Kickstarter.

“I don’t recruit people on Instagram. I don’t recruit people on Twitter or Facebook. Imagine someone trying to recruit you on Facebook, it’d be mad creepy.”

Taylor has a twofold approach to recruiting on LinkedIn as a CEO.

He personally searches for talent on LinkedIn, sometimes directly sending messages to qualified candidates about open positions he’s looking to fill.

In tandem, he attracts talent by regularly posting about standout Kickstarter campaigns and creators, the company’s culture and accomplishments, and benefits like the company’s four-day workweek.

It’s an opportunity to show versus tell prospective candidates how the company is taking action on its goals, and done right, can increase your talent pipeline.

4. SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE

Building an audience on LinkedIn involves sharing relevant insights that help people learn, especially given the way the site’s algorithm appears to reward content that offers knowledge and advice.

“By offering advice on entrepreneurship and navigating the business landscape, specifically targeting founders and small-business owners, I aim to support others on their paths and connect them with tactical advice and resources,” says DeBaun of Blavity.

“It starts with listening to what the community is discussing and understanding the challenges and opportunities within my field. From there, I share my insights, stories of overcoming obstacles, and strategies for success, always with the aim of offering tactical advice,” she adds. “You’ll often see me pose a question or problem I am frequently being asked, as well as my general approach. I want people to leave my social posts with clear next steps and to feel less alone!”

Meanwhile, Narasimhan of Novartis often shares information about advancements in the medical field. “Science today is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and as a CEO I have access to many conversations at the leading edge of progress, such as on AI in medicine or on new approaches to medicine that will define the future of health,” says Narasimhan.

“Through LinkedIn, I work to not only democratize those insights and conversations so others can benefit from them, but also to start conversations about emerging trends and topics so I can bring wider perspectives into those conversations and to the work I do every day.”

Because you have limited opportunities to capture and maintain attention on social media, make sure the advice and resources you are sharing are useful and identify the takeaways for your audience.

5. EXERCISE MINDFULNESS

“I think the biggest thing you have to think about is the perception of the consumption of whatever you’re saying,” suggests Taylor, Kickstarter’s CEO.

While it’s not possible to anticipate every reaction to what you’re publishing on LinkedIn, you should be intentional about which topics you’re covering and how you’re addressing them.

Be clear about why it’s important for you to contribute to the discussion on a particular topic as the CEO, given the weight your input can have on the dialogue.

Setting thoughtful guardrails can help ensure you don’t chime in on misaligned subject matter or hastily address sensitive topics that’ll cause unnecessary issues.

For example, avoid providing real-time updates for many projects and developments currently happening at your company as it’s often more prudent to wait before discussing them publicly.

“I don’t want to post about anything that I’m currently dealing with at a company that someone could potentially take personally,” adds Taylor. He aims to avoid unintentional connections between what he’s posting publicly and what’s happening privately at the organization.

Guardrails like these can help minimize mistakes, but missteps can still happen. Even Taylor has occasionally deleted posts right after publishing them, realizing the potential for complications.