Companies are investing heavily in training, content creation, and strategy to have a strong leadership presence on social media. But how do we know if any of it is paying off? The goal is to build trust, engage stakeholders, and shape industry narratives, but the results are often underwhelming, bordering on invisible.
Our analysis of more than 1,000 LinkedIn posts from a diverse sample of CEOs and other C-suite executives between January 2024 and September 2025 reveals a stark picture: the median engagement rate was just 0.53% (or roughly five likes per 1,000 followers).
The usual advice is to be more “authentic,” but what does that even mean? A CFO known for her analytical rigor cannot simply be coached to adopt the persona of a charismatic, storytelling CMO. The result is content that feels neither authentic nor effective.
Instead, we need a fundamental shift in perspective – a rigorous, evidence-based approach grounded in signaling theory. Individuals scrolling on social media rely on credible, observable “signals” to reduce uncertainty and make rapid judgments about the quality and trustworthiness of information. A post is a packet of signals that the audience decodes in seconds to determine its value.
Our research suggests that higher engagement is achieved by the three Ps – proof (Is this true?), people (Do others believe it?), and place (Is it relevant to me and my world?). Let’s look at the evidence in detail.
We developed a systematic coding framework to identify eleven distinct, observable content cues. These tangible elements within a post fall into four primary categories:
The complex interplay between these signals can be understood through two powerful dimensions: credibility and context.
When executives and their teams learn to strategically combine signals of high credibility with signals of high context, the nature of engagement is transformed. It moves from superficial acknowledgments – the polite, low-effort “likes” and “congrats” comments – to what we term authentic engagement. This higher form of interaction is characterized by genuine questions, shared learning, and the formation of a meaningful dialogue. It is in this space that true influence is built, stakeholder relationships are strengthened, and the significant investment in executive communications begins to yield a measurable and worthwhile return.
The more layers of credibility and context you embed within a post, the more disproportionately your audience will respond.
Here, we explore the precise data behind which signals and combinations most effectively achieve this outcome.
The single most important finding from our analysis is that the effectiveness of signals multiplies when they are used together. An executive post should not be a single musical note, but a well-orchestrated chord. The data provides unequivocal evidence for this “signal stacking” effect.
Posts containing zero identifiable signals registered a baseline average engagement rate of 0.14%. The addition of just one signal nearly doubled this figure to 0.27%. Posts with three distinct signals reached an average of 0.42%, and those with five signals hit 0.72%, more than five times the baseline. The more layers of credibility and context you embed within a post, the more disproportionately your audience will respond. It’s essential, therefore, not just to use signals but to layer them into a cohesive and multifaceted message.
Our analysis of top-performing content identified a specific three-signal combination that consistently delivered breakout results. We call this the proof, people, and place trifecta, which corresponds to the signals of information credibility, social proof, and culture fit.
Posts that successfully integrated these three elements – a verifiable fact, validated by an external voice, and grounded in a specific context – achieved an average engagement rate that was 333% higher than posts containing none. The message is trustworthy, relevant, and, crucially, deeply resonant.
This principle of signal stacking is best understood through real-world examples. The following tables provide a practical guide by breaking down five successful posts from our dataset, each achieving a different communication goal. It also provides a model for constructing effective executive communications.
To further illustrate the impact of signal stacking, the following table provides a direct before-and-after analysis. It contrasts a real, underperforming post with a high-performing one to show how a simple announcement can be transformed into an influential message.
The hierarchy of signals shifts if the primary goal is not just to generate likes and shares but to cultivate a meaningful dialogue. We analyzed which signals were most likely to drive comments and shares as a proportion of total engagement, a proxy for “quality” or “high-intent” interactions.
Here, the data points clearly to the power of information credibility, reputation trust, and narrative flow. Posts that contained verifiable data, referenced institutional trust markers, or were structured as a clear story were the most effective at compelling audiences to move beyond passive acknowledgment and actively contribute to a conversation.
This finding has significant strategic implications. An executive looking to make a broad announcement to a massive audience might lean heavily on social proof. However, a leader aiming to engage a specialist community on a complex topic should prioritize building their message on a foundation of hard information, credibility, and a clear narrative flow.
So, what doesn’t work? Our regression analysis, which isolates the impact of each signal while controlling for other factors, uncovered two counterintuitive findings that challenge commonly held beliefs.
The signals for stylistic authenticity (using a casual, conversational tone) and visual realism (using unscripted photos) showed a slight negative correlation with engagement when other stronger signals were not present. An overly casual tone from a CEO without an accompanying signal of proof can erode credibility rather than build it, while a behind-the-scenes photo without a compelling narrative is just a picture, not a story. True digital authority is a product of what you say, not just how you say it.
The evidence for a signal-based communication strategy is compelling.
The evidence for a signal-based communication strategy is compelling. However, its true value lies in its application. Here is a framework for implementation.
Our analysis uncovered two counterintuitive dynamics that have profound implications for corporate communication strategy: the executive hierarchy effect and the paradox of scale.
The executive hierarchy effect: Our data shows that non-CEO executives (such as CFOs, COOs, and division heads) consistently outperform their CEOs in driving engagement. The average engagement rate for these operational leaders was 0.73%, 73% higher than the CEO average of 0.43%. This is not a reflection of individual charisma but of proximity to the raw materials of our framework. Operational leaders are closer to the metrics (Proof), customer interactions (People), and market-specific challenges (Place) that constitute high-signal content. A CEO’s strategic vantage point, while essential for running the business, can be a disadvantage in the world of social media if it leads to overly broad and abstract pronouncements.
Happily, this gap is entirely bridgeable. When we isolated CEOs who did use the proof, people, and place framework, their engagement rates rose to parity with their non-CEO peers. The lesson is clear: CEOs and their communication teams must establish systematic processes to draw out specific, signal-rich content from across the organization, rather than relying on high-level strategic messaging.
The paradox of scale: Conventional wisdom assumes that a larger audience is always better. Our data refutes this. While executives with massive followings (>250k) have the greatest reach, they registered the lowest median engagement rates. The highest engagement was found among the “micro-tier” of leaders, who had 10,000-50,000 followers. This suggests that as an audience grows, the sense of direct connection and community relevance erodes, leading to diminished engagement efficiency.
For global leaders and major brands, this presents a significant challenge. However, our signal-stacking analysis points to the solution. The positive impact of adding more signals to a post was most pronounced for executives in the largest-follower tiers. While a simple post may suffice for a smaller niche audience, leaders speaking to a global audience must deliberately layer their content with multiple signals of credibility and context to maintain resonance across diverse segments.
Moving from insight to action requires a shift from an ad-hoc, personality-driven content model to a systematic, process-oriented one. The following framework provides a practical pathway for organizations to embed these findings into their communication workflows.
1 – The three-question pre-publication review. Before an executive post is published, it must pass a simple three-question quality assurance check.
2 – A cross-functional content development process. Communications teams cannot create high-signal content in isolation. It requires a workflow that draws information from the parts of the business closest to the action.
Communication teams will weave these diverse elements into a coherent narrative.
3 – Redefining success: measuring what matters. Finally, organizations must adopt a more sophisticated measurement framework that moves beyond superficial vanity metrics.
For too long, leaders have been guided by the vague and unhelpful advice to “be authentic.” Good intentions are important, but they are no substitute for a sound strategy.
Our research demonstrates that effective executive communication in the digital age is not an art, but a science. By moving away from subjective notions of authenticity and embracing a rigorous, data-driven framework built on proof, people, and place, leaders can transform their social media presence from a performative obligation into a powerful engine for building trust, fostering meaningful dialogue, and driving tangible business outcomes. The future of influence belongs not to the loudest voice in the room, but to the most credible.
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