SOCIAL MEDIA
and consultancy projects with which they have been involved. Faculty members could post ‘one‑minute insights’ after each class that summarise a single concept, example, or question to illustrate how theory meets practice. At the institutional level, a different theme or field could be highlighted each month, such as marketing, operations and finance, with faculty participating in ‘ask the professor’ segments, alongside quizzes, videos, polls and other tools. An interactive approach is important as it helps build authentic engagement and not just visibility, fostering credibility and authority. Research from GlobalWebIndex found, for example, that 54 per cent of users engage more with brands that actively respond to comments. For business schools, this underlines the value of such interactions, joining conversations with prospective and current students and stakeholders. To do this effectively, there needs to be an engagement protocol that specifies who replies to what, within what timeframe and on which official channels, alongside guidance on the professional tone required. Members of faculty and staff who actively engage with their target audience should also be rewarded and encouraged in annual performance or recognition systems, so that digital engagement is seen as a core academic contribution rather than extra work. Measuring & refining impact Without regular monitoring, it is difficult to know whether a school’s strategy of digital thought leadership is working. Simple analytics can provide powerful periodic guidance here and key metrics might include increases in impressions, mentions, shares and reach. Brands that actively monitor and adjust their social media activities based on analytics achieve a 37 per cent higher return on investment from this form of marketing, according to a 2023 report from Sprinklr. When business schools combine evidence-based insights with consistent, human communication, social media accounts for both the institution and individual faculty and staff members can be transformed into respected, go-to sources for management thinking. Strong digital thought leadership amplifies a school’s visibility, supports narratives around impact, helps attract talented students and collaborators and positions the school as an active, influential contributor to business practice and policy.
Another aspect of social media strategy might involve identifying a set of themes in line with the institution’s vision and mission, around which they can then align faculty voices. These ‘theme champions’ can translate their expertise into stories, examples and tools that resonate with their intended audiences. As research has indicated, consistent posting within a clear niche increases engagement substantially, whereas broad, unfocused content frequently disappears in crowded feeds. Moreover, learners often report extensive use of thought leadership articles, posts and talks before choosing programmes or providers. Engagement techniques & tools Most faculty members already share news of their latest research publications and other professional achievements on LinkedIn. However, they could go further and create a small, dedicated series of posts that explain the principal insights for each research paper, as well as for any new case studies
Kakoli Sen is professor and chair at the Delhi campus of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sambalpur. Previously, she was a visiting faculty member at the Solbridge International Business School, South Korea. This article was co-authored by Biswajeet Tripathy, Vinod Kumar Yellasiri, Bhanu Prashanthi Murthy, and Kishore Meka Durga Prasana, working professionals and students of the Post‑Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM), or executive MBA, at IIM Sambalpur
Business Impact • ISSUE 1 • 2026
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