Five characteristics of the top 30 charity CEOs on social media

When Matt Collins and I launched the search to find the top charity chief executives on social media, we were thrilled by the response. Prominent chief executives in the sector such as Alex Swallow of the Small Charities Coalition took it upon themselves to champion our initiative and we had lots of positive feedback from the sector.

There were 117 nominations in total, from every size and type of charity imaginable. That in itself demonstrates how the critical mass of chief executives on social media is growing. The nominations were judged by Simon Blake, chief executive of Brook, Lucy Caldicott, director of fundraising at CLIC Sargent, Danielle Atkinson, head of Merlin fundraising integration at Save the Children and Kirsty Stephenson, digital strategist at Child's i Foundation.

The top 30 were announced last night at a special event hosted by Brook, where we also launched a guide to help charity leaders use social media more effectively. Here are the five qualities that I think the top chief executives have in common.

1. They're approachable

Peter Wanless of the NSPCC tweets regularly about cricket, music and his family. Gary Buxton of Young Advisors comes across as friendly and informal in his twitter feed. It's often said that leaders should let people know something of their personality and interests in real life, and that is equally true of social media. Showing who you are helps build a connection with people on social media. Just look at Stephen Fry.

2. They talk directly to stakeholders

The most popular chief executives use social media to start conversations with the people who their charities are trying to reach. Thea Stein of the Carers Trust tweeted the key messages from a report that her organisation published on dementia carers which brought it to the attention of the chief medical officer of BUPA. Julie Bentley of Girlguiding uses Twitter to talk directly to volunteers and a widely dispersed membership. The most skilled chief executives listen as well as talk.

3. They're good at sharing insights

The best chief executives do so in such a way that it draws attention to their charity's mission. Jeremy Swain of Thames Reach discusses issues that affect homelessness on his twitter feed, while Ciarán Devane blogs about healthcare issues from his perspective as chief executive of Macmillan.

4. They bring people together

Tony Hamilton of the Celtic FC Charity Foundation uses Twitter to encourage ordinary football fans to support his charity and to connect with the Scottish media. His social media presence helped attract 60,000 people to a charity football game that he organised. Social media can also play a useful role in internal communications. Julia Unwin of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation interacts with her staff on Twitter, which creates a positive impression of the organisation.

5. They have a distinct social identity

While all the top chief executives championed their charities and causes, their social media presences are not simply another channel for their press office. Louise MacDonald of Young Scot blends the professional and personal in her Twitter feed. Social media can be used to demonstrate the personal qualities of leaders. There is no better advice than to be yourself.

The top 30 chief executives have shown just how much leaders can achieve by using social media as one of their tools. As one nomination said: "She understands that social media isn't separate to what she does, it is integral to her role as CEO."

Read the storify of the event and download the guide to help charity leaders use social media more effectively.