LinkedIn Content Strategy for Retail CEOs | Netwarm
LinkedIn playbook · Case study
LinkedIn content strategy for retail CEOs: how a Paris retail group CEO reached 199 business decision-makers
We read every reaction on 7 posts from a Paris retail group CEO. 593 people, 199 business decision-makers. Here is what brings decision-makers, what brings the company's own teams, and the 5 posts we'd publish next.
Max Sawyer · Netwarm··10 min read
The creator in this case studyA Paris retail group CEO
Followers38,687
Posts~1 a week
SellsA retail group in books, culture, electronics and home appliances, in stores and online
PeriodSep 25 – Nov 3
Ideal client: business leaders outside the group: partners, suppliers, investors, retail and culture decision-makers, and the talent the group wants to hire.The challenge: The CEO posts for a reason: defend city-center retail, the place of books, and a European project. The question is whether those posts reach the leaders who can act on them, or mostly the group's own teams.
Key takeaways
These numbers are from 3 November. Your audience has already moved.
New business decision-makers turn Hot every week and others go quiet. Run your free scan to see today’s version, with the names.
1 reader in 3 is a decision-maker.199 founders, C-level, directors and partners reacted in under 6 weeks, 33.6% of everyone who reacted.
Europe brings them, store news less.Posts on Europe and ideas brought 41.9% decision-makers. The Toulouse store opening brought 23%.
11 decision-makers came back 3+ times.One of them reacted to 5 of the 7 posts.
01
Who actually reads you, and what the LinkedIn algorithm changed
The CEO posts about once a week: books and reading, Europe and the battle of ideas, store news, and leadership. Each post is a position, not an ad.
The LinkedIn algorithm shows a post first to the people who reacted to the last ones: for a CEO, that is often the company's own teams. Their reactions push reach, but they are not the leaders a CEO wants to convince. We looked at the first 100 people who reacted to each post between 25 September and 3 November, and sorted them by role.
7posts in 6 weeks
593people reacted
199business decision-makers
11came back 3+ times
Audience by roleThe 593 people who reacted, by roleFree
The group's own teams are a large part of the audience: 116 people name the group in their headline. They react out of loyalty and push every post. They are not the people a CEO posts to convince.
The decision-makers are there: 199 leaders outside those teams, in retail and consumer brands, banking and insurance, consulting, tech and publishing. 1 reader in 3.
SeniorityAll people who reactedFree
Founder, owner, C-level21.1%
Director, VP21.4%
Manager25.8%
Independent4.4%
Other27.3%
IndustriesBusiness decision-makers onlyNetwarm
Retail and consumer brands14.1%
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Core audience11 business decision-makers engaged 3+ times · 1 engaged 5+ timesNetwarm
11 business decision-makers keep coming back. One of them reacted to 5 of the 7 posts.See your regulars
Engager company sizeEveryone who reacted, by company sizeNetwarm
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See which company sizes your business decision-makers work at.See company sizes
02
What to post on LinkedIn to reach business decision-makers
A CEO's post is judged by its reactions. It should be judged by who reacted: a post that moves the teams and a post that moves the leaders outside are two different posts.
We tagged each of the 7 posts by topic, then measured the share of decision-makers among the people who reacted.
Your topicsWhat your 7 posts were aboutFree
7posts
Books and reading2
Europe and ideas2
Stores and city centers1
Store looting1
Leadership and hiring1
Topics that attract business decision-makersShare of each topic’s reactions from business decision-makersNetwarm
Europe and ideas41.9%
Leadership and hiring33.3%
Books and reading32.8%
Store looting27.0%
Stores and city centers23.0%
One topic brings almost 2x more decision-makers than another. See which.See which topics
Posts on Europe and ideas bring 1.8x more decision-makers per reaction than the store opening post: 41.9% vs 23%.
Posts that brought the most business decision-makersShare of business decision-makers in each post’s reactions1 of 5 open
#1What I take from the Madrid state visit47.5%
#2Should you read Le Fondateur?38.4%
#3A morning with Gilles Gressani36.4%
#4Before hiring someone (Masterclass)33.3%
#5The controversy shaking the book world27.3%
For comparison, the Toulouse store opening brought 23% decision-makers: the post thanked the teams and partners, and the teams answered.
6 rules for LinkedIn engagement from business decision-makers
These rules come from what worked on the CEO's own profile since 25 September, and from the best-performing posts by French retail and business CEOs on LinkedIn over the last 3 months.
1
Take a clear position on Europe and competitiveness. Leaders outside the company react to a point of view on the rules of the game: competition, Europe, regulation. It is the conversation they are in.On this profile: the 2 posts on Europe and ideas brought 41.9% decision-makers, the highest of any topic.
Recommend like a bookseller: one book, three reasons. A book recommendation from a CEO is rare, and it says how the CEO thinks. The « Faut-il lire… ? Oui, si… » shape gives three reasons in a few lines.On this profile: the Da Empoli post brought 38.4% decision-makers, the best of the book posts.
Tell a store opening through a number or a person, not the ribbon. An opening that only thanks partners reads like a press release, and the teams react to it. A number or a person's story gives outside leaders a reason to read.On this profile: the Toulouse opening brought 23% decision-makers, the lowest share. Across the niche: a retail CEO's Travel Retail post, led by « 100 magasins par an », got 658 likes.
Talk to talent in the first person. Talent is one of the audiences a CEO posts for. A direct message to young people, with a conviction about the job, travels further than a job ad.On this profile: the Masterclass post on hiring got 302 reactions on LinkedIn, the most of any post except the 17 October one. Across the niche: « Il y a de l'espoir ! » by a retail CEO got 522 likes and 45 comments.
Open with the sentence people will repeat. The first line decides who opens the post. A sentence a reader can quote in a meeting works better than context.On this profile: « Avant d’embaucher un collaborateur, j’essaye de me demander si j’aurais envie de l’avoir comme chef » opened the Masterclass post, 33.3% decision-makers. Across the niche: a hospitality CEO's post opening on six quoted sentences got 1,274 likes.
Announce what changes for the customer, then the deal. A big announcement reaches outside leaders when it says what it changes, not only who signed. One line for the deal, the rest for the customer.Across the niche: a healthcare tech CEO's investment announcement got 4,978 likes and 207 comments, the most-liked CEO post we found over the period.
When business decision-makers read: the best time to post on LinkedIn for retail CEOs
We compared the share of business decision-makers by the day each post was published (Paris time). With 7 posts, read it as a direction, not a law.
Share of business decision-makers by posting dayAmong the people who reacted to each postFree
33.3%
Tue
36.2%
Wed
31.8%
Fri
27.0%
Sun
Wednesday brought the highest share, 36.2% over 3 posts, then Tuesday (33.3%, 1 post) and Friday (31.8%, 2 posts). The one Sunday post, the 17 October one, brought 27%.
3 of the 7 posts went out at 8:00. The Madrid post, the best for decision-makers, went out at 18:00: one post, but worth testing again. At about one post a week, keep the strongest positions for a Tuesday or Wednesday morning.
05
5 posts ready to publish to target business decision-makers
Each post follows the rules above, in the CEO's voice and in French, like the rest of the feed. Check every detail and swap in your own before posting.
1Ready to postPosition on Europe
Commerce physique et plateformes : trois choses à changerRule 1: a clear position on Europe and competitiveness, in the ▶️ shape of the Madrid post, the post that brought the most decision-makers.
Hook
Voici ce que je retiens, un mois après l'ouverture de notre magasin de Toulouse, sur l'avenir du commerce en Europe 🇪🇺▶️ Les règles du jeu doivent être les mêmes pour tous. Un magasin paie ses loyers, ses équipes, ses impôts au cœur des villes. Une plateforme étrangère fortement financée par son État ne joue pas avec les mêmes contraintes.▶️ Les loyers doivent suivre les réalités économiques. Deux rapports parlementaires récents l'ont dit clairement, et je salue ces pistes d'action.▶️ Les collectivités doivent avoir les moyens d'agir. À Toulouse, la ville et la métropole nous ont soutenus. Ce soutien fait la différence.Ce n'est pas un combat contre le numérique. Chez nous, le magasin et le site se complètent chaque jour.C'est un combat pour que nos centres-villes restent des lieux vivants, accessibles et attractifs. En France, et partout en Europe.Quelle mesure vous semble la plus urgente ?
Visual · Single imageThe facade of the Toulouse store at opening, with the three ▶️ lines written over a dark band at the bottom.Check before postingCheck the wording of the two parliamentary reports before publishing, and tag the people you thank.
Faut-il un label « 100 % humain » pour la création ?Rule 2: the Da Empoli shape (a question, then three « Oui, si… »), applied to the idea from the book-world post.
Hook
Faut-il un label « 100 % humain » sur les livres ?Oui, si l'on pense que le lecteur a le droit de savoir ce qu'il tient entre les mains. Un livre, c'est un contrat : la promesse qu'un auteur a cherché ses mots, qu'un éditeur l'a choisi, qu'un libraire le recommande.Oui, parce que tout est désormais à portée de prompt. Ce qui demande du temps, de l'effort et une voix singulière mérite d'être reconnu.Oui, enfin, pour aller chercher les lecteurs que l'on perd : ceux qui ne savent plus par où commencer, pour qui l'offre est trop foisonnante. La confiance est le premier pas vers la lecture.J'ai photographié ce label sur un vinyle en Italie. Le sujet dépasse le monde du livre et concerne toute la création.Auteurs, éditeurs, libraires : seriez-vous prêts à l'adopter ?
Visual · Single imageThe photo of the « 100 % humain » vinyl sticker from the Italy trip, next to a book on a Fnac table.Check before postingUse the real vinyl photo from your trip. If a label project already exists in the book industry, name it.
Aux jeunes qui hésitent à rejoindre le commerceRule 4: talk to talent in the first person, modelled on the Coopérative U CEO's « Il y a de l'espoir ! » post, with the Masterclass lines.
Hook
À un jeune qui hésite à rejoindre le commerce, je réponds toujours la même chose : venez par curiosité.Dans nos magasins, on apprend un métier au contact des clients. Un libraire qui conseille un roman, un vendeur qui explique une télévision, un technicien qui répare plutôt que de remplacer : chacun transmet quelque chose.On peut y prendre des responsabilités tôt, changer de métier, évoluer, quel que soit son diplôme de départ.Avant d’embaucher quelqu'un, je me demande si j’aurais envie de l’avoir comme chef. Ce n'est pas une formule : c'est la meilleure façon de recruter des personnes qui feront grandir les autres.Et chez nous, tout le monde se tutoie. Je crois que la proximité donne envie d'apprendre.Mon conseil, donc : soyez curieux, lisez, et venez voir ce qui se passe derrière le comptoir.Vous avez commencé dans un magasin ? Racontez-moi votre premier jour 👇
Visual · PhotoA young bookseller or technician at work in a store, natural light, no posed group shot.Check before postingAdd a link to your current openings, and one real career path from your teams if someone agrees to be named.
Un mois après l'ouverture de Toulouse Les VariétésRule 3: tell an opening through people and one number, like the Carrefour Travel Retail and Hyper U Colmar posts, instead of a ribbon-cutting.
Hook
Un mois après l'ouverture, une libraire de Toulouse m'a raconté une scène qui résume tout.Un samedi, un père est entré avec son fils pour acheter une console. Ils sont repartis avec la console, et un roman que l'adolescent avait ouvert par hasard au rayon de la librairie.C'est pour cela que nous avons voulu ce magasin dans l'ancien théâtre des Variétés : un lieu où l'on vient pour un produit et où l'on repart avec une découverte.Un magasin de centre-ville, ce n'est pas seulement des ventes. C'est un lieu de rencontre, de conseil et de lien social, au cœur de la ville.Merci aux équipes de Toulouse, qui font vivre ce lieu chaque jour.Et vous, quel est le dernier livre que vous avez découvert par hasard en magasin ?
Visual · PhotoInside the Variétés store: the theatre architecture above the book shelves, with customers browsing.Check before postingUse a real scene your Toulouse team tells you, and add one real figure from the first month (visitors, events) if you can share it.
Les livres que je recommande à un dirigeantRule 2 and the lead magnet: a curated list like the niche's resource lists, offered in the comments.
Hook
On me demande souvent quels livres je recommande à un dirigeant. Voici ma réponse, et celle de nos libraires 📚📖 Le Fondateur, de Giuliano da Empoli. Une fiction qui ne s'éloigne pas tant que ça du réel, sur le risque d'une autocratie de la tech. À lire pour comprendre ce qui se joue avec l'IA.📖 L’ennemi qui nous désigne, le dernier numéro du Grand Continent. Pour comprendre le récit que l'Europe doit raconter, et ne pas céder au sentiment d'impuissance.Mais mes lectures ne suffisent pas. Alors j'ai demandé à nos libraires, qui conseillent nos clients chaque jour, leurs livres pour celles et ceux qui dirigent.Ils ont préparé une liste de 10 livres, avec pour chacun la raison de le lire.Écrivez LIRE en commentaire et je vous l'envoie.Et vous, quel livre a changé votre façon de diriger ?
Visual · CarouselSlide 1: « Les livres que je recommande à un dirigeant ». One slide per book with its cover and one line. Last slide: « Écrivez LIRE en commentaire ».Check before postingBuild the booksellers' list before you post (10 titles, one reason each), and send it to everyone who comments.
Our pick for the CEO: the booksellers' reading list for leaders
Our pick for you: “Our pick for the CEO: the booksellers' reading list for leaders”The CEO already recommends books in posts, and the group has booksellers who advise customers every day. A list of 10 books for leaders, chosen by them, with one reason each, offered in the comments of draft 5 (« Écrivez LIRE »). Every leader who comments raises a hand.With a Reveal link, every person who downloads it is shown by name, with their role and how warm they are. Your first Reveal link is free.Create your free Reveal link
07
From reactions to clients: who to reach out to
Most decision-makers never comment. They react, read, and move on. 11 of them came back to 3 or more of the 7 posts.
A Hot reader is a decision-maker who reacted to several recent posts: the right moment for the partnerships or HR team to reach out.
Hot right now1 business decision-makers · not contacted yetNetwarm
1 business decision-makers are Hot. See who to message first.See who’s Hot
First messageAn opener for each Hot person, based on the posts they readNetwarm
Vous avez réagi à nos posts sur l'Europe et le commerce de centre-ville : j'aimerais avoir votre regard sur…Merci pour votre réaction au post sur la lecture. Nous préparons…
A first line for each of them, ready to send.See the openers
See who is Hot on the profile today, and what each person reacted to.
08
FAQ
Positions on the rules of the game (Europe, competition, city centers), what they read, and convictions about hiring. On this profile, Europe and ideas brought 41.9% decision-makers, a store opening 23%.
On this profile, Wednesday: 36.2% decision-makers over 3 posts. Tuesday and Friday follow. With 7 posts, test before you settle.
About once a week is enough when each post takes a clear position. Regularity matters more than volume: the algorithm shows a post to people who reacted to the last ones.
Look at who reacted, not how many. Sort the people who react by role and company, and separate your own teams from outside decision-makers.
Yes. The analysis uses public reactions only. No LinkedIn login is needed and nothing is posted on the account.
How we made this playbook
Period: 25 September to 3 November 2026, 7 posts. One post written about the CEO in the third person was left out.
We read the first 100 people who reacted to each post: 593 people. Comments were not counted.
Decision-makers: founders, C-level, presidents, managing directors, directors, partners and board members, outside the group's own teams, students and consultants. Role groups are read from headlines and are approximate.
Niche rules come from top posts by French retail and business CEOs over the last 3 months.