It certainly isn’t a novelty that marketing has shifted from traditional billboards and magazines to online platforms. Nowadays, if not all, but most companies, especially established ones, ensure that they leave a digital footprint in the tech realm, whether on social platforms or through websites and e-commerce.
The current trend is all about collaborating with content creators, YouTubers, and TikTokers, to promote brands, as we can confirm daily while scrolling away on our preferred apps.
However, smart organisations go a step further. How about delegating your own staff, your employees, to advocate and be testimonials of your brand? They work for it and are already knowledgeable about it all. So, who better than them to spread the word?
Indeed, the power of employee advocacy is sometimes underestimated. Let us delve deeper to explore the benefits both parties attain from this strategy.
Employee Advocacy Explained
In a nutshell, employee advocacy is when a company opts to transform its workforce or part of it, maybe a specified sector, into genuine brand ambassadors on social media platforms.
Most probably, employees are already engaging with their own stuff online, so considering collaborating with them to promote the very own brand they work for will surely leave a fantastic impact on viewers. The organisation can have a controlled strategy, minimise learning curves, while delegating knowledgeable individuals who have already honed the specified set of skills needed and are confident in front of a camera.
Employees can create authentic connections that traditional marketing simply cannot replicate by promoting brand content, sharing messages, updates, new products, and what the company is doing socially, and engage in industry discussions via their personal networks.
This type of strategy will support the staff to:
- increase brand awareness by amplifying company messages and promotions
- offer an “inside look” by sharing positive life and work experiences
- be confident to recommend the company’s services and products, which are also relevant to their networks, acting as knowledgeable advocates
Employee Advocacy Benefits
In the correct employee advocacy scenario, both the company and employee win, as the benefits of a program cross several departments.
- Enhanced brand awareness for Marketing
- Spread personal network for Sales
- Positive workplace ambience for Recruiting and HR
- Industry thought leadership attaining subject-matter expertise
Benefits for the Organisation and the Brand
An employee advocacy program can be used in conjunction with an employer branding program, reaping advantages such as:
Increased Brand Awareness & Reach – studies show that company-branded messages shared by employees exceeded 561% reach when compared to the brand’s own social media accounts, showcasing the power of social media amplification tactic
Improved Employee Performance – same studies found that organisations with high employee engagement outperform those with no engagement by 202%
Protected Core Brand Messaging – setting a formal program in place for your employees to redistribute, giving them on-brand content and clear guidelines, while still leaving them room for their own voices and perspectives
Driving More Qualified Leads – this strategy will reflect both in your sales and talent pipelines, as viewers encounter genuine employee content prior to talking to the brand. Positive comments by employees will be passively absorbed by the audience as interesting information about the brand. Recruiters will have an easier task to find more knowledgeable individuals about the company who are willing to work there and/or do business as clients
Benefits for the Employee
Since a large chunk of this program is executed by employees regularly, the perks need to be substantial, and luckily, they are.
Prepared Content – easy, and ready-to-use content, which is cascaded by the company, also in the form of links. Employees need to only echo and spread the info but are also free to tweak and add their personal touch, always in line and in agreement with the company. This will reduce time to prepare, making it easier for anyone to post.
Teaching Aspiring Content Creators – not all employees have a flair for content creation, but some are willing to learn and be one. Thus, via employee advocacy, they can also learn the ropes for their own future content creations. The more they post for the company, the more familiar and confident they become at this skill and using social media in general.
Establishing Thought Leadership – when B2B decision-makers were asked about their thought leadership during a 2023 study, it transpired that 89% admitted that their perceptions towards the company increased. A smart organisation doesn’t share branded content only, but also articles with employees’ commentary supporting them as established knowledgeable persons in the field.
Networking Opportunities – It is only natural that when you are posting content on social media, you are building trust with your audience as they feel connected to you, generating networking opportunities for the company.
Tips On How to Start an Employee Advocacy Program
When considering that this is a vast area of expertise covering all that a company is offering, it stands to reason that it is not a one-man or woman job, as it might get overwhelming.
Thus, it is recommended that an employee advocacy strategy be first discussed with the company’s executives, involving them to plan it out, then incentivise participation among interested staff, encourage authenticity, provide training where necessary, and finally set goals and KPIs.
Wrapping Up
As one might appreciate by now, employee advocacy is a win-win formula, since advantages can be reaped by both the company and the staff. Employees could earn rewards and establish themselves as experts in their field, while the business has peace of mind about controlled messaging, plus increasing brand awareness, exposure, and attaining leverage in-house.
By liaising with your own employees as collaborators, testimonials, and advocates, the company will refrain from looking for third parties, and set possible regular off-site meetings, thus reducing costs.
We recommend that you discuss this potential marketing option during your next team meeting. Do not be like circa 70% of companies which have not adopted it yet; instead, beat them at it and be among the first to implement such a program.
This avant-garde strategy will put you ahead of your direct competitors, enhancing your profile in the field, while showing a dynamic working ambience, which ultimately will surely kickstart a positive ripple effect on portfolio, revenue and recruitment.
