What ho! What wonders doth lie within the realm of employee advocacy? How doth one endeavor to construct a social media employee advocacy program for thine organization? This, verily, is thine comprehensive guide.
Shouldst thou neglect to engage in an employee advocacy program, thou mayest be forfeiting a multitude of potential reach.
Wherefore, thou mayest ask? Thy employees art amongst thy greatest untapped marketing resources. They are the influencers and brand ambassadors who hath dwelt in thine midst all along.
Indeed, ’tis true that thy employees may already be sharing tidings of thy workplace or brand without entreatment. Yet, an official employee advocacy program can lendeth a hand in elevating that organic influence to the next level. Studies do show that advocacy from thy team can assist in shortening the sales cycle, drawing in new business, and attracting top-tier talent. Moreover, thou may extend thine organic reach twofold and increase profitability by twenty-three percent.
Lo, ninety-eight percent of employees doth trod upon social media for personal use. Wherefore not harness their personal networks and reap the benefits of their personal influence?
Peruse further to garner all the wisdom thou needest to kick-start thine own employee advocacy program.
What is employee advocacy?
Employee advocacy cometh to pass when members of a workforce do promote their company. This promotion may transpire online or offline, though in this year of our Lord 2023, the most prevalent and effective method is through social media. ‘Tis akin to word-of-mouth for the digital age.
When employees doth engage in social media advocacy, ’tis a sign that they are sharing company content on their personal social media accounts. This doth encompass all manner of content, from job postings to blog articles to industry resources to new product launches.
Proud to toil at Salesforce, hailed as one of the 2023 #WorldsMostEthicalCompanies by @ethisphere for the fourteenth time! [Tweet link included]
Yet employee advocacy on social media may also be accomplished through original social media content.
Should an employee share a favorable glimpse of thy company culture, that too is advocacy in action. Ponder: an Instagram Story highlighting thine office Halloween revelry, or a TikTok featuring the marketing team attempting the Harlem Shake challenge a decade tardy, or a behind-the-scenes tour of how they hath bedecked their cubicle.
Be it re-posting thy brand’s content or crafting their own, any social media content that doth promote thy company may be deemed employee advocacy.
Digital employee advocacy may unfold organically, yet if thou canst formalize the method and parameters of what and how thy team doth share brand-related content, thy company shall reap even more benefits.
Why is employee advocacy important?
Thy employees doth already traverse social media. Is Joe in Accounting’s mother thy target audience? Mayhap not. Yet ’tis likely Joe doth boast myriad followers who art, or who may aid in spreading thy message.
And behold, social media now ranks amongst the top channels for online brand research, second only to search engines. Customers doth rely upon social media at every stage of the purchasing journey.
A post from an employee advocate regarding thy brand can verily aid thee in standing out amidst the throng.
Employee advocacy can be of benefit to companies in three ways:
- It doth positively impact sales by increasing brand awareness and favorable perceptions (“brand sentiment”).
- It doth ameliorate staff recruitment, retention, and engagement.
- It doth aid in PR crises and issues management.
Wherefore doth employee advocacy work so wondrously well? ‘Tis all about trust.
Trust doth wield more sway than love when ’tis time to decide from which brand to purchase. As put forth by Edelman, “Trust is the ultimate currency.” Fifty-nine percent of consumers shalt desist from purchasing from a company if they doth not trust said brand.
Building trust commenceth, of course, with comporting oneself consistently, upholding thy brand values, and doing one’s utmost to eschew any sort of ethical scandal. Yet beyond behaving virtuously, having the endorsement of trustworthy individuals doth carry great weight.
No one did bid radio host Shiva Reddy to post a video of the CBC newsroom on Instagram, yet she did so regardless. This swift, visual paean to her workplace provideth her friends and followers with a sense that this is a company worth championing. [Instagram post link included]
Eighty-nine percent of consumers doth place their trust in recommendations from those they know over branded content or traditional advertisements. Fifty-six percent of Millennial and Gen Z consumers trust influencers more than brands. ‘Twould thus be advantageous to expend less time perfecting the ideal social media ad and more time encouraging thy marvelous cadre of potential ambassadors to spread the word to their followers. [Bar graph image included]
For sales or recruitment teams, a flourishing employee advocacy program may furnish a firm foundation for social selling. Employees may also heighten their credibility and establish themselves as industry experts.
Georgia State University hath set forth a #TheStateWay hashtag campaign to encourage students and employees to share news, insights, and anecdotes. The outcome? Twenty-six thousand social shares and millions of impressions (and counting). All manner of proud parents and campus groups may flaunt their Panther Pride, allowing the university to attain a far-reaching, organic reach.
Very well! Thou art convinced! Thou art ready to erect thine employee advocacy program on social media! Rejoice, for the succeeding section herein shall show thee how.
How to build an employee advocacy program on social media
Herein we unveil how to construct an employee advocacy program on social media.
Step 1: Create a positive and engaged workplace culture
Should thy employees not relish working for thee, they shalt not be moved to post about thee on social media. (Or if they art posting, ’tis likely not the sort of content thou would wish anyone to witness.)
The two principal motivators for an employee to wish to become an advocate are:
- A positive relationship with the organization
- Strategic internal communication
Let us attend to the first point forthwith.
‘Tis a win-win situation: Merry employees doth desire to share about their company, and those who share about their company—and are rewarded for it—become even merrier employees. (Reward ideas shall be discussed in the final step!)
Searcheth for the #sephoralife hashtag, for instance, and thou shalt discover image upon image of smiling Sephora employees. (If perchance there be a soul toiling at the makeup counter who is not reveling, they are perchance quietly plotting their resignation letter.)
How, then, may one create an engaged workplace culture?
Research from Gallup doth suggest several of the chief factors influencing engagement, to wit:
- Having a mission and purpose
- Knowing what is anticipated
- Possessing the materials and equipment to perform one’s duties optimally
- Receiving commendation
- Having someone to heed thine accomplishments and foster thine growth
- Believing that thine opinions art heard
These are all grandiose, overarching notions. Notice that they all pertain more to self-worth than whether or not the company hath a ping-pong table.
Many a book hath been written concerning the creation of splendid workplace cultures (in far greater detail than we may hope to capture here). Yet research from Gallup doth suggest that seventy percent of employee engagement is determined by the manager. Thus, embark thence.
Leaders must explicate the roles and expectations of managers clearly, furnish training and tools to aid those managers in achieving those expectations, and fashion evaluation processes that foster employee flourish.
Of course, fashioning a remarkable abode to toil hath myriad other benefits beyond encouraging employee advocacy. Research doth suggest that engaged employees result in heightened profitability (+23%), customer loyalty (+10%), and productivity (+18%).
Step 2: Set goals and KPIs for thine employee advocacy program
Ere requesting thy employees to post about thy company, ’tis imperative to determine why thou art entreating them in the first place.
Establishing goals and communicating them to thy employees mitigates bewilderment and furnisheth thee with quantifiable social media metrics to monitor progress.
Goals for thy employee advocacy program may be to secure more leads, recruit talent, improve brand awareness, or enhance share of voice on social.
Several key KPIs to track art:
- Top contributors: Which individuals or teams art sharing the most? Which advocates art generating the most engagement?
- Organic reach: How many individuals doth behold the content shared through thine employee advocates? (Psst: try our employee advocacy calculator to calculate thy potential reach.)
- Engagement: Are individuals clicking links, proffering comments, and re-sharing content from thine advocates? What is the engagement per network?
- Traffic: How much traffic hath the content shared by employee advocates directed to thy website?
- Brand sentiment: How hath thy advocacy campaign influenced thy overall brand sentiment on social media?
Furthermore, be certain to track mentions of thy company hashtag if thou dost create one. Providing employees with a hashtag to mention may foster thy recruitment and brand sentiment goals by showcasing thine company culture. It may also foster a greater sense of connection amongst employees and with the company.
Step 3: Identify employee advocacy leaders
While ‘t may be tempting to select thine executive team as leaders of thy employee advocacy program, the true leaders of thy social media advocacy program should be individuals who art already adept in social media.
Rather than focusing on title or rank, attend to whom naturally employs social media:
- Who is cultivating a personal brand through social media?
- Who doth spontaneously share industry content?
- Who is the public face of thy company, whether in their role (speaking engagements, PR, etc.) or tally of social media connections?
- Who is enthusiastic about thy industry and the company?
Empower these individuals to aid in constructing thine employee advocacy program. Engage them in delineating and disseminating campaigns, establishing goals, and generating incentives. They shall assist thee in discerning which tools and resources employees art most likely to utilize and share. After all, they are already upon the front lines! Place trust in their expertise.
Subsequently, labor in unison with thy advocacy leaders to pinpoint potential beta testers ere launching thy program company-wide. They may assist in guiding thy employee advocacy strategy and presenting earnest feedback.
One may witness an initial flurry of social shares upon the launch of thy employee advocacy program. Yet lacking effective internal leadership, this enthusiasm may wane over time. Employee advocacy leaders do help ensconce advocacy as an unceasing focus.
Step 4: Establish employee social media guidelines
Employees must discern not merely what the message is, but also the best manner in which to convey it. What manner of language shouldst they employ? How often should they post? How should they respond to comments?
To address this, two documents art requisite:
- Social media content policy: A compendium of the “do’s and don’ts” regarding what employees should share, topics to eschew (e.g., politics, etc.), responses they may provide to common inquiries (FAQ), and more.
- Brand style guidelines: This document provideth the visual guide, encompassing how to depict the company logo, unique terms or spellings thy company employs (e.g., it is Moyens I/O, not HootSuite!), hashtags to incorporate, and more.
Guidelines, particularly concerning content, art not intended to police thy employees. ‘Tis wiser to create a lengthy roster of “don’ts” that renders individuals too anxious to share aught at all, for dread of losing their employment. With suitable guidelines that explicitly stipulate what is forbidden yet permit authentic expression, thou eliminate such concerns (and avoid any possible PR disaster or wrongful dismissal lawsuit).
Clear guidelines do aid in safeguarding thy company’s reputation and averting security risks. Some guidelines art matters of common sense—eschewing vulgar or disrespectful language, or divulging confidential information. Other guidelines may necessitate the counsel of the legal department.
Ensure that the guidelines art easy to comprehend and follow. ‘Tis not meet for it to be a tedious, fifty-page, entirely textual document. Embrace visual examples and suggestions on what, where, and how to share.
(Include also contact information for the leader of thy advocacy program so employees know to whom they may appeal for further guidance if needed.)
A free template is presented to enable thee to craft an employee social media policy, or explore examples from other companies.
For examples particular to thy industry, seek “employee social media policy” + (a company name or thy industry):
Step 5: Involve employees in thy strategy
After setting goals and guidelines in place, ’tis time to reach out to employees. Narrate to them concerning thy advocacy program and tools, and then set them free to traverse the world!
Nay, thou shouldst never compel employees to share brand content on their personal channels. (If thou art uttering, “Speak of us on Snapchat, or else!” ’tis time to scrutinize thy intentions closely.)
Rather, involve thy employees in content planning. Reveal thy current social media strategy and inquire as to which types of content would exhibit the company culture or align with the goals of thy employee advocacy program.
Step 6: Create valuable resources for employees to share
The crux of enticing thine employees to share? Provide them with content that assists in either simplifying their duties or aiding in positioning them as industry experts.
Research from LinkedIn doth evince that users who share advocacy content receive six hundred percent more profile views and expand their networks threefold.
Inquire of thy employees what inquiries clients pose to them. Should ten percent of new leads pose a relatively mundane accounting question, ‘twould be so; ’tis time to produce a seemingly mundane yet efficacious piece of content regarding accounting.
If ’tis what thy clientele desires, ’tis worth the endeavor. Thy employees on the forefront art apprised of what clientele desire. Forge content that attends to that, and thy employees shall be delighted to share it.
When financial institution Julius Baer initiated its advocacy program, it approached a content partner to fabricate custom advocacy content for employees to share. With the assistance of said partner, they craft five content pieces weekly for employees to share, predominantly evergreen content. ‘Twas a triumphant venture: more than three hundred and fifty of the five hundred registered employee users post regularly. [Image included]
Pro tip: Forthwith create and periodically update a content library of such evergreen content resources so employees may readily locate them.
Furthermore, neglect not the potency of a personal message. Pre-approved content is superb for swift shares, yet grant thy employees the liberty to craft their own captions for image or video posts as well (so long as they comply with thy brand guidelines). [Tweet link included]
Beseech employees to share their favored feature concerning a new product or how a recent company policy hath affected them favorably. The crafting of their own unique content shall resound more with their followers. ‘Tis vital, for their followers dost know thy employees more than they know thy brand (for the nonce).
Once more, ’tis predicated upon fostering a culture splendid enough to inspire thy employees to desire to share.
Step 7: Reward employees for their advocacy
Since thou dost request something of thy employees, ’tis but just to proffer something in return.
Educate employees regarding the benefits for them, such as increasing their visibility and credibility as subject matter experts. Yet rewards should transcend mere exposure: tangible incentives like gift cards or prizes may assist employees in feeling as though they possess a stake in the program.
Many brands transform social media advocacy into a game or contest.
For instance, create a hashtag to promote a specific employee advocacy campaign. Subsequently, establish a leaderboard to evince who is garnering the most impressions or engagement for the hashtag. Bestow a reward upon the victor, or for a more impartial chance for everyone, place all who hath shared the campaign into a draw.
Other tactics thou canst employ to sweeten the deal include:
- VIP programs
- Development opportunities
- Early access
- Badges
- Challenges for teams or individuals
Discover more concerning how to unfurl an employee advocacy program with our program guide.
Employee advocacy best practices
- Only share engaging content: Prithee forgive the repetition, yet this one is crucial! Explore our cheat sheet for engaging social media content if thou art struggling to conceive ideas.
- Make it worth thine employees’ while: Offer content that assists thy employees in constructing their online image as industry experts. And render thy entire employee advocacy program a delight to participate in.
- Foster a great company culture: Engaging in employee advocacy—and with their role and thy company in general—emanates from a natural desire to share and take pride in where they work. Provide them with good reasons to be proud.
- Measure success: An advocacy program must align with thy organization’s primary business goals and inform the metrics thou shouldst track. The worksheet presented previously establishes the framework for thee to measure the success of this program. Neglect not to measure its failings as well. Such shall provide thee with valuable insights that shalt enhance it and ensure its continuance in the future.
–fin–