An employee advocacy program unlocks a whole new side of your company, using your employees to help foster trust and authenticity.
The most important advocates for your company are your employees. Employee advocacy is the perfect way to tap into the real power of social media. Real people (your employees) will share the benefits of your products and services. When you’re able to successfully launch your employee advocacy program, you can reach the vast majority of prospects who want to buy from “real” people.
What is employee advocacy?
Employee advocacy simply means that your team is part of the force that shares your company messaging. It’s not really a new idea. You’ve probably seen lots of employees sharing details about their companies.
It could be something as simple as thanking the boss for a birthday lunch to celebrate the company’s latest milestone. Some employees may already regularly share your content too. If that is the case, it’s obvious that they’re already watching the company feed on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.
These interactions and posts are often informal, and it’s great to see employees who are so tied to the company’s culture and strategic approach. They feel compelled to share it with their audience. Employee advocacy programs work best when they are strategic, organic, and sustainable.
What is the importance of an employee advocacy program?
This program is effective because the voice of your company becomes “real” and personable coming directly from your employees. It’s a voice that’s uncomplicated and authentic, and it’s trustworthy. Instead of a faceless corporation trying to connect with an audience, your employees are more approachable and trustworthy in the eyes of your prospects.
As a result, your employee advocacy program can attract new talent and new business because it creates an authentic connection. By learning about your company through your employees, your audience will feel that they have a better picture of who you are because they can put names and faces with the solutions you offer and the goals you set.
It’s also a great way to share company news, job postings, events, snapshots of your company culture, and service announcements. Capitalize on the power of your team’s positive culture and experience to help your audience see who you are as a company.
What are the benefits of employee advocacy?
You’ll derive the most benefits from your employee advocacy program when you have a sense of what goals you want to achieve. Here are the most obvious areas of focus.
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Marketing: You can significantly extend your reach. Your employees will also garner a more positive engagement with their followers since it is more organic and authentic. Prospects love it!
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Recruiting: You may have already asked your employees to post about current openings. When your employees advocate on your behalf, you will reach more highly qualified candidates. You’ll also improve your brand positioning and exposure.
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Sales: Encourage your employees to be authentic about your company. It’s a great way to influence buying decisions. And that’s how you effectively make those sales.
Your employees know better than anyone else what you offer. They may already sell for you even if you don’t realize it. Your employee advocacy program will make more of a difference in your company’s growth than you might ever have imagined.
Ready to use social media and content to your advantage?
An employee advocacy program contains a lot of moving parts, one of the biggest being having great content to share. No matter how personable your employees are on social media, it will be hard to make a breakthrough if the content doesn’t engage people.
At Tempesta Media, our managed service solution can help you make social media and content marketing work to your advantage. To learn more about our services and find out what we have in the works for employee advocacy, contact us today.
