In today’s digital-first world, social media isn’t just a tool for marketing; it’s a powerful platform for employees to become brand advocates. With the right planning and social media training, companies can transform their workforce into a potent force for promoting products, services, and engaging with customers online. At Jonathan Pollinger – Social Media Training, we specialise in equipping your team with the employee advocacy skills they need to navigate these platforms effectively and responsibly.
The benefits of employee advocacy
Employee advocacy leverages one of the most credible forms of marketing: word-of-mouth. When employees share positive experiences and insights about their work or products on social media, it humanises the brand. This authentic engagement can help enhance your brand, attract new employees and even drive sales. It’s also a great way of dramatically expanding the reach of a company’s messaging
A strategy for social media success
The journey to effective employee advocacy begins with strategy of how employees can get involved. A solid plan backed up with social media training empowers employees to share content responsibly whilst staying in line with brand messaging and compliance guidelines. Here are some practical strategies to include in your plan.
Understanding platform dynamics
Each social media platform has its unique culture and best practices. The should cover the nuances of platforms like LinkedIn, TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram guiding employees on the most effective ways to share content and interact with different audiences. For example, better results are likely to be obtained by using the share feature of LinkedIn compared with Facebook. On LinkedIn, the employees connections could well be interested in their employees services but on Facebook it’s less likely that friends and family will be. On Instagram, posts from the employer could be shared as Stories or Direct Messages (DMs) but again this would only work if their followers were potential customers.
Leveraging LinkedIn’s ‘Notify Employees’ feature
LinkedIn’s ‘Notify Employees’ feature is a standout tool for employee advocacy. By alerting employees to new company posts, it encourages them to engage and share with their networks, amplifying reach. A plan backed up with training would ensure that employees are aware of and understand how to use specific tools like this that are designed to enhance advocacy efforts.
Crafting Authentic Messages
Shared messages can be enhanced and value added if employees are encouraged to personalise their shared content with genuine insights, experiences or their own personal take on the subject of the post. Authentic messages resonate more deeply with audiences, fostering trust and engagement. Training can provide examples and templates, while encouraging creativity and personal expression.
Navigating compliance and privacy
A crucial component of an advocacy plan is ensuring employees understand the importance of compliance and privacy. This includes guidelines on what information can be shared, how to respect copyright and the significance of maintaining professionalism online. There are etiquette differences between a personal and company activity on social networks and understanding the nuances is important.
Practical examples of successful employee advocacy
Companies around the world are reaping the benefits of well-implemented employee advocacy programs. For instance, a tech firm may train their engineers to share insights about innovative projects on LinkedIn, generating buzz and attracting talent. Similarly, a retailer could encourage staff to post behind-the-scenes content on Instagram and TikTok, showcasing the company culture, reinforcing the brand and expanding reach. An example of this is Laura Fulgenzi (@laurabfulgenzi) | TikTok and here’s a video of Laura dancing in Asda.
Learn more about employee advocacy
To learn more and to start transforming your workforce into brand champions book me for expert social media training.
By fostering a culture of informed and enthusiastic employee advocacy, your business can achieve increased levels of engagement and growth.