Cathy Liska 
In the modern business landscape, businesses do not only fight for consumer attention through above-the-line and below-the-line marketing. Today, the primary arena is online. Take a quick visit to the different social media platforms, and you’ll see brands testing out various strategies to get your attention. One effective strategy you may not have considered is leveraging employee advocacy.
Your employees aren’t just the force that runs your business operations; they can also make a significant impact in promoting your brand online. Learning how to empower and encourage them to become advocates for the business can be a game changer that can help you boost both your online engagement levels and your revenues.
Ready to carve your space in the digital arena called social media? Then, let’s explore why your employees make the perfect brand advocates and how you can enlist their help to transform your social media efforts.
Understanding Employee Advocacy
Enlisting employees as brand advocates is a strategy that’s often underutilized or overlooked by companies. Here are the top reasons why you prioritize employee advocacy in your social media efforts:
Your employees are experts on your brand.
Employees know your products. They have a hand in making and shaping the brand. They understand the core of your business, making them excellent advocates. Your employees can use their insights and firsthand experiences for authentic online storytelling and content creation.
It can boost team morale.
Encouraging participation through employee advocacy shows how much you value every team member’s voice and contribution toward shared goals. It also instills a sense of pride and belonging in the organization. The success of the business equates to the team’s success, which can be an empowering message for your employees. This can ultimately boost team morale and create a sense of accomplishment.
It’s cost-effective.
Employee-generated content generally requires little investment in terms of both time and money. You no not have to spend hours out of your day for product training and company introductions. Employees who have been onboarded and properly immersed in the company will already know the business and what it stands for, like the back of their hand.
Ensure your messaging does not get lost in translation. You can do this by working on your brand guidelines and recommended templates to make it easier to highlight your products’ features, advantages, and benefits.
It encourages a culture of brand love.
Instilling confidence in your staff as brand experts does not just improve your brand’s online performance. It can also help create a culture of loyalty and love for the brand.
The sense of love and advocacy within the organization can positively impact the rest of the business, too. This creates a ripple effect and influences how employees interact with customers, collaborate with colleagues, and represent the brand in their respective roles.
Empowering Employees and Boosting Your Social Media Efforts.
Set up an effective employee advocacy program with these simple yet effective tips:
Establish Clear Guidelines.
This digital age has given us countless ways to reach and engage with consumers. The digital world also comes with its own set of rules, including data privacy regulations. As the business leader, it’s up to you to communicate these rules to protect both the employee and the company.
Additionally, you must remain consistent with your brand. Develop and relay clear guidelines for social media advocacy. Your guidelines can include your brand toolkit, appropriate content and tone, and other relevant messaging your company or local advertising authorities may require.
To help create content that’s consistent and aligned with the brand’s image, you can create ready-to-use templates that can be easily personalized depending on the user. It’s also important not to stifle authenticity. You may give ideas and provide the dos and don’ts You must also encourage creativity and genuine messages from your employees. It can be a tough balance at first. With close collaboration and data analytics, you can quickly fine-tune your social media advocacy program.
Use Data Analytics to Track and Monitor.
Another benefit of the digital business landscape is that data can be within easy reach. Take advantage of this benefit by measuring key metrics such as reach, engagement, and conversion rates to gauge the effectiveness of employee-generated content. Paired with qualitative feedback, paying close attention to data insights allows you to identify trends, assess the impact of your advocacy efforts, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your social media strategy.
Aim for Continuous Improvement.
It’s crucial to foster a culture of continuous improvement not just in terms of social media marketing as well as in every facet of the business as well. Keep an ear on the ground to stay updated on the latest industry news and trends, market trends, social media policy updates, and so on.
Celebrate Results and Recognize Efforts.
It’s easy to get stuck in an endless work cycle, chasing the next big goal. It’s important to pause to celebrate what you’ve already achieved. It’s also necessary to ensure that your employees know that their efforts are seen and appreciated.
Remember to celebrate the milestones, achievements, and successes of your employee advocacy program. Whether through public acknowledgment, incentives, or rewards programs, acknowledging employees’ efforts is an absolute must. It reinforces a culture of appreciation and encourages continued participation.
Conclusion.
When people say the employees are the backbone of the company, it’s difficult to disagree. They help develop products and services, handle the operations, interact with customers, and do basically everything to ensure the business is running. And in this digital age, your employees can be your partner in another important arena: social media.
Employees have firsthand experience and in-depth knowledge of your brand, making them excellent social media brand advocates. As a leader, you must drive this point home and empower your employees to take an even more active role in promoting the business. Because the company’s success and the success of every individual working in it go together; so, if you’re looking for new social media promoters, look no further than your company directory.
