Employee advocacy is taking the marketing world by storm! It's quickly becoming the go-to strategy for boosting brand visibility and growing a massive social media following with no ad spends.
Why, you ask?
Well, studies show that when your team gets involved, the sales cycle shrinks, new business comes knocking, and top-tier talent starts lining up. Plus, your organic reach gets a 561% boost, and profitability jumps a cool 26%.
Now that's what I call a return on investment! But employee advocacy doesn't just give monetary gains, it has a whole bunch of other benefits too. Let's take a closer look.
Employee Advocacy Benefits for Brands
Employee advocacy gives your social media reach a boost, without spending a dime on ads. When your team amplifies your message, your brand gets more reach and a higher chance of organically attracting new leads.
But that's not all! Let's break down some of the specific benefits of employee advocacy for your brand:
Builds authenticity
When your employees rave about your company, they bring a level of authenticity and relatability that your brand accounts simply can't replicate. For instance, when an employee shares how much they loved your onboarding process, their friends and followers are more likely to believe them rather than a polished corporate message.
To back this up, a study by Nielsen, also says that 84% of people will be more likely to make a purchase if it's recommended by a family member, friend or colleague.
Pro tip: To build authenticity, you need to have a strong social media strategy and regularly publish attention-grabbing posts and articles. Highperformr is a complete social media management platform that can manage your entire social media pipeline. Highperformr’s Social AI feature consistently outputs creative, engaging post ideas by monitoring trending topics and tailoring posts for social media publishing.
Increases visibility
Your employees have a way bigger reach on social media than your brand does. Each of your company's employees has their circle of friends, family, and business relationships. In fact, on average, employees have 10x more connections in comparison to their companies.
When your team shares your content, it's like turning up the volume on your brand's voice. It helps you cut through the endless scroll and be discovered by people who otherwise wouldn't have heard about you.
However, the problem arises when the same post is being published and shared repeatedly. It looks spammy and doesn’t bode well for your company. Highperformr circumvents this by creating multiple variations of the same post, so that your employees from different sectors can post tweaked versions of the post across their social platforms.
Humanize your brand
63% of consumers prefer to buy from companies that share their values. When you allow employees to talk about your brand on their networks, you'll add those values to your brand. It's like inviting them in, allowing them to see behind the curtain and get to know the real people who make that brand tick.
One of the examples of this is Google.
The platform, known for its innovative approach, reportedly encourages employees to connect and collaborate through their social media accounts.
The post they share showcases their unique company culture and attracts like-minded talent who appreciate an open and collaborative environment.
It goes a long way toward building trust and making your brand feel more approachable. It means that you are not just a faceless corporation; you are a group of individuals passionate about what you are doing.
Cuts down the marketing costs
Many companies have been through all traditional marketing avenues and are seeing less and less impact. Consumers today seek more authenticity. Investing in tools and resources that empower your employees to share your company's message boosts your marketing.
In fact, companies using its employees in advocacy can cut down on marketing costs and increase conversions by 17%.
Drives more qualified leads
When your team members share the good vibes and show off culture online, it's seeding the minds of potential customers and future employees. It's an understated form of advertising that speaks volumes.
And for recruiters, it's a goldmine. They can easily identify people who already know and love your company, making the hiring process much smoother. It's like having a built-in talent pipeline, ready and waiting.
Pro Tip: Highperformr identifies the trending topics in your field, and its Social AI feature creates high-quality, industry-relevant posts from broad ideas, helping your employee advocacy efforts and also attracting leads.
Employee Advocacy – Benefits for Employees
Here’s what Employee Advocacy brings to the table for your employees:
Helps in growing your networks
When you position yourself as an expert in your field by sharing your knowledge, good opportunities can come your way.
Plus, building your personal brand on LinkedIn helps you connect with the right people. And as your online reach grows so do your career prospects.
We're talking about getting invited to podcasts, industry events, and even being featured in the media. You could become a thought leader or an employee influencer!
Your personal brand is your online platform to showcase your story, achievements, and ambitions.
Boosts morale
Being an employee advocate means having insider knowledge about the company and its goals. It's your chance to understand the big picture and see how your work integrates with the rest of the firm's goals. This can make you feel connected and more motivated at work.
You will also be able to keep in touch with your fellow employees easily, especially those working in other departments or locations. By liking and sharing each other's posts online creates camaraderie and boosts morale.
Creates a positive company culture
If you are in sales, marketing, recruitment, or HR, employee advocacy could be the best solution to make your job easier. It helps you build relations, get noticed with content, encourage an organizational culture, and attract top talent.
But even if you don't work in one of those departments, employee advocacy is still a valuable asset. It's about helping the whole company thrive, not just specific teams.
What we aim for is to be able to work where we are supported, connected, and feel secure. When you are engaged in employee advocacy, you make your company successful with a mutual environment for all. You help your colleagues and, in the end, grow your company.
Reap the benefits of Employee Advocacy today
Employee advocacy is how you reach your potential customers and elevate your brand. We have familiarized you with its far-reaching benefits. Now it's time for you to grab the right tools and start an employee advocacy program at your organization.
To get started with your employee advocacy program, we recommend using Highperformr. Highperformr bundles a complete employee advocacy suite within its toolset to improve your content distribution and visibility and provide your employees with the tools they need to amplify brand reach in their social media channels.
Sign up for Highperformr today.
