Is your business having problems getting the word out on social media? You're not alone. Trying to get attention online is tough.
But guess what, there's one thing most companies aren't using to get attention: your employees. Think about it.
Your employees are already talking about your company, whether you've got a formal program or not. The magic happens when you can convert that chitchat into a positive buzz for your brand. That's essentially what employee advocacy is all about.
We're not just making this up. 79% of companies saw their online presence skyrocket when they became serious about employee advocacy.
But hey, we get it. This whole employee advocacy thing can seem hard. That's why, in this blog post, we will show you how you can get an employee advocacy program up and running easily.
What is Employee Advocacy?
Employee advocacy is getting your team to become your brand's spokespeople. They share your company's message and news on their social media and in effect, your brand gets more reach.
Your team can share all kinds of things, like job postings, interesting articles, industry news, or even updates about new products. It's all about spreading the word in a way that feels real and authentic.
Take Starbucks, for example. They've mastered the art of employee advocacy through their Instagram page, @starbuckspartners.
They show the passion and talent of their employees, whom they affectionately call "partners."
The page highlights their employees' creativity, stories, and their involvement in various company initiatives.
This offers an authentic and engaging look at the company culture.
8 Steps to Follow For Employee Advocacy
Getting an employee advocacy program, however, is quite a long process. Here are the steps that you can take to get your program up and running.
Step 1: Set clear goals and KPIs
Before launching your employee advocacy program, take a step back and ask yourself: what's the point? What am I trying to accomplish?
Be clear about your goals—are you looking for more leads, top talent, a bigger brand presence, or maybe dominating social media?
Once you know what you want, communicate it clearly to your team.
But don't just stop at goals, set some measurable targets too. Keep an eye on who's crushing it, how far your message is spreading, how much engagement you're getting, and the website traffic your team is driving. Oh, and don't forget to gauge how all of this is affecting your overall brand vibe.
A few key performance indicators (KPIs) to watch out for:
- Top contributors
- Organic reach
- Engagement
- Website traffic
- Brand sentiment
Step 2: Recruit advocacy leaders
Your program should be open to every single employee, no matter their title, department, or how long they've been with you. But to really amplify your message, create a core crew of enthusiastic, influential employees – your own little "ambassador committee."
These employees will:
- Become the face of your campaigns.
- Get everyone pumped up about your initiatives.
- Create awesome content that people actually want to share.
- Give you feedback to make your program even better.
- Recruit even more folks to join the fun.
Step 3: Give training
Want to know the secret of truly exceptional companies? It's easy – they invest in their people. They know that a well-trained workforce is a game-changer. In fact, companies that understand this are 17% more productive.
Take Amazon, for example. One of their programs, Associate2Tech, helps frontline workers get into tech jobs, even if they know how to code. And the best part? It's all voluntary, so employees can learn at their own pace.
Highperformr’s Employee Advocacy tool is one of the easiest options to help your employees with social media dexterity. Highperformr provides a quick and intuitive platform for all of your employees to publish brand-aligned posts on social media. Highperformr also helps sales teams to build pipelines to generate better leads via social platforms.
Step 4: Prepare social media guidelines
Not everyone is a social media expert. Even if it seems like second nature to you, some of your employees might feel a bit lost or unsure. That's why setting social media guidelines is important. When your team feels informed and empowered, your advocacy program will nourish.
Teach them what to post, your social media rules, and the best ways to share content. Remember, a little guidance goes a long way.
Intel's got the right idea.
As you can see, their social media guidelines are super simple. They trust their employees to do the right thing, and they're not about policing every little tweet or post. That's how you build trust and get your team excited to spread the word.
Step 5: Make compelling content
Give your team content that makes them look like the experts they are – the kind of stuff they'll actually enjoy sharing. Make it fun with little rewards like friendly competitions or unexpected gift cards.
Take Reebok for example. Their "#FitAssCompany" campaign encourages employees to post pics of themselves wearing Reebok gear.
Image Source
It's a clever way to build a fitness-focused community and let employees show their genuine brand love. The hashtag also helps keep everything organized and on-brand.
Reebok even gives their team a content feed so they know exactly what kind of stuff to share. This way, employee advocacy fits seamlessly into bigger campaigns, like ones focused on running or cycling.
Step 6: Encourage participation
Don't just speak to your employees about your advocacy program—make them part of it. Let them know what's up, what tools they can use, and encourage them to join in. But remember, no one likes being forced to share stuff on their personal social media.
Instead, get them involved in the planning process. Share your current social media strategy and ask for their input. What kind of content would resonate with them and their followers? What reflects your company culture? Use their feedback to shape your overall advocacy strategy – it'll make everyone feel like they're part of the team.
Step 7: Create a positive workplace environment
Want a workplace that your employees absolutely love? It all starts with understanding what they actually need.
According to Gallup, a few things really matter:
- A clear mission
- Knowing what's expected of them
- Having the right tools to do their job
- Getting recognized for their hard work
- Open communication
But don't forget about the managers. They have a massive impact on employee engagement – like, 70% of it!
So, make sure they know their roles, get the training they need, and have a system in place to help employees succeed.
Also, incentivize your employees for their advocacy efforts.
In fact, a little appreciation can boost employee performance by a whopping 32% when paired with feedback and incentives. So, show your team some love for their advocacy efforts.
You can give them perks, bonuses, or even an "Employee of the Month" award. But remember, keep it real. Encourage your team to add their own flair to posts – authenticity is always engaging.
Google, the king of company culture, knows how to turn its 190,000 employees into a powerhouse for talent and leads.
Googlers are constantly posting about their work on Instagram's @lifeatgoogle page, sharing everything from big wins to everyday moments.
Step 8: Choose the right employee advocacy tools
Employee advocacy is about giving your team the reins to share awesome content with their networks. But let's be real, it takes more than just a "Hey, share this!" email to get them excited. That's where employee advocacy tools come in.
They make sharing content simple, track essential KPIs effectively, and offer an easy-to-use interface accessible from anywhere. This way, you can expand your program easily and keep everyone informed and aligned.
Highperformr is a great tool to amplify the power of employee voices. Highperformr’s employee advocacy module taps into the power of Social AI to bring powerful employee advocacy features. It helps you empower your teams to create posts consistently, publish posts across multiple employee handles while publishing a brand post from the company handle, pinpoint top posts with relevant engagement metrics that you can share with your marketing team, etc.
Highperformr provides the full suite of social media management and analytics features, in addition to employee advocacy tools, to offer you the best bang for your buck.
Increase Brand Awareness and Enhance Employee Engagement with Highperformr
Employee advocacy is one of the most authentic forms of marketing, yet it's the one that's often ignored.
But when your employees are on board, the potential is huge. They can spark conversations, boost your social media reach, and introduce you to new customers you wouldn't have reached otherwise.
Highperformr unlocks the complete potential of employee advocacy. Our platform makes brand ambassadors out of your employees, amplifies your message, builds trust, and drives real business results.
