What is Employee Social Media Advocacy? Employee Social Media Advocacy refers to the practice of encouraging and empowering employees to actively promote their organization’s products, services, and brand on their personal social media channels. It involves harnessing the power of your employees’ social networks to amplify your marketing efforts, increase brand reach, and drive meaningful engagement.
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Why is it important for your marketing mix?
Customers today are more inclined to trust recommendations from their friends, family, and colleagues rather than direct advertisements from companies. Employee social media advocacy taps into this trust by leveraging the influence and credibility of your employees to communicate about your products or services. When employees share content related to their work, it creates an authentic and personal connection with their networks, making the message more genuine and persuasive.
How does employee social advocacy work?
Employee social advocacy works anytime an employee shares your companies social media content. But it usually works best when facilitated through a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform that aggregates and streamlines social posts for employees to easily share. Such platforms provide a centralized hub where employees can access pre-approved content, suggested captions, and graphics to share on their social media profiles. By utilizing these platforms, organizations can ensure compliance, maintain brand consistency, and easily measure the impact of employee advocacy efforts.
Can’t I just ask my employees to share from our social pages?
While you can certainly ask employees to share content directly from your company’s social pages, it often results in limited metrics and less engagement. By solely relying on company pages, you miss out on the personal touch that employees bring to their social media interactions. Plus, if you have multiple social handles it could be challenging for employees to find all the content. Employee advocacy programs that utilize a dedicated platform offer tracking and analytics features, enabling you to measure the reach, engagement, and impact of each shared post accurately.
Benefits of SaaS Social Media Advocacy Programs
SaaS-based social media advocacy programs offer numerous benefits to organizations, including:
Customized content feeds: With a good SaaS based employee advocacy program you can categorize your content so that your employees can find the content they want to share.
Employees see their contribution in one place: Employees will be able to quickly see their contributions of clicks and engagements usually built into the platform.
Gamification: Leaderboards help create a fun way to compete with co-workers.
Build employees network: Some platforms allow employees to see who is engaging with their content, extending their networks and potential benefits to your company.
Why would employees want to become Social Advocates?
Becoming social advocates not only benefits the company but also the employees themselves. By actively participating in social media advocacy, employees can:
Enhance Personal Branding: Sharing valuable content related to their industry helps establish employees as thought leaders and experts in their field.
Expand Professional Networks: Engaging with their social networks opens doors for new connections, collaborations, and career opportunities.
Boost Company Visibility: Employees become ambassadors for the company, increasing its visibility and attracting potential customers, partners, and talent.
How do I get my employees involved and foster a culture of social sharing and employee growth?
To encourage employee involvement in social media advocacy and integrate it into your company culture, it’s important to prioritize social sharing and employee growth. Here’s how:
Executive Support and Leadership: Gain support from executives and leaders within the organization. When leaders actively participate and promote social media advocacy, it sets a powerful example and signals the importance of employee involvement. Their endorsement helps establish a culture where social sharing is encouraged and valued.
Training and Education: Provide training sessions or workshops to educate employees about the benefits of social media advocacy, best practices, and guidelines. Offer insights on personal branding, social media etiquette, and effective content sharing. By equipping employees with the necessary knowledge and skills, you empower them to become experts and brand ambassadors.
Pre-Registering Employees: Consider pre-registering employees into the social media advocacy program, even while participation remains voluntary. This step streamlines the process and reduces barriers to entry. It also demonstrates the organization’s commitment to employee growth and involvement in shaping the company’s online presence.
Voluntary Participation with Incentives: While participation should be voluntary, incentivize and recognize employees who actively engage in social sharing. Offer rewards such as gift cards, personal meetings with executives, and recognition programs to acknowledge their efforts and contributions. These incentives can serve as a motivating factor and encourage employees to embrace social media advocacy willingly.
Foster a Supportive Environment: Cultivate an environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their expertise and experiences on social media platforms. Encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration, and dialogue among employees. By fostering a supportive atmosphere, employees are more likely to embrace social sharing as part of their professional growth and personal development.
Recognize and Showcase Employee Expertise: Celebrate employees who excel in social media advocacy by highlighting their achievements and expertise. This recognition can be through internal newsletters, company-wide announcements, or spotlight features on the company’s website or social media channels. By showcasing their success, you inspire others to follow suit and nurture a culture of continuous learning and growth.
By focusing on social sharing and employee growth into your company culture, you create an environment where employees are motivated to participate in social media advocacy willingly. The combination of pre-registering employees and voluntary participation ensures a seamless onboarding process while allowing individuals to choose their level of involvement. Together, these efforts establish a robust foundation for employee advocacy and position the company and its employees as trusted authorities in their respective fields. ———————————————————————————————————-
Nick Valente is an expert on Employee Social Media Advocacy. He works at Verizon where he founded and leads its employee advocacy program. This article was written with the assistance of Chat GPT. The knowledge, questions and answers are all in line with his knowledge of Employee Advocacy. All opinions are his own.
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