The Inside Edge: The Power of Employee Advocacy in Shaping Brand Identity

Consider an employee advocacy program if you’re looking for a new way to increase your marketing reach with little investment. Besides, who knows your product or your brand better than your team members?

Employee advocacy programs come in many forms, especially with the explosion of influencer marketing tools. There are several ways that it can benefit your business in terms of public perception and overall growth.

Let’s dive in and find out more…

What is an Employee Advocacy Program?

It’s important to know what an employee advocacy program is before we go any further. Fundamentally, it’s a program where employees and team members promote your product or brand. They usually involve referral incentives but can just involve employees sharing information about projects and initiatives they’re excited about.

One of the most prominent places people show this enthusiasm is on social media. LinkedIn is the biggest professional network, and it’s a place designed for employee advocacy. People are always talking about the great work they’re doing and the exciting products or services the brand is releasing.

Different roles that can make up an employee advocacy program include:

• Social media posts
• Being a brand ambassador at events
• Speaking at networking and recruitment-related events
• Creating content about the great work brands are doing

How Can Brand Ambassadors Improve Public Perception?

Brand ambassadors can improve public perception in several ways. Finding an ambassador who fits the business and has the right messaging is important. Having actual people talk about your brand and business can make you seem more authentic and trustworthy.

This goes twice as much if there is no additional financial incentive, as there’s no reason for employees to promote the business or brand unless they actively believe in it. With so many influencers pushing content they don’t necessarily believe in, having “real people’s” opinions matters more and more.

Generally, consumers are untrusting of corporate statements and press releases. Not only are they usually boring, but they’re also biased. On the other hand, content from employee advocacy programs appears softer, more trustworthy, and more genuine. Someone who’s excited about their job and the projects they’re contributing to will often portray a brand in a more positive, less biased light.

In terms of public perception, this all ties to a more holistic, positive, and people-centric brand view.

What’s the Business Benefit of Employee Advocacy Programs?

There are a whole host of business benefits that come with employee advocacy programs. Even though it seems like a form of influencer marketing, the impact goes far beyond the marketing department’s reach.

Benefits to the business and brand include:

• Increased brand awareness
• Improved brand perception
• Expands organic reach through employee networks
• Builds brand credibility and trust
• Improves employee engagement and morale
• Generates authentic content for social media and other online marketing avenues
• Greater digital footprint for the brand
• Improves thought leadership in the company
• Improve company growth through awareness and recruitment
• Attracts higher-quality staff through employee referrals

Brands implement employee advocacy programs because they are a cost-effective way to market the brand. It’s an easy way to build a network of new customers, employees, and potential investors.

While influencer marketing and paid advertisement can cost thousands of dollars per post and press contacts are often hard to come by for smaller businesses, employee advocacy programs are essentially free.

Tips for Implementing an Employee Advocacy Program

There are plenty of positives to employee advocacy programs, but there are some things that you should be aware of. Any consumer-oriented marketing material has the potential to backfire or be taken the wrong way, so you need to be cautious of how your staff promotes the brand.

Here are some basic guidelines and ground rules for launching employee advocacy programs:

1. Pick Your Advocates Carefully

Not every employee is going to make a good advocate. Ask for volunteers and don’t force it on people who aren’t into it. The result will likely be lackluster posts that seem forced and disingenuous. Make sure you choose people who are engaged in the brand, and enthusiastic Steer clear of controversial topics in the office and online.

2. Approve Content Before It Goes Live

Even though the content is on personal social media accounts, like LinkedIn, any business-related posts should be vetted before going live. This ensures that it adheres to content guidelines, doesn’t sound too corporate, and doesn’t cause any legal issues.

3. Update Brand Guidelines for Authenticity

Brand guidelines tend to be rigorous and structured. Even “fun” and “casual” brands have certain words and phrases they will and won’t use in marketing material.

For employee advocacy programs, the post should match the employee’s usual “voice” on social media to work effectively. You may need to loosen the reigns on the brand guidelines when allowing employees to promote the brand through their personal social media accounts.

4. Stagger Employee Posts About Similar Subjects

If you have several employees posting about the same project, ensure the posts are staggered. A sure way to know that the business is ghostwriting the posts is if an article or release is shared by multiple people within a five-minute window. Stagger the publishing times and make sure captions, wording, and tags are different from post to post.

5. Check Employee Contracts for a Non-Disparagement Clause

Former employees, whether they left on good terms or not, can be wildcards. Having a non-disparagement clause prevents employees (who are part of the image of the brand) from badmouthing it if they’re terminated. This can protect the brand’s image if an employee with a large online presence is terminated or left on bad terms.