‍

When motivated employees love the company they work for, they are the greatest asset of any organization. Not only can they help build brand trust, but they can assist in meeting marketing goals. They play a crucial role in increasing an organization’s productivity and growing revenue.

When companies fail to build good relationships with their employees, it can hurt their brand’s reputation. At the same time, it can create recruiting issues and make it difficult to find and hire good candidates.

This is because 55% of job applicants will abandon a job application process if they read negative reviews about the company online. This factor is increasingly concerning for recruiters, as millennials make up more than 50% of the workforce and 81% of them share company information with their peers and friends.

It’s clear that people are sharing and looking up information on employers. So, it’s important for organizations to work on their online presence. One of the best ways to improve your brand image online is through employee advocacy.

Let’s take a close look at how you can leverage employee advocacy to build brand trust:

1. Amplify Your Brand’s Organic Efforts

The Principle

People use social media to check on their peers and share experiences, opinions, and interests. Which makes it a great platform for employee social advocacy. You can use it to promote your brand without coming across as overly promotional. Tap into your employees’ social circles and reach out to a broader audience.

When your employees are happy with their work environment and feel a sense of purpose, they will want to share their business and professional success with the world. Your employees are connected to their friends and family on social media and, in many cases, may also be connected to popular influencers.

Once an employee shares something positive about your brand, his or her followers are likely to notice. They will see your brand in a better light and this, in turn, can improve their trust in the shared message. When you have a large number of employees, their total social media reach may be greater than that of your brand. By asking them to share content related to your brand, you will reach this massive audience and improve your brand awareness.

You can also let them know that sharing reviews or unique content about your brand is a great way to grow their accounts.

Creating strong brand advocates is now easier than ever with the use of employee advocacy solutions. They are made to simplify the process of motivating employees to share corporate related content.

A well-structured employee advocacy strategy empowers employees to share curated company news, insights, and industry updates. This form of social media advocacy extends the brand’s reach beyond its corporate channels, making it easier to connect with diverse audiences. Engaged employees who actively participate in an employee advocacy program can generate significantly higher engagement rates compared to traditional marketing efforts.

Employees' Social Advocacy Best Practices on Social Media

For a successful employee advocacy program, it's essential that employees understand how to engage effectively on social media while maintaining authenticity and professionalism. By following best practices, employees can enhance their personal brand, amplify company content, and contribute to a positive brand reputation. Below are key best practices for employees engaging in social media advocacy:

1.1. Maintain a Professional and Authentic Personal Brand

Employees should treat their social media accounts as extensions of their professional presence. While it's important to share work-related insights, maintaining an authentic and engaging online presence will help build credibility. Employees should:

• Optimize their profiles with professional images and relevant bios.
• Clearly state their role and association with the company.
• Balance professional content with personal insights to keep engagement natural.

1.2. Share Approved Company Content

To ensure consistent and accurate messaging, companies should provide employees with a curated selection of company news, blog posts, product updates, and thought leadership articles through an employee advocacy platform. Employees should:

• Personalize their social media posts instead of just reposting corporate content.
• Highlight key takeaways, personal insights, or experiences related to the company update.
• Use relevant hashtags to expand reach and engagement.

1.3. Engage with Colleagues, Customers, and Industry Leaders

Beyond just sharing content, employees should actively participate in conversations related to their industry. This helps them develop as thought leaders and boosts visibility for the brand. Best practices include:

• Commenting on and resharing posts from colleagues and industry influencers.
• Answering questions and engaging in discussions about industry trends.
• Celebrating company achievements and milestones publicly.

1.4. Use Employee Advocacy Tools for Efficiency

Many companies offer employee advocacy tools to simplify content sharing and track engagement. Employees should:

• Leverage scheduling tools to maintain consistency in posting.
• Monitor analytics to see which types of posts generate the most engagement.
• Participate in leaderboards or recognition programs within the employee advocacy platform.

1.5. Be Mindful of Brand Voice and Compliance

While employees should feel empowered to express their opinions, it’s crucial to align with company policies and maintain professionalism. Employees should:

• Avoid sharing confidential or sensitive company content.
• Follow corporate social media guidelines to ensure compliance.
• Represent the company positively, avoiding controversial topics unrelated to work.

1.6. Create and Share Original Thought Leadership Content

Employees who want to stand out should create their own content in addition to sharing company updates. This strengthens their personal brand while reinforcing company values. They can:

• Share insights from industry conferences, workshops, or experiences.
• Write LinkedIn articles or Twitter threads about industry trends.
• Host or participate in live discussions, webinars, or podcasts.

1.7. Stay Consistent and Active

To maximize impact, employees should post regularly and engage meaningfully. The more active they are in social media advocacy, the more influential they become. Best practices for consistency include:

• Posting at least once a week about company-related topics.
• Engaging with comments and responding to inquiries.
• Building a habit of checking and sharing company-approved content.

1.8. Leverage Visuals and Videos

Visual content often performs better than text-based posts. Employees can enhance engagement by:

• Using high-quality images, infographics, or short videos in their posts.
• Sharing behind-the-scenes moments, team events, or product demos.
• Participating in company storytelling initiatives that humanize the brand.

Here are some concrete and ready-to-use ideas that will motivate your employees to share on social media:

• Set aside time for social activities like game days
• Go out on excursions as a team
• Get everyone involved in decorating your office for the holidays
• Organize parties to celebrate events that are not business-related
• Hold interactive seminars for self-development
• Start a “social committee”
• Celebrate birthdays in the office
• Hold an employee talent show

Encourage your employees to share these micro-moments on social media and tag your company.

‍

2. Give Insights Into Your Company Culture

When employees post a photo of their morning office coffee or a work party, it gives the audience an insight into your company culture. It introduces them to your values and shows them what your workplace is like.

Sure, you can post similar photos but when an employee does it, it comes across as more credible and less promotional. It’s a great way to win the trust of your audience.

As an example, Hootsuite employees regularly share photos of themselves working and enjoying office events. If you have a pet-friendly work environment, why not show it?

‍

3. Humanize the Brand

Employee advocacy is a great way of humanizing your brand. When employees post corporate news online, the information will be viewed as more authentic as it’s coming from an employee and not your brand itself.

Additionally, they will have a unique voice that’s different from yours. This uniqueness, and sometimes, void of professional jargon, will make a difference in how the audience relates to your brand.

The humanizing of a brand through the employees can also be done through the company’s official social media profiles. When messaging appears to have a more human touch, people can see the person behind the entity.

Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Modern Life, Search and Devices at Microsoft, tweets photos of their products, employees, as well as events. With such posts, Microsoft fans get introduced to the minds working behind the technology.

4. Improve Your Brand Image

To build trust, you need to make sure your brand image is positive. When employees express their opinion and give positive feedback about your brand and products online, stimulate customers to do the same. With employees endorsing your brand online, your overall perception can become more optimistic very fast.

To improve your image, you can implement an employee advocacy program. As a brand, you can encourage employees to like, share, and comment on your content. However, don’t go overboard with it. If you make it compulsory, your employees may find it annoying. That can actually be counterproductive for you.

Instead, run internal competitions to encourage engagement. You could reward employees who get the most visibility by giving them a voucher, cinema tickets, or any kind of bonus you might find appropriate.

Macy’s Style Crew program uses this strategy to keep their employees motivated. As a part of the program, they’ve chosen 300 employees to become their brand ambassadors.

For each sale made online, they receive a commission. In addition to this, employees get access to products for free.

This program is a great way to drive employee loyalty. If your employees are committed to your vision, they will help you spread the right message. This, in turn, is a great image booster.

5. Increasing Brand Awareness and Thought Leadership

By encouraging employees to share valuable content, brands can increase brand awareness and position themselves as industry leaders. Employees who consistently post relevant industry insights establish themselves as thought leaders, benefiting both their personal brand and the company’s reputation.

Companies can facilitate this by providing access to an employee advocacy platform that makes it easy to find and share approved company content.

6. Enhancing Recruitment and Employer Branding

A strong employee advocacy program not only promotes the company externally but also strengthens internal engagement. Potential candidates are more likely to trust a company when they see employees actively sharing their positive work experiences and company culture through social media posts. Advocacy efforts contribute to a compelling employer brand, making the company more attractive to top talent.

7. Improving Employee Engagement and Communication

Effective employee communication is at the core of successful advocacy. When employees feel informed and valued, they are more likely to participate in advocacy initiatives. Providing employees with regular updates, key messages, and access to an employee advocacy platform ensures that they can confidently share content that aligns with the brand’s voice and values.

8. Leveraging Employee Advocacy Tools for Success

To build an employee advocacy program that delivers measurable results, companies must invest in the right employee advocacy tools. These tools help streamline content sharing, track engagement metrics, and ensure consistency in brand messaging. Whether through an internal platform or integrations with existing social media accounts, advocacy tools enable seamless participation and maximize impact.

How to Build a Successful Employee Advocacy Program

1. Develop a Clear Strategy: Outline goals, key messages, and target audiences for your employee advocacy strategy.
2. Provide the Right Tools and Training: Equip employees with user-friendly employee advocacy tools and educate them on best practices.
3. Encourage Authentic Engagement: Allow employees to add their own perspectives and personality to shared content to enhance authenticity.
4. Recognize and Reward Participation: Celebrate top advocates and offer incentives to maintain enthusiasm.
5. Monitor and Optimize Performance: Use analytics to track engagement and refine the strategy based on insights.

By fostering a culture of social media advocacy and empowering employees to share meaningful content, businesses can significantly boost trust, credibility, and overall brand awareness. A well-executed employee advocacy strategy benefits both employees and the company, creating a win-win scenario for all involved.

Final Thoughts on Employee Advocacy

Employee advocacy programs can boost your brand’s visibility and reputation. At the same time, content created by your employees can showcase your company culture in an authentic way.

It’s a win-win situation for your brand. The best part is it can instill a sense of pride and community in your employees. If you are still not using employee advocacy, it’s time to give it a try.

‍

Discover our latest content on Employee Engagement

• What is Employee Engagement? Benefits, Strategies & Steps
• Why is Employee Engagement so Important? TOP 20 Benefits
• Best 15 Employee Engagement Strategies in 2023
• What is Brand Advocacy? How do You Build and Drive it?
• 10 Steps to Create a Strong Employee Engagement Action Plan
• 30 Employee Engagement Best Practices to Follow in 2023
• 15 Key Factors Influencing Employee Engagement in 2023
• 50+ Employee Engagement Ideas and Strategies for Companies
• Top 10 Employee Engagement KPIs: The Metrics to Measure
• 15 Best Features for Your Employee Engagement Software
• Top 30 Questions to Conduct an Employee Engagement Survey
• 20 Easy Ways to Motivate Employees
• Top 10 Employee Retention Strategies & Ideas to Set up
• Employee Social Advocacy for HR and Recruiters
• 10 Great Ways to Empower Frontline Employees | LumApps
• How Employee Advocacy Can Help Your Brand Build Trust
• How to measure employee satisfaction: Best methods and key metrics to track
• How to Boost Morale at Work? 30 Strong Ideas
• 15 Proven techniques to keep employees engaged and motivated
• The HR Guide to Effective Employee Engagement Metrics
• Top 10 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction
• Social Advocacy for Business Benefits
• 6 Tips To Build a Strong Employee Advocacy Program
• 30+ Virtual Team Building Activities for Companies in 2023
• Employee Advocacy on Social Media: Benefits, Examples & Strategies
• What is Employee Retention and How to Manage it?
• A Guide for Reducing Employee Turnover

‍