Article
November 6, 2024

What are the benefits of Employee Social Advocacy for Businesses ?

Milton Herman
5 minute read
Nowadays companies spend millions of dollars in advertising, social media campaigns and even influencer marketing. But there are other more effective tools to promote your brand, without setting up a skyrocketing budget.

Why you should consider Employee Social Advocacy integration

Advocacy by itself is not a new term to the business, but employee and social media advocacy are interconnected emerging trends, that together are even more influential to the company’s image, reputation and even revenues.

To be an advocate means that you are supporting a given idea, need, person or even a group (M.London, 2010). It’s important for enterprises to aim for employee advocates who understand and support its vision and missions.

Source: Manuel London, (2010) “Understanding social advocacy: An integrative model of motivation, strategy, and persistence in support of corporate social responsibility and social entrepreneurship”, Journal of Management Development, Vol. 29 Issue: 3;

 

Why Employee Social Advocacy?

Research done by LinkedIn gives us some insights on the importance of social advocacy.

  • 10x Larger audience : Employee’s social media networks has 10x more connections than your company.
  • 2x Higher Content Engagement : Employee shares generate 2x more engagement compared to corporate shares.
  • 6x Higher Profits : Employee share generate higher conversion rates which results in 6x higher profits.

Mix-and-match tone doesn’t work

Companies are trying to blend in with people’s feeds – which is filled with actual friends and family photos, posts and funny videos – with their posts and advertisements. They try to make their content as human and personal as possible.

But let’s be honest here…

No matter how many hashtags or emojis or how much ‘human-like’ wording they use, a company’s page will always be seen as a company’s page.

A company’s page should stay professional and reflect the values of the organization, but this doesn’t mean that it can’t be trusted or reliable. The secret is engaging the people inside the company. Business should focus on motivating and embracing the uniqueness of its employees.

What is Social Advocacy helpful for ?

Improve Brand Reputation

Business reputation is a mix of customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction and a bit of luck. It seems like most companies focus mainly on the client’s perception, but what’s behind the curtains matters as much.

Let’s take one simple example. If an employee wrote an article and she share it on the company’s internal communication platforms, the organization can publish her work on the company’s page, to show appreciation for her efforts. This will stimulate her to share the publication within her person network. Like that the company gains from bigger reach and improves the brand image both in the eyes of the employee and the customer.

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Increase Employee Profitability

Social Media increasingly influences the decision making process for buyers. Customers are always looking for trusted advisors, even in the B2B sector.

Let’s look at salespeople as advocates for example. A good sales force is well prepared to answer any question a client might have. They are also very active on social media for their work. Promoting employee advocacy in this case, can help the company increase the number of attracted leads, shorten the sales period and bring new revenue. Salespeople who regularly share on social media tend to exceed their quotas by 45%. Social advocacy increases work efficiency for both individuals and the overall organization.

Attract and retain top talent

The recruiting process can also be influenced by employee advocacy. While the HR department has the main responsibility of finding and attracting recruits they could use some help! Almost 45% of job seekers are more likely to respond to a job posting if they see it on a familiar person’s profile, rather than the official recruiting page. Social Advocacy provides the basis for the successful attraction and retention of top talent, by leveraging trusted peers from within the organisation.

What Is LumApps' Employee Social Advocacy?

It’s a built-in functionality within the LumApps platform that allows employees to share pre-approved content—such as company news, industry updates, and success stories—on their LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and other social networks. The content is curated by the company’s marketing or communications team, ensuring brand consistency while empowering employees to act as ambassadors.

Why Is It a Game-Changer?

1. It Amplifies Brand Reach

  • Employees have social networks that often exceed a brand’s own reach.
  • Content shared by employees is perceived as more authentic and credible compared to corporate posts.
  • Studies show that content shared by employees gets 8x more engagement than content shared by brands.

2. It Boosts Employee Engagement & Recognition

  • Involving employees in advocacy makes them feel more connected to the company’s mission.
  • Gamification elements like leaderboards and recognition programs can incentivize participation.
  • It fosters a sense of pride when employees can publicly showcase their company’s achievements.

3. Strengthens Employer Branding

  • Potential candidates get an authentic view of the company culture through employees' social posts.
  • This is critical in attracting top talent, especially in competitive job markets.
  • Employees naturally become advocates of company culture, helping to position the organization as an employer of choice.

4. Drives Marketing ROI at Low Cost

  • Employee advocacy is a cost-effective way to boost organic reach without relying heavily on paid ads.
  • By leveraging existing content and networks, companies get higher engagement with minimal additional resources.
  • Analytics dashboards within LumApps provide insights into which posts resonate most, helping to optimize future content strategies.

5. Enhances Internal Communication & Alignment

  • Curated content libraries ensure all employees receive and share consistent messaging.
  • The intranet serves as a centralized hub for communication, reducing misinformation.
  • It bridges communication between departments, especially for distributed or remote teams.

Case studies for Employee Social Advocacy

Implementing LumApps' Employee Social Advocacy feature has proven transformative for several organizations, enhancing brand reach, employee engagement, and internal communication. Here are some notable examples:

Ascension: Amplifying Brand Voice

Ascension, a leading healthcare system with over 50,000 associates, leveraged LumApps to consolidate its intranet platforms. This unification enabled employees to seamlessly share approved content, thereby amplifying Ascension's brand voice across various channels. The centralized platform ensured consistent messaging and fostered a cohesive brand identity.

Ascension & LumApps

Thoughtworks: Connecting a Global Workforce

Thoughtworks, a global technology consultancy, utilized LumApps' integrated social advocacy feature during its IPO week. This tool empowered employees to easily share company news and updates through their personal social media accounts, significantly boosting reach and engagement. The initiative not only enhanced external visibility but also strengthened internal unity during a pivotal moment for the company.

Thoughtworks & LumApps

These examples illustrate how adopting LumApps' Employee Social Advocacy feature can serve as a catalyst for positive change, turning employees into brand ambassadors and fostering a more connected and engaged workforce.

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Internal Communication FAQ

What is Employee Advocacy?

Employee advocacy can be defined as a company employee acting as a spokesperson (advocate) for their employer’s brand. This role can be taken on by anyone working for the company. It does not have to be confined only to the marketing department.➝ Discover more about Employee Advocacy

Why is Employee Advocacy Important?

Employee Advocacy offers a number of benefits to a company, such as:Better Marketing Efforts Increased Sales Easier Time Attracting Great Candidates➝ See all the benefits

How to build an Employee Advocacy Program?

Choose to make workplace culture a priority. Decide on the goals for the employee advocacy plan. Let employees know about the plan. Set up an employee advocacy social media policy.→ See all the steps

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What are the benefits of Employee Social Advocacy for Businesses ?