Employee advocacy is a relatively recent concept in the marketing and HR industry. Highly relevant in today’s hybrid and on-screen work environments since it empowers employees to serve as brand ambassadors and share their favourable perspectives with their networks. It encourages and motivates employees to tell their friends, family, and followers on social media about their workplace and its products and services. These marketing initiatives typically occur on social networking sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter.
Employees are seen to have a unique and trustworthy perspective on their company and can serve as credible and influential brand ambassadors. Employee advocacy can improve a company’s reputation and employment brand while broadening its audience and propagating its marketing messaging. The importance of employee advocacy has grown owing to the robust platform that social media and other digital platforms have provided for employees to express their ideas and experiences. Companies can reach new audiences and improve their reputation, employment brand, and overall marketing initiatives by utilizing the power of their networks. Employee advocacy provides a more human and authentic voice to a company’s marketing approach.
Approximately 64% of employees in a structured program attribute employee advocacy to bringing in and growing new businesses, and nearly 45% attribute it to generating new revenue sources.
At a time when remote work and digital communication are the norms, the advocacy program creates a sense of belonging and connection among workers, regardless of where they are based. Explaining the program’s purpose is the best way to encourage staff participation. This communication motivates employees better than gifts, financial incentives, or public acclaim for achievement. Those with positive employee experience would be more than happy to spread the word about their company, their work, the policies, and the benefits they receive as employees.
What does employee advocacy mean?
Employee support for employer corporate brands and ideals on social media is known as “employee advocacy.” Employees accomplish this by advocating for their company on personal social media platforms or through other word-of-mouth marketing strategies. Employee advocacy uses the established relationships that employees have with their networks to broaden the credibility and audience of a company’s marketing communications. Businesses gain to improve their standing in the industry, employment brand, and general marketing objectives.
What are employee advocacy programs?
The initiatives a company puts into place to motivate and assist its staff in promoting the business and its services are called Employee advocacy programs. These programs offer staff members access to material, content, and messages approved by the firm. The employees are given instructions and tools to support them in effectively sharing their opinions and experiences with their network. The participants are trained on optimal practices, such as tagging, sharing, or retweeting with comments, and the most effective time of day to do so.
A company’s marketing messaging can be more credible and effective if employees possess the tools and support they need to act as brand ambassadors. Businesses can enhance their reputation along with corporate branding and ace their promotional strategies with the program.
Employee advocacy for growth
Advocacy can play a crucial role in supporting a company’s growth and success. By leveraging employees’ personal networks, the program expands a company’s reach beyond its existing network of customers and followers. Employees, considered a trustworthy source of information about their company, can enhance brand reputation and build a positive image in the eyes of potential customers and employees. Businesses that implement employee advocacy initiatives see faster growth and gain more advantages. Four key benefits are:
Strengthen brand presence
Employee advocacy increases brand familiarity and visibility, expanding the message’s audience and impact through employees’ individual social networks. Companies gain credibility and trust when employees communicate encouraging information about the business. Advocacy programs broaden audience reach, raise brand awareness, and eventually enhance business growth. Employee advocacy also increases employee engagement and morale, which can improve business culture and the brand’s overall reputation.
Shorter sales cycle
When employees post company-related information to their personal social networks, they strengthen the company’s brand presence and provide customers with insightful advice. Prospective buyers learn reliable information about a business and its services directly from the source. As a result, prospects are more likely to be familiar with the company and its offers before interacting with sales professionals. The prior information can result in more quality leads and a more effective sales process. By creating an advocacy program, 27% of businesses with high growth have observed a reduced sales cycle. Employee advocacy builds rapport with prospective consumers, boosting their level of trust and confidence in the industry and ultimately resulting in quicker, more profitable sales.
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Shrink Marketing costs
Employee advocacy aids businesses in expanding their brand footprint, hence boosting organic reach. The approach reduces marketing expenses by using the influence and network of individuals within the workforce. It broadens audience reach, promotes engagement, and raises brand exposure. Employee advocacy can also contribute to developing potential customers’ trust and credibility, resulting in more quality leads and a greater conversion rate, further lowering the cost per acquisition. The use of advocacy lessens the need for pricey marketing efforts and complements more conventional marketing strategies like paid advertising and email marketing. Employee advocacy is a powerful tool that businesses can use to increase the impact of their marketing efforts at a lesser cost, making it a worthwhile addition to their comprehensive marketing plan.
Attract talent
Companies can reach and engage a larger pool of possible applicants by utilizing employee advocacy as part of their talent acquisition strategy and establishing a solid reputation as an employer of choice. By promoting current employees’ positive experiences and viewpoints, the program assists in attracting and keeping top talent. Employees can support developing a solid and appealing brand. They can raise awareness of job opportunities by sharing their work experiences, business culture, and the influence they are having. Employee advocacy can help build relationships and rapport with potential candidates, which can increase their trust and confidence in the company. The program can lead to more qualified job applicants, a more efficient recruitment process, and, ultimately, a more successful hiring outcome.
Employee advocacy programs
Successful employee advocacy programs have a lasting positive impact on a company’s bottom line. Digital employee advocacy tools can significantly overcome and solve a number of challenges that a company faces in the following areas:
- Employee engagement and participation: Employees may need help understanding the value of employee advocacy or feel uncomfortable sharing company content on their social networks. Companies can increase employee engagement and involvement in employee advocacy programs by providing training, resources, and incentives.
- Brand awareness and reputation: There may be a disconnect between what content the employees distribute and the brand's messaging or values, or they might need to comprehend the brand's messaging and values. By providing clear guidelines and monitoring employee-generated content in real-time, companies can mitigate potential risks and ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards. The digital program is easy to scale and expands the audience and impact of a brand's message, raises brand awareness, and fosters credibility and trust among clients, potential clients, and the general public.
- Sales and revenue growth: Employee advocacy generates more qualified leads by providing potential customers with trusted, first-hand information about a company and its services, shortens the sales cycle and drives revenue growth.
- Talent acquisition and employee engagement: Showcases the positive aspects of working at a company and attracts new talent while improving current employees' morale and engagement. Employee advocacy drives business growth by providing new insights and ideas from employees and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.
- Measuring the impact and ROI of employee advocacy: By setting clear goals, tracking metrics, and using analytics tools, companies can quantify the impact and ROI of employee advocacy. Businesses can measure and optimize the effectiveness of their EAPs.
EAPs offer benefits to the advocate too
Employee advocacy initiatives create a win-win situation for both participants and businesses. Employee advocacy has advantages that go beyond the company and have a good effect on the advocates themselves. Nearly 86% of advocates participating in a formal program felt that showcasing their company using social media had a positive impact on their careers too. Employee advocacy can benefit participants in the program in several ways, including:
- Professional development and growth: By receiving training on social media platforms through employee advocacy programs, employees can pick up new skills, improve their professional networks, and better understand the business and its products and services.
- Increased visibility and recognition: Employees can develop their unique brands and gain more recognition within the organization and outside of it. Employees benefit by becoming thought leaders in their industry and growing their professional networks.
- A better understanding of the company's mission and values: Employees gain a better grasp of the company's mission, values, and overall strategy through training and involvement. This can open up chances for professional growth and advance individuals' careers within the organization.
- Boost morale and engagement: Participants feel a sense of pride and ownership in the company when they can contribute to its success.
Best practices for the employee advocacy program
Employee advocacy is more than merely sharing company-related content on social media. If the program is to be successful, it must abide by specific guidelines and rules. Here are some best practices for creating and implementing successful employee advocacy programs:
- Clearly define the program's goals and objectives, such as increasing reach, improving credibility, enhancing reputation, or strengthening the employment brand.
- Include workers in the planning and execution of the employee advocacy campaign to guarantee that it satisfies their demands and enhances their capacity to serve as influential brand ambassadors.
- Educate and train employees to reply to trolls, consumer complaints, and other online interactions.
- Encourage employees to share their own experiences and perspectives about the company rather than just promoting its products or services. This helps to build a more authentic and human connection with their networks.
- Track and analyze the program's performance to identify areas for improvement and understand its impact on the company's growth and success. Evaluate and refine the employee advocacy program to ensure it remains practical and relevant over time.
Employee engagement in the employee advocacy program can be increased by rewarding and recognizing active participants.
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A paradigm shift in how corporations approach marketing and brand promotion is required as the world enters the screen age and social media permeates every aspect of people’s everyday lives. It’s time to leverage the potential of the most valuable asset of a company – the employees. Employee advocacy encourages employees to serve as brand ambassadors. As a marketing strategy, employee advocacy is increasingly vital for creating a culture amplifying brand reach and organizational content. Employee advocacy effectively attracts the target audience’s attention, humanizes the business, and sustains a vibrant brand presence.
