Remember the days when you could compose a blog post and share it on social media, and people instantly clicked it? Fast forward to today, and it’s obvious that those days are over.
Social networks are shifting the way companies obtain and experience interaction with prospective customers, current clients, partners and job applicants. The way I see it, a central component of this must be our encouragement of our employees to post via social networks on behalf of the company. This can also lead to employees feeling an even greater connection to their employers.
Not All Employees View Social Media The Same
If the company requires employees to become promoters on social networks on behalf of the company, it must bear in mind that not everyone will become a valuable marketing channel for the company overnight. Employers must measure the mood of their employees and the level of their knowledge to put forth specific marketing messages on their personal social network accounts on behalf of the company.
There are likely a number of employees who would gladly become marketing promoters of the company on social networks. And when people start to engage in social media advocacy programs, others may be encouraged to join them. However, there will always be a certain number of employees who either do not use social networks or do not want to use them for marketing promotion of their company -- possibly not wanting their employer to interfere with their personal lives.
It is important for companies to encourage employees to be on social media and gain confidence to build strong personal brands there. Yet, even for those who regularly use social networks out of the office, it may not be appropriate for them to do so on behalf of the company. That’s why no employer should insist that their employees partake as social media advocates. The effects could be counterproductive, and may intentionally or unintentionally inflict damage to the company.
I surveyed my colleagues and peers from other companies on whether or not, as employees, they would use their private accounts on social networks for the marketing promotion of their company. I learned that it depends on what the message is about, and it must be relevant to the employee and their friends on social in order to share it. If not, and if they’re being forced to share it, it can be viewed as a violation of their personal lives.
Your Employees Can Be Your Greatest Influencers
The fact is that most social media networks today are polluted with ads, leaving little room for us to engage with actual people, with our acquaintances or peers. Nevertheless, employee advocacy sparked a new wave of influencers -- influencers that many companies are turning to (subscription required) as an effective marketing asset. Using the strength of employee advocacy, marketers can sustain their organic traction while not having to supply additional content.
Take, for example, the following A and B scenarios:
Scenario A: You watch a commercial on TV that claims why X cookies are so delicious.
Scenario B: Your friend tells you, “OMG! I just tried X cookies. You’ve gotta try them! It’s like we need to stop our diet for a reason!”
While the ad might give you the cravings for X cookies, your friend’s personal experience sounds a lot more authentic, and as a result, you’re more likely to trust it and try the cookies.
Even when we look at statistics from just a few years ago, we see that 83% of consumers trust the recommendations of people they know, while 66% say they trust consumer opinions that are posted online. If you recall the last time you booked a hotel, you may realize that you trusted the reviews of complete strangers over what the amazing five-star hotel said about itself.
The way I see it, having employees deliver your message through their personal social channels is almost equivalent to having a customer write a genuine and positive review. It’s contagious and highly credible. So, tap into human connections and social validation by leveraging your employees’ willingness to share your message -- becoming employee advocates for your brand.
