Employee advocacy programs are all about encouraging and empowering employees to champion the company’s brand, products, or services through their own social media accounts or other digital avenues.
Intriguingly, recent data suggests that a whopping 72% of employees who are active on social media are willing to share company-related content if it’s pre-crafted for them.
Reflecting on my tenure at Fix Network World, I had the unique chance to spearhead the creation of an employee advocacy program. The initiative was met with remarkable enthusiasm from our staff and was a resounding success. Here’s a peek into our strategy:
Identify Our Employees’ Communication Preferences
We noticed a trend: nearly half of our workforce wasn’t engaging with emails, primarily because they were always on the move and rarely prioritized checking their inbox on mobile devices. With the universal appeal of apps in mind, we introduced a highly intuitive employee advocacy app to supersede email. The result was startling yet welcome – a whopping 70% adoption rate within three months, shattering the norm of achieving such numbers over a year.
Educate Employees on the App’s Personal Branding Benefits
We conducted bite-sized training sessions and calls to explain the app’s benefits for personal branding. Our customer-facing colleagues, regularly interacting with insurance firms, fleet operators, and other stakeholders, jumped at the chance to polish their personal brands on LinkedIn and similar platforms. They seamlessly shared industry updates and our company’s news via the app, thereby not only marking their active digital presence but also showcasing their industry acumen. This action spurred their teammates to join in, creating a ripple effect of engagement.
Offer a Non-Mandatory Yet Inclusive App Experience
We recognized that not everyone was interested in cultivating a personal brand, and that’s perfectly fine. To keep everyone informed, we sent out a weekly digest through the app that summarized key updates. Additionally, for our office-based staff, we provided the option to access the app on desktop computers rather than mandating its use on personal smartphones. We centralized our internal communications and news updates in the app, encouraging – but not obligating – all team members to use it.
It’s crucial to remember that these digital platforms and channels exist for the ultimate benefit of our stakeholders – be they customers, employees, or any other group – and not solely for us as communicators or marketers. Success hinges on adapting to their preferences and engaging with them in a manner they find most convenient. Flexibility and a stakeholder-centric approach are indispensable in cultivating a thriving brand identity.