Companies shell out big bucks on influencer campaigns, social ads, and content creation. But most overlook their best marketing asset: their own employees. Keep reading to see how employee advocacy can play a critical role in your organization’s social media marketing strategy.

What is employee advocacy?

Employee advocacy is the promotion of a company by its own workforce. This can look like anything from employees sharing information about specific products or campaigns to employees talking about company culture online. Employees promoting companies on social media not only extends the reach of a brand’s messages, but significantly increases online engagement.

According to a study by The Marketing Advisory Network, brand messages reach 561% further when shared by employees versus when the message is shared over the brand’s social channels. The same study found that brand messages are re-shared 24 times more frequently when employees share content. 

Still not convinced? Check out these stats.

• The 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer found that more people trust a regular employee (53%) than a CEO (47%).
• Nearly 86% of employees participating in a formal advocacy program say it had a positive effect on their careers.
• LinkedIn discovered that employees of a company tend to have 10 times more followers than the company itself.

Employee Advocacy Best Practices

Although employee advocacy is crucial more than ever, many businesses face obstacles when it comes to motivating employees to promote company content. Follow these guidelines to maximize your company’s abilities.

• Make workplace culture a priority. Strong brand ambassador employees need to actually love their jobs, not just their paychecks. Evaluate company culture to see where your organization can improve.
• Give employees a reason to share. Employees might need some motivation to share content. Hold a company lunch or seminar where you discuss how advocating for their company and being active on social media helps them build their personal brands and establish themselves as thought leaders. 
• Make the process easy. Its essential to make company and industry content as easy to share as possible. Use an internal hub or cloud to make content available at employees’ fingertips.
• Recognize employee advocates. A little recognition goes a long way. Make your employee advocates feel appreciated for their efforts with a complimentary lunch or card.

If you want to boost brand recognition, make recruiting easier, and share your company’s culture, employee advocacy is for you. To learn more about employee advocacy on social media, check on this kickstart guide.