Why Is Employee Advocacy Important?
Why Is Employee Advocacy Important?
Employee Advocacy is most often defined as the internal and external promotion of a company by its workforce, using both online and offline channels. However, the reality of employee advocacy is a lot more nuanced.
We focus on the Digital aspect of employee advocacy, however, it should be part of a much broader strategy.
By utilising a wide range of techniques, a formally implemented employee advocacy programme can yield scalable benefits for a business and its employees alike, creating a symbiotic relationship of mutual benefit that’s well worth investing in.
Broad strategies for employee advocacy can be broken down into these three categories:
Company merchandise - handing out useful and well-designed brand goods within the company, where they can then be organically promoted to staffs’ own networks of friends and family both online and off.
Employee recognition - creating an environment and culture within an organisation where employees are incentivised to take part in company activities because they are celebrated and rewarded for it when they do. A classic example of this being ‘Employee of the Month’.
Social media advocacy - encouraging the workforce and its leadership to post about the company online i.e. personal stories, company news and achievements, product launches, job openings, blog posts. This is the kind of employee advocacy that most often sees the highest ROI and can utilise the former two kinds.
Creating a Digital Employee Advocacy Programme
Implementing an employee advocacy programme empowers a workforce and protects employee interests by increasing their value. When a brand relies on its staff as direct advocates, their voice within the organisation becomes more important than ever and workplace satisfaction improves.
It builds a professional network for talent within an organisation by extending their industry connections and interactions beyond the scope of the company through social media.
Employee advocacy through social media can also effectively position team members as thought leaders and experts within their industry by encouraging them to post work-related content more often and develop their own professional brand, increasing their social visibility and influence.
It attracts opportunities and increases professional knowledge for company members. The majority of employees in advocacy programs agree their involvement with employee advocacy through social media has had a positive impact on their career.
Business Benefits
By offering these better workplace benefits to staff and boosting overall company morale, employee advocacy creates a more engaged workforce.
Through social media, employee advocacy leads to better marketing and increased sales. Getting staff to post online organically improves social reach and engagement, building brand awareness in a way that is not only more efficient than outsourcing but shortens the sales cycle by generating and closing more high-quality leads.
This is because strengthening customer relationships using employee advocacy helps to build brand trust, persona and credibility - as consumers generally perceive staff of a company to be more authentic than the corporate entity itself.
Employee advocacy also improves recruitment and retention. Not only is social recruiting now one of the most efficient talent acquisition strategies, with employee advocacy having a direct impact on it, but employees who are active participants in advocacy programmes are more likely to stay at their company and feel optimistic about its future.
It increases growth. A study conducted by Hinge Research Institute found that almost 31% of high-growth companies have a formal employee advocacy program and Kredible found that an employee advocacy programme involving just 1,000 active participants can on average generate almost $2 million in advertising value.
How to Implement Employee Advocacy
Companies can successfully implement employee advocacy by creating a strong employee advocacy programme that prioritises employee training while utilising a range of advocacy techniques that are tailored to their goals and values.
By implementing an employee advocacy programme and training leadership within a company, brands can see a number of benefits within a relatively short period of time, as we’ve witnessed first hand.
If you want to talk about widening your organisation’s digital footprint through employee advocacy get in touch with the team today - contact