Employee Advocacy Programs

Understanding Employee Advocacy in HR Marketing: The Power of Authentic Voices

At its core, employee advocacy in HR Marketing is about empowering and encouraging employees to share their authentic experiences and promote their workplace through their personal networks. It’s word-of-mouth marketing on steroids, amplified by the reach of social media and digital platforms.

But why does this matter so much in HR Marketing? Let’s break it down:

1. Trust Factor: People trust individuals more than they trust brands. According to the 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer, 59% of respondents trust “a person like yourself” when forming opinions about a company. Your employees are these trusted voices.

2. Extended Reach: Your employees likely have a combined social reach that far exceeds your official corporate channels. Tapping into this can exponentially increase your employer brand’s visibility.

3. Authentic Content: Employees can provide genuine, behind-the-scenes glimpses into your company culture that resonate more deeply than polished corporate messaging.

4. Diverse Perspectives: Different employees can highlight various aspects of your workplace, providing a multi-faceted view of your employer brand.

Consider the case of Starbucks. Their #tobeapartner hashtag has become a phenomenon on social media, with employees (or “partners” as Starbucks calls them) sharing their experiences, latte art, and workplace stories. This organic, employee-driven content has done more to humanize the Starbucks brand and showcase its culture than any corporate campaign could.

However, employee advocacy isn’t just about letting employees loose on social media. It’s about creating a structured program that aligns with your HR Marketing goals while giving employees the freedom to express themselves authentically.

Benefits of Employee Advocacy for Employer Branding: A Win-Win Scenario

When done right, employee advocacy can be a game-changer for your employer brand. Here’s how:

1. Enhanced Brand Authenticity

Employee-generated content is inherently more authentic than corporate messaging. When employees share their genuine experiences, it paints a more credible picture of your workplace culture.

Real-World Example: IBM’s #IBMer hashtag on Instagram showcases employees’ day-to-day experiences, from workspace setups to team outings, providing an authentic glimpse into life at IBM.

2. Increased Employer Brand Visibility

Your employees’ combined social networks can vastly outstrip your company’s official following. By tapping into this extended network, you can significantly amplify your employer brand’s reach.

Statistic: According to the Marketing Advisory Network, brand messages shared by employees reach 561% further than the same messages shared on official brand channels.

3. Improved Talent Attraction

Potential candidates are more likely to trust and engage with content shared by current employees. This can lead to a higher quality and quantity of applicants.

Case Study: Salesforce’s #SalesforceOhana hashtag, used by employees to share their experiences, has become a powerful tool for attracting like-minded talent who resonate with Salesforce’s culture.

4. Boosted Employee Engagement

Involving employees in brand advocacy can increase their sense of ownership and pride in the company, leading to higher engagement levels.

Research Insight: According to a study by Weber Shandwick, employees who are involved in company advocacy efforts are more likely to be deeply engaged with their work.

5. Enhanced Thought Leadership

Encouraging employees to share industry insights and professional content can position your company as a thought leader in your field.

Example: Microsoft’s employee advocacy program encourages employees to share their expertise on platforms like LinkedIn, reinforcing Microsoft’s position as a leader in technology and innovation.

6. Cost-Effective Marketing

Employee advocacy can be a highly cost-effective form of marketing compared to traditional advertising channels.

Statistic: Content shared by employees receives 8 times more engagement than content shared by brand channels, according to Social Media Today.

7. Improved Customer Relations

When employees advocate for your brand, it can also positively impact customer perceptions, blurring the line between employer branding and overall brand reputation.

Case in Point: Southwest Airlines’ employees often share their positive experiences on social media, which not only attracts potential employees but also reinforces customer trust in the brand.

Setting Up an Effective Employee Advocacy Program: From Strategy to Execution

Creating a successful employee advocacy program requires careful planning and execution. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

1. Define Your Objectives

Start by clearly outlining what you want to achieve with your employee advocacy program. Is it increased brand awareness? Better talent attraction? Improved employee engagement? Having clear goals will guide your strategy and help you measure success.

Example Objective: “Increase visibility of our job openings by 50% through employee shares on LinkedIn within the next six months.”

2. Develop Clear Guidelines

Create a comprehensive set of guidelines for employees to follow. This should cover what type of content to share, best practices for different platforms, and any legal or compliance considerations.

Key Components:

• Types of content to share (job postings, company news, industry insights)
• Platforms to use (LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
• Tone and voice guidelines
• Do’s and don’ts (e.g., not sharing confidential information)

3. Provide Training and Resources

Don’t assume all employees are social media savvy. Offer training sessions on effective social media use, personal branding, and content creation.

Training Topics:

• How to optimize social media profiles
• Best practices for engaging content
• Understanding different social media platforms
• How to use hashtags effectively

4. Create Shareable Content

Make it easy for employees to participate by providing a steady stream of shareable content. This could include company news, job openings, industry articles, or behind-the-scenes glimpses of company culture.

Content Ideas:

• Employee spotlights
• Day-in-the-life videos
• Infographics about company achievements
• Thought leadership articles

5. Implement an Incentive Program

While participation should be voluntary, consider implementing incentives to encourage active involvement. This could be recognition, rewards, or even tying advocacy efforts to performance reviews.

Incentive Examples:

• Monthly “Top Advocate” award
• Points system redeemable for company swag or experiences
• Consideration in promotion decisions for consistent, high-quality advocacy

6. Start with a Pilot Group

Before rolling out to the entire company, start with a smaller pilot group. This allows you to test your approach, gather feedback, and make necessary adjustments.

Pilot Group Composition:

• Mix of departments and seniority levels
• Include both social media enthusiasts and novices
• Aim for 5-10% of your total workforce

7. Provide Ongoing Support

Employee advocacy isn’t a “set it and forget it” initiative. Provide ongoing support, answer questions, and continuously gather feedback to improve the program.

Support Mechanisms:

• Regular check-in meetings
• Dedicated Slack channel for advocacy-related questions
• Monthly newsletter with advocacy tips and success stories

8. Lead by Example

Encourage leadership to actively participate in the program. When executives and managers are visibly involved, it sets a powerful example for the rest of the organization.

Leadership Involvement:

• CEO sharing company milestones on LinkedIn
• Department heads showcasing team achievements
• Managers highlighting employee successes

By following these steps, you can create a robust foundation for your employee advocacy program. Remember, the key is to make it easy, rewarding, and aligned with both company goals and employee interests.

Tools and Platforms for Managing Employee Advocacy: Empowering Your Ambassadors

To run an effective employee advocacy program at scale, you’ll need the right tools. Here are some popular platforms and what they offer:

1. LinkedIn Elevate

LinkedIn’s native employee advocacy platform integrates seamlessly with the professional network.

Key Features:

• Content curation based on employee interests
• Analytics on reach and engagement
• Integration with LinkedIn Company Pages

Best For: Companies heavily focused on B2B marketing and recruitment.

2. Hootsuite Amplify

Part of the broader Hootsuite social media management suite, Amplify is designed specifically for employee advocacy.

Key Features:

• Mobile app for easy sharing
• Content approval workflows
• Integration with other Hootsuite tools

Best For: Organizations already using Hootsuite for social media management.

3. Dynamic Signal

A comprehensive employee communication and advocacy platform.

Key Features:

• Personalized content feeds for employees
• Gamification elements to encourage participation
• Robust analytics and reporting

Best For: Large enterprises looking for a full-featured internal communications solution.

4. Smarp

A user-friendly platform focused on content curation and employee engagement.

Key Features:

• AI-powered content recommendations
• Leaderboards and rewards system
• Multi-language support

Best For: Companies with a global workforce looking for a multilingual solution.

5. GaggleAMP

Offers a high degree of customization and control over employee advocacy efforts.

Key Features:

• Detailed activity assignment options
• Integration with CRM systems
• Advanced ROI tracking

Best For: Organizations wanting granular control over advocacy activities.

6. Sociabble

Combines employee advocacy with internal communication and social selling.

Key Features:

• Newsroom-style content hub
• Gamification and challenges
• Mobile-first design

Best For: Companies looking to combine internal communications with external advocacy.

When choosing a tool, consider factors like ease of use, integration with your existing tech stack, analytics capabilities, and scalability. Many platforms offer free trials, so don’t hesitate to test drive a few before making a decision.

Measuring the Impact of Employee Advocacy: Data-Driven Success

To justify investment in your employee advocacy program and continuously improve it, you need to measure its impact. Here are key metrics to track and how to interpret them:

1. Reach and Impressions

Track how many people are seeing content shared through your advocacy program.

What It Tells You: The overall visibility and potential impact of your program.

How to Measure: Most employee advocacy platforms provide these metrics. You can also use UTM parameters to track traffic from employee shares in your web analytics tool.

2. Engagement Rate

Monitor likes, comments, and shares on employee-shared content.

What It Tells You: How resonant and interesting your content is to your employees’ networks.

How to Measure: Use platform-specific analytics or a social media management tool to track engagement metrics.

3. Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Track how many people are clicking on links in shared content.

What It Tells You: The effectiveness of your content in driving traffic to your website or career pages.

How to Measure: Use UTM parameters and your web analytics tool to track clicks from employee-shared content.

4. Application Rate

Monitor how many job applications come through employee referrals or from links shared by employees.

What It Tells You: The direct impact of your advocacy program on recruitment efforts.

How to Measure: Use source tracking in your Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to identify applications coming from employee referrals or shared links.

5. Employee Participation Rate

Track what percentage of your workforce is actively participating in the advocacy program.

What It Tells You: The adoption and enthusiasm for the program among your employees.

How to Measure: Most employee advocacy platforms provide this metric. You can also manually track the number of active users versus total employees.

6. Employee Feedback

Gather qualitative feedback from employees about their experience with the advocacy program.

What It Tells You: Insights into what’s working well and what needs improvement in your program.

How to Measure: Conduct regular surveys or focus groups with participating employees.

7. Employer Brand Sentiment

Monitor changes in sentiment about your employer brand on social media and review sites.

What It Tells You: How your advocacy efforts are impacting overall perceptions of your company as an employer.

How to Measure: Use social listening tools to track sentiment around your employer brand. Monitor changes in ratings on sites like Glassdoor.

8. Return on Investment (ROI)

Calculate the financial return of your employee advocacy program compared to its costs.

What It Tells You: The overall business value of your advocacy efforts.

How to Measure:

1. Estimate the value of increased reach and engagement (compared to paid advertising costs)
2. Calculate savings in recruitment costs from increased referrals and direct applications
3. Factor in any measurable increases in employee engagement and retention
4. Subtract the costs of running the program (software, incentives, staff time)

Remember, some benefits of employee advocacy, like improved employee engagement or enhanced brand authenticity, can be challenging to quantify directly. It’s important to consider both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback when evaluating the success of your program.

By consistently tracking these metrics, you can demonstrate the value of your employee advocacy program, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions to enhance its effectiveness over time.

In conclusion, employee advocacy programs represent a powerful intersection of HR Marketing, employer branding, and employee engagement. When executed thoughtfully, they can dramatically amplify your employer brand, attract top talent, and foster a culture of pride and engagement among your workforce. By understanding the principles of employee advocacy, setting up a structured program, leveraging the right tools, and diligently measuring impact, you can transform your employees into your most credible and effective brand ambassadors. In the authentic, connection-driven world of modern HR Marketing, that’s a superpower you can’t afford to ignore.

Further Reading and Sources

1. Edelman. (2021). 2021 Edelman Trust Barometer. Retrieved from Edelman website.

2. Weber Shandwick. (2014). Employees Rising: Seizing the Opportunity in Employee Activism. Retrieved from Weber Shandwick website.

3. LinkedIn. (2020). Global Talent Trends 2020. Retrieved from LinkedIn Talent Solutions.

4. Smarp. (2021). Employee Advocacy Statistics: 29 Surprising Facts in 2021. Retrieved from Smarp website.

5. Segal, E. (2021). The Rise of Employee Advocacy and What It Means For Your Business. Forbes.