5 types of employee advocacy on social media

Employee advocacy on social media is a great way to promote your business using real people.

It’s a great way to organically reach new people, build trust and relationships with your audience, and enhance your brand’s credibility through authentic, personal endorsements.

Employee advocacy on social media can take many forms, each contributing uniquely to a company’s brand presence and credibility. Understanding these types can help you tailor your employee advocacy program to maximise impact.

Here are five effective types of employee advocacy you can use on social media:

1. Content sharing
2. Thought leadership
3. Employee stories
4. Product and service endorsements
5. Event participation and promotion

1.  Content sharing

Content sharing is the easiest form of employee advocacy. It’s simply when an employee shares company-produced content, like blogs, infographics, videos, and news updates, on their personal social media accounts.

Employees can repost content from the company page or write their own posts, like this:

The benefits of content sharing:

• You can reach more people: Employees’ personal networks often include diverse audiences that might not be reached through your company’s own social media profiles. By sharing content, employees extend the brand’s message to a broader and more varied audience.
• You can strengthen credibility: When employees share content, it comes with a personal touch that often feels more genuine than corporate messaging. This personal endorsement adds credibility and trustworthiness to the content, making it more likely to resonate with viewers.
• You can drive more traffic to your website: Shared content often includes links to your company’s website or specific landing pages. This drives traffic from employees’ networks to the company’s digital assets, potentially increasing engagement, leads, and conversions.

Best practices for content sharing:

• Provide employees with a content library containing pre-approved posts.
• Create shareable content that aligns with employees’ interests and professional expertise.

2.  Thought leadership

Thought leadership posts are a perfect way for employees to show their expertise by sharing industry knowledge and talking about their role-specific topics.

The benefits of thought leadership posts:

• They position employees and the company as industry leaders: By sharing valuable insights and expert opinions, employees can help establish the company as a thought leader in its industry. This elevates both the employee’s and the company’s profile in the marketplace.
• They build trust and credibility: Thoughtful and knowledgeable content fosters trust with your audience. When employees provide expert commentary and well-informed perspectives, it reinforces the company’s reputation as a credible and authoritative source.
• They generate meaningful engagement and discussions: Engaging and insightful content often sparks conversation and encourages interaction. This leads to valuable discussions that can further engage your audience and strengthen relationships.

Best practices when writing thought leadership posts:

• Encourage your employees to write or share articles and comment on industry trends: Support employees in creating or curating high-quality content that reflects their expertise. Encourage them to participate in conversations about current industry trends, providing thoughtful and informed comments.
• Offer support for crafting posts: Provide guidance and resources to help employees create compelling thought leadership content. Ensure that their posts align with the company’s brand messaging and strategic goals to maintain consistency and reinforce key messages.

3.  Employee stories

Writing about your personal experiences, sharing behind-the-scenes content, and stories about your day-to-day work life at your company are all employee advocacy content.

And it’s super easy to write a post about what you get up to in your job.

The benefits of employee stories:

• They humanise your brand and make it more relatable: Personal stories and behind-the-scenes content offer a glimpse into the real people behind the brand. This human touch helps make the company more approachable and relatable to its audience.
• They showcase company culture and values: Sharing employee experiences highlights the company’s work environment and cultural values. It provides a transparent view of what it’s like to work at the company, reinforcing its commitment to a positive and supportive workplace.
• They attract potential talent by highlighting a positive work environment: Authentic employee stories can be a powerful recruitment tool. They offer prospective employees’ insight into the company culture and what they can expect, which can attract top talent who align with the company’s values and work environment.

Best practices for sharing employee stories:

• Encourage employees to share their stories and experiences: Create a supportive environment where employees feel comfortable sharing their genuine experiences. Encourage them to tell stories that reflect their personal journey, achievements, and interactions within the company.
• Create a platform or campaign where employees can regularly contribute content: Establish a dedicated space, such as a blog series, social media campaign, or internal newsletter, where employees can consistently share their stories. This ensures a steady flow of content and fosters a culture of sharing within the organisation.

4.  Product and service endorsement

Talking about the products and services your company has is a great form of employee advocacy.

The benefits of product and service endorsements:

• They provide genuine endorsements from those who use and believe in the products: Employees who actively use and support the company’s products or services offer authentic endorsements. Their personal experiences and testimonials can significantly enhance the credibility of the product.
• They drive awareness and interest in your business’s offerings: When employees share positive feedback and experiences, it increases visibility and generates interest in the company’s products or services among their networks.
• They can influence buying decisions: Personal endorsements and demonstrations of the products in real-life scenarios can influence potential customers. Seeing employees use and benefit from the products can help sway purchasing decisions.

Product and service endorsement best practices:

• Equip your employees with key product information and messaging guidelines: Provide employees with comprehensive information about the products or services, including key features, benefits, and messaging guidelines. This ensures they can share accurate and effective endorsements.
• Encourage your employees to share their own experiences of the products or services: Motivate employees to post about their personal experiences with the products, whether through reviews, demonstrations, or everyday usage. Authentic, personal accounts are more engaging and persuasive than generic promotional content.

5.  Event participation and promotion

If your business runs or attends events, webinars, conferences, or community initiatives, it’s a great piece of content for your employees to talk about.

Benefits of event promotion:

• They increase visibility and attendance for company events: When employees share information about company events, they help boost the event’s visibility across their networks, potentially increasing attendance, and engagement.
• They highlight your business’s involvement in activities: Promoting events shows that your company is actively participating in and contributing to industry or community activities, enhancing its reputation as a committed and engaged organisation.
• They strengthen your business’s reputation: Regularly participating in and promoting events can position your company as a dynamic and influential player in its field, reinforcing its commitment to industry leadership and community involvement.

Best practices for promoting events:

• Provide your employees with event details and promotional materials: Ensure employees have all the necessary information and resources to effectively promote events. This includes key details such as dates, times, registration links, and any promotional materials like banners or graphics.
• Create a hashtag and messaging strategy: Develop a unified strategy for event promotion, including specific hashtags and messaging guidelines. This helps maintain a consistent brand voice and maximises the reach and impact of employee-generated content.

Getting started with employee advocacy

Leveraging these five types of employee advocacy on social media can significantly enhance your company’s brand presence and engagement. By encouraging and supporting employees in these activities, you can turn them into powerful brand ambassadors who contribute to your overall social media marketing strategy.