How to Build an Employee Advocacy Program?

Organizations face a significant challenge as trust across stakeholders is eroding. Consumers and job seekers alike are increasingly sceptical of traditional marketing and brand claims, turning instead to the opinions of real people. This is where employee advocacy comes in, it is where the lines between brand messaging and employee storytelling are blurred. 

Organizations can leverage employee advocacy across online mediums to effectively amplify their reach and authenticity. 

But, how do you go about creating an employee advocacy program that truly works, especially in an era of brand scepticism? This blog explores the steps involved in building a successful employee advocacy program.

The Growing Need for Employee Advocacy

Imagine a mid-sized tech company struggling to attract top talent in a competitive job market. Despite increasing marketing budgets and polished social media campaigns, potential recruits seem disengaged and disinterested. The possible problem? Their carefully curated corporate messaging isn’t resonating with today’s discerning audiences, who trust people more than engineered corporate voices.

In 2024, skepticism toward corporate messaging is at an all-time high. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, people trust “someone like me” far more than they trust official corporate channels. 

By empowering employees to share their authentic experiences, businesses can humanize their brand, reach wider audiences, and establish trust with both consumers and potential employees. Employee voices not just corporate messaging are increasingly seen as credible, making advocacy programs essential for brand building in today’s marketplace.

The Benefits of Employee Advocacy 

Before diving into how to build an advocacy program, let’s highlight why it’s such a valuable investment.

Amplified Brand Reach

Your employees’ social media networks when added up are potentially larger and more diverse than your company’s. Each time an employee shares company content, your brand’s reach expands exponentially. When they share content, it can reach audiences you wouldn’t have reached otherwise.

Increased Trust and Credibility

Studies show that consumers are more likely to trust the thought leadership shared by employees. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer report, 59% of B2B decision-makers said they consider a company’s thought leadership, often shaped by employees, more trustworthy than its marketing materials. Why? Because people trust people more than they trust brands. When an employee shares a positive story or recommends a product, it feels genuine, whereas corporate ads often feel staged or manipulative.

Enhanced Recruitment and Employer Branding

Employee advocacy plays a key role in recruiting top talent. Potential employees increasingly research company culture before applying, and one of the first places they look is social media. Advocacy helps reduce the time in finding employee-like candidates. 

Steps to Build an Employee Advocacy Program

 

By empowering employees to share their authentic experiences, businesses can humanize their brand, reach wider audiences, and establish trust with both consumers and potential employees. 

We have outlined the steps involved in creating a truly impactful employee advocacy 

Step 1: Define Clear Objectives for Your Program

Building an employee advocacy program starts with defining clear, measurable objectives. What exactly do you want to achieve? Is it increasing brand visibility, driving traffic to your website, or boosting recruitment?

Take Microsoft as an example. In 2023, their primary objective was to improve recruitment outcomes. By aligning their advocacy program with this goal, they increased job applications by 30%. 

When employees shared their experiences and career journeys at Microsoft, they gave prospective hires an authentic view of what it’s like to work there, which proved more effective than any corporate recruitment campaign.

Here are some common objectives that an employee advocacy program could have:

• Increasing brand awareness and reach
• Building trust and authenticity
• Improving employee engagement and retention
• Boosting recruitment efforts by showcasing company culture

Clearly defining your objectives will help shape the strategy and metrics for your advocacy program.

Step 2: Equip Employees with the Right Tools

Once you’ve set clear objectives, the next step is to empower employees with the tools they need to share content effectively. Scaling employee advocacy programs relies heavily on automation and personalization.

Automation Tools

Using platforms like Hootsuite Amplify, or Smarp/ Haiilo, employees can access a library of pre-approved content, which they can share on their social channels with a few clicks. These platforms make it easy for employees to participate without investing too much time, which is crucial for ensuring sustained engagement.

AI-Driven Personalization

What sets 2024 apart from previous years is the power of AI-driven personalization. Tools like Oktopost and Haiilo use AI to recommend content based on an employee’s role, interests, and social network. This ensures that the content employees share is not only aligned with the company’s message but also feels authentic to their personal brand. AI helps customize content suggestions so that employees are more likely to engage with and share them.

AI-driven content recommendations can improve employee engagement and recruitment results by 30%, showing how technology can enhance the effectiveness of advocacy programs.

Step 3: Creating Guidelines for Consistent Brand Messaging

While empowering employees is important, it’s equally critical to maintain brand consistency. A lack of clear guidelines can lead to off-brand messaging or, worse, the sharing of sensitive or inappropriate content.

Your social media policy should strike a balance between giving employees freedom and ensuring they understand how to represent the brand. These guidelines should cover:

• Tone and language to maintain brand consistency
• Types of content that are appropriate to share
• Best practices for engagement, including how to respond to comments or criticism
• Data privacy rules to ensure compliance

Rather than imposing strict controls, companies should aim to educate employees on how they can contribute to the brand’s narrative in their own authentic way.

A large multinational can manage this effectively through a content hub where employees can choose from pre-vetted content that aligns with their personal voice while maintaining brand consistency. This ensures that they participate without risking any misalignment with the company’s values or message.

Step 4: Motivating Employees Through Incentives

One of the biggest hurdles in launching an advocacy program is motivating employees to actively participate. The best way to encourage engagement is through incentives.

• Recognition: Public recognition is one of the most effective motivators. Acknowledge employees who actively share content, whether through company-wide newsletters, shout-outs at meetings, or social media mentions.
• Gamification: Introduce friendly competition by creating leaderboards or point systems. Employees can earn points for every post, share, or comment, with the most active participants receiving rewards.
• Rewards: Offer tangible rewards such as extra vacation days, bonuses, or exclusive professional development opportunities.

At Adobe, for instance, top advocates are publicly recognized and offered access to leadership development programs. This creates a sense of achievement, motivating more employees to participate.

Step 5: Encouraging Authentic and Shareable Content

Authenticity is the driving force behind any successful employee advocacy program. Consumers are more likely to engage with content that feels real and relatable. To encourage this, companies should empower employees to share personal stories rather than just resharing corporate posts.

Storytelling as a Tool for Authentic Advocacy

The most successful advocacy programs leverage storytelling. When employees share personal experiences—whether it’s about their career growth, participation in a community initiative, or a behind-the-scenes look at their work—it resonates more with their audience.

HubSpot’s #HubSpotLife initiative is an excellent example of this. Employees are encouraged to share their day-to-day experiences at the company, from highlighting diversity efforts to celebrating work-life balance. 

Step 6: Overcoming Resistance and Cultural Barriers

Not all employees will immediately jump on board with your advocacy program, especially in industries with regulatory constraints or among older generations who may be less comfortable with social media.

Generational Resistance

Millennials and Gen Z are more accustomed to sharing personal content online, while older employees might feel uneasy about mixing personal and professional spheres. Overcoming this generational resistance requires role-specific training and clear guidelines about privacy and data security.

Industry-Specific Challenges

Certain industries, such as healthcare and finance, face additional challenges due to stricter regulatory environments. In these cases, advocacy programs need to be tailored to ensure compliance with legal standards, while still enabling employees to share content within those boundaries.

For example, PwC implemented role-specific training programs that helped older employees and those in highly regulated departments feel more confident about participating in social media advocacy. This resulted in a significant increase in engagement across the company.

Step 7: Measuring Success and Continuously Improving

An employee advocacy program is only as good as the results it delivers, which is why it’s essential to measure its success using key performance metrics. Tracking metrics like engagement rates, shares, conversions, and employee participation levels will give you insights into what’s working and where improvements can be made.

Metrics to Track

• Engagement rates: Look at how often posts are liked, shared, or commented on by the employees’ networks.
• Content virality: Track which types of content are getting shared the most and going viral, allowing you to tailor future content accordingly.
• Conversion rates: Monitor how employee-shared content drives business outcomes, such as website visits, lead generation, or new customer sign-ups.
• Employee participation: Evaluate how many employees are actively involved and how often they engage with the advocacy program.

Hootsuite is a great example of a company that tracks its employee advocacy program closely. Using their in-house tools, they measure employee engagement, the reach of shared content, and conversion rates to continuously refine and optimize their strategy. By tracking these metrics, Hootsuite ensures that its employee advocacy efforts are aligned with the company’s broader marketing and business goals.

The Future of Employee Advocacy

Employee advocacy is not just a trend; it’s a long-term investment in authenticity, trust, and brand loyalty. As the landscape continues to evolve, it’s clear that employee voices will play an increasingly important role in shaping public perception and driving business results. In 2024, companies that embrace employee advocacy as a strategic tool will be able to build stronger, more authentic connections with both their employees and their audiences.

Now is the time to begin your journey. Start by identifying your most engaged employees, implementing a solid advocacy platform, and providing the right incentives to keep them motivated. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can create a sustainable employee advocacy program that not only amplifies your brand but also empowers your workforce.

Actionable Steps to Get Started:

1. Identify your top employees who are already active on social media.
2. Set up training workshops to ensure employees feel confident and know what content to share.
3. Explore advocacy tools like Hootsuite Amplify, Smarp, or LinkedIn Elevate to streamline content sharing.
4. Measure and adjust: Use the data to track the program’s success and continuously improve your strategy.

With the right tools, incentives, and strategies, your employees can become your most valuable advocates, helping your brand thrive in the ever-changing digital landscape.

Need help to build an employee advocacy program? Reach out to us.