It’s no exaggeration to say that a company thrives on the strength of its employees. Hiring the right people can propel a business to unimaginable heights. Yet, another truth is becoming increasingly evident: while a company builds and expands its brand, no advertising budget can match the impact of genuine word-of-mouth from enthusiastic employees. These employee advocates, individuals who love their workplace and actively share their experiences, can do more for your brand than you might expect. If you’re not yet harnessing this potential, you’re overlooking an invaluable resource.
Who is an Employee Advocate?
Employee advocacy stems from the idea that the greatest advocates for your business and your brand are the people that work for the business. They are building products and services that make up the business. When these employees are trained and given the right platform, they can become brand’s advocates among their own social networks.
Benefits of Employee Advocacy
You might think that having dedicated, passionate employees sounds good, but is it really something that pays off down the road? The short answer is yes. There are multiple benefits to employee advocacy, including:
1) Increased Social Media Reach
Employee advocacy significantly amplifies your social media reach. The concept of “six degrees of separation” is especially relevant today; with social media, every employee’s network holds the potential to reach hundreds or even thousands of people. On average, LinkedIn connections exceed 500, Facebook friends number over 400, and Twitter followers often surpass 250.
Through MarketBeam, companies have experienced exponential growth in social reach. For example, with just 100 employees sharing approved content, reach can extend to 30,000–80,000 views per post. Organic reach from individual posts often exceeds that of company pages, with LinkedIn pages reaching only about 3% of followers on average. A case study with MarketBeam client Janrain—a customer identity management company—revealed a 40% increase in website traffic through their employee advocacy efforts.
Read MarketBeam case study of Janrain, a customer identity management company that increased their website traffic by 40%.
2) Thought Leadership For All
Thought leadership involves becoming a recognized authority in a specialized area, and employee advocacy programs enable more individuals to build their own expertise and credibility. Employees can share industry insights, product news, and valuable resources on social media, positioning themselves as trusted voices within their fields.
Providing employees with high-quality, pre-approved content is essential. Not all employees have the time or skill to create content, but when communications teams supply valuable, relevant content, employees can confidently engage their networks, including prospects and customers. This approach promotes continuous participation and consistent brand messaging.
3) Lead Nurturing
For sales teams, employee advocacy can be a game-changer. Social media transforms into a powerful lead generation tool when employees regularly share engaging, informative content about products and services.
By establishing thought leadership and sharing educational content, employees build credibility with prospects. Given that modern consumers and B2B buyers prefer researching independently before engaging with a vendor, it’s crucial for sales teams to meet them where they are: on social media. With more than 3 billion active users globally, social media offers an unparalleled channel for nurturing leads through content that resonates, educates, and informs.
4) Building Credibility through Influencers
Social media influencers, whether internal or external, wield considerable power. These individuals naturally attract attention due to their large follower bases, influencing the opinions and actions of others.
Companies can leverage both internal influencers—employees with industry recognition—and external industry influencers to enhance their advocacy programs. MarketBeam, for instance, facilitates seamless collaboration with external influencers such as advisors, industry specialists, and investors. By managing internal and external influencers within the same platform, MarketBeam allows brands to streamline their advocacy efforts, save time, and gain a holistic view of campaign performance.
Learn how to kickstart your own employee advocacy program in 3 weeks.
