Why your employees are your best social media advocates: Here’s how to leverage their voice for your brand growth

Did you know your employees have, on average, ten times more social media followers than your company's official accounts? This untapped potential is the core of employee advocacy, a powerful strategy for boosting brand awareness and driving authentic employee engagement. This guide breaks down the essential elements of a successful employee advocacy program, showing you how to empower your team to become your most effective brand ambassadors and deliver measurable results.

In 2022, Swiggy managed to do something very interesting. For their #SwiggyStarHunt campaign, they partnered with Tik Tok (before the ban) Influencers to drive mass employee engagement. With this campaign, they hit over 100 million views on the social media app, all this by leveraging two strong but latent brand assets; vernacular marketing and the power of employee advocacy.

The campaign saw over 350 delivery partners uploading videos on their social media handles. 1500+ videos were uploaded on the app across the country in various vernacular languages. The Swiggy Star Hunt Campaign, suffice to say, went viral!

Employee advocacy for a better reach and impact

We’re seeing a strong trend emerge with companies that use this very asset to its potential. You probably know by now that employee advocacy is great for employers. LinkedIn reports that, on average, an organisation’s employees have ten times more combined followers on social media than the organisation itself, so tapping into that reach is a proven way to increase reach and reputation. Another LinkedIn study shows that businesses with a ‘large number of employees contributing high-quality content and thought leadership' are 58% more likely to attract talent.

It is no surprise that, Employee Advocacy is equally effective at helping employees enhance their credibility and position themselves as industry experts. In a report by Hinge Research Institute, nearly 86% of employees involved in a formal advocacy program agreed that it had a positive effect on their careers. A recent 'Hinge Research Institute and Social Media Today' poll of over 550 professionals also found that having an employee advocacy programme enhanced brand awareness by 79.1%.

Employee advocacy is proving to be a strategic cornerstone for future-forward organisations that are seeking to amplify their brand presence and build trust with their audiences. Traditional social media management has relied heavily on paid campaigns and influencer partnerships, employee advocacy on the other hand, offers something more authentic; real voices from within the company, sharing their perspectives across social platforms.

Understanding this latent superpower

It is encouraging and empowering employees to promote their company's brand, values, and content on their personal social media accounts. By turning colleagues into active brand ambassadors, businesses tap into their employees' networks, and these are often far greater and more diverse than what the company's branded channels can reach.

Take a look at Cisco’s success story after adopting an employee advocacy program. In 2021, their social media team was tasked with establishing one with key emphasis on amplifying company news, product updates and engaging employee-advocates and generating potential leads via this advocacy. A curated library of brand content was provided to the ‘advocates’, they could share these from their desktop, mobile app or even on the go. With tools like gamification and leaderboards, these advocates were engaged and incentivised to share and more.

The result?

• 3000 active advocates within 4 months
• Each advocate shared 10 posts/month on an average
• An estimated $200K of estimated market value generated for Cisco

Starbucks has also centralised employee-generated content by establishing dedicated partner accounts on various social media platforms. These accounts allow employees to share pictures, stories, and discussions about their experiences with the company. This strategy has proven highly successful, with their employees’ Facebook page attracting over 380,000 followers and their Instagram page boasting 139,000 followers!

Key elements of a successful employee advocacy program

Building a successful program requires careful planning, clear guidelines, and continuous support, here’s what you can start with.

• Define your objectives: Establish what success looks like for your brand, with the advocacy program, whether it’s increased brand awareness, improved recruitment, or higher sales. Communicate these goals across respective teams.
• Identify your audience: Know who you want to reach to tailor content for maximum impact. This could include prospective customers, job seekers, industry peers, or local communities.
• Create engaging, shareable content: Employees need access to a variety of content formats—blog posts, videos, infographics, industry news, and authentic stories. A balance of 80% value-driven and 20% brand-promotion content often resonates best.
• Centralise content resources: Maintain a content hub where employees can easily find and share relevant, approved material, reducing barriers to participation.
• Provide social media training and guidelines: Equip employees with the knowledge to share responsibly and confidently. Clear rules help prevent misrepresentation and ensure consistency of message.
• Gamify and reward participation: Incentives such as leaderboards, prizes, or public recognition motivate employees to participate.
• Encourage personalisation: Allow advocates to customise posts so they reflect their individual perspectives, making advocacy more authentic and relatable.
• Monitor and measure performance: Track key metrics like reach, engagement, clicks, and conversions. Regular reviews and feedback help refine programs for better impact.
• Iterate and improve: Solicit ideas from the employees, celebrate top performers, and continuously update strategies based on analytics and feedback.

A step-by-step guide to launching employee advocacy

Here’s a practical roadmap if you are seeking to implement advocacy programs:

1. Start small: Launch with a pilot group, often social media-savvy departments like marketing or sales, and expand as you fine-tune workflow and messaging.
2. Select engagement activities: Define specific actions for employees, such as sharing a particular post or commenting on an industry update.
3. Train and Support: Offer quick training, online tutorials, and ongoing support for employees in building their personal brands.
4. Celebrate success: Highlight advocates’ efforts internally and externally. Recognition drives continued engagement.
5. Build an advocacy culture: Make advocacy part of your company DNA through regular communication, and alignment with values.

How we can help

While the blueprint for a successful employee advocacy program is clear, building a sustainable culture of advocacy requires a strategic and dedicated approach. At The Information Company (TIC), we a creative agency in Mumbai, specialise in transforming this vision into actionable steps with measurable outcomes. We have partnered with organisations like Tata Trusts, Mahindra, and Hindalco to develop this very framework and create a pipeline of high-quality, shareable content, and foster an employee culture for an enthusiastic participation. Our expertise in internal communications and content strategy ensures your employees are empowered to become a powerful and authentic community of brand ambassadors.

What’s in store for employee advocacy

The potential for authentic, people-powered brand growth should not go untapped. Companies that invest in employee advocacy have managed to build lasting trust, unlock new audiences, and differentiate themselves from their peers. Businesses willing to embrace and nurture advocacy will lead the next frontier of employee engagement, driven by the collective impact of this asset.

Employee advocacy and social media together represent a transformative opportunity for organisations of all sizes and industries. By following best practices and prioritising authentic engagement, brands can turn their greatest asset—their people—into the most powerful ambassadors of their message.

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