“The nice part about employee advocacy is that it actually shrinks the distance between the brand and the customer, but at the same time, it allows the brand to reach more people and have a much more humanized voice.” — Brian Fanzo, Founder & CEO, iSocialFanz

Word of mouth has long been considered one of the most effective forms of marketing. Folks find information gleaned by firsthand experience and shared one person to another to be genuine and trustworthy. Now, imagine such genuine, firsthand info coming from the inside –employees who have the real scoop due to their day-to-day connection with an organization. Welcome to the wonderful world of employee advocacy.

The concept isn’t exactly new. People have been promoting the goods and services related to their place of employment for decades. But employee advocacy can and should be more than telling your friends and family that “our products are good” or “we offer great service.”

The Hinge Research Institute defines employee advocacy as “a culture of believing in the content a firm produces and seeking out opportunities to spark discussions on  social networks with other individuals who share similar passions or interests.”

Imagine employees as brand ambassadors as they go about their daily lives, interacting with people, organizations, and the community, as they make connections across the digital world on social media and through a plethora of online opportunities.

But does it matter? Is employee advocacy that valuable?

Well, consider this. People are familiar with logos, and they remember theme songs. But in general, folks tend to trust people more than companies. And they trust a regular employee (54%) more than a CEO (47%). Even more people (68%) trust a company’s technical expert. So that’s why employees who share company content, impact brand trust.

Ongoing employee advocacy has a positive impact in several key areas.

  • Brand reputation can soar when a steady stream of positive advocacy flows from the team.
  • Both company growth and sales benefit from increased brand awareness and an overall positive vibe.
  • A company’s greatest asset, its workforce, enjoys net gains in the crucial areas of recruitment, retention, and engagement.

Notice the domino effect? Reputation promotes awareness which in turn supports sales, and those key factors have a significant impact on maintaining a quality workforce.

There are many opportunities for employees to promote their place of employment —

  • Providing exposure of a positive nature in everyday conversations –when a workforce speaks highly of their employer, it helps to create an overall positive buzz.
  • Raising awareness for the brand through their social media profiles. Maybe they frequent platforms where your company isn’t active. Undoubtedly, they have a different set of followers.
  • Recommending the company’s products or services to friends, family, and associates/associations they affiliate with. By utilizing each person’s unique sphere of influence, the pool of potential customers expands exponentially.
  • Representing the company’s best interests throughout the community in volunteer positions, by serving on local boards or committees, and by simply being a good citizen.
  • Becoming an in-person or online spokesperson for the products/services/company—the face of the company, if you will. While this could be an official position, it is often an organic process that forms over time.
  • Pursuing advanced training to further one’s knowledge and skillset will function as a double-edged sword. While the individual pursues career goals and dreams, the company benefits from having an expert in the field.

We recognize logos and theme songs. But we gravitate to people, faces, names, personal experiences, and life stories.

Need more convincing of the power of employee advocacy? Let these statistics sink in.

  • 98% of employees use at least one social media site for personal use, of which 50% are already posting about their company.
  • A friend or family member’s recommendation makes 83% of Americans more likely to purchase that product or service.
  •  Cisco notes that employees’ social posts generate eight times more engagement than posts from their employers.
  • People are 16 times more likely to read a post from a friend about a brand than from the brand itself.

The trends surrounding employee advocacy in 2021 focus on a more employee-centric model that seeks to empower rather than dictate. Instead of requiring or even asking employees to share corporate messages or links on their personal social media profiles, this “employee advocacy 2.0” model tries to motivate employees to share content that is related to the brand, their expertise, or they find interesting,

A potential gold mine of unique and far-reaching marketing opportunities awaits the organization that throws its hat into the arena by launching an employee advocacy program. Check here for six steps to get started.

When it comes to marketing tactics that propel staffing agencies toward growth and success, ASJ Partners owns the blueprint. We are experts at customizing highly targeted, industry-specific marketing programs that will position your staffing firm to Sell More, Win More, Grow More, and Be Found More. Why are you waiting? Contact our team today.