oyee advocacy: A goldmine for your content marketing strategy.

Imagine this. You just hit “publish” on the latest blog of your company. The post is a masterpiece full of trend analysis, pungent insights, and actionable takeaways. You might have sat with your fingers crossed and hoped that one day, your valuable piece would find its way into cyberspace. Let’s be honest — the days of “publishing and praying” are long gone.

It’s like waiting in a desert for a bus to arrive. What if you could increase the reach of your content right from the start? Enter the stage right: The power of a employee advocacy program.

Your team, your most loyal fans, are the brand ambassadors who will spread the word about your business on their own channels. This is like a shot straight into the heart of engagement and reach of your content.

You might be wondering: “Should my professional content be mixed in with the personal social media accounts of my colleagues?” It’s not fair, but it is possible. Let’s explore why employee advocacy programs could be the secret sauce that your content marketing strategy requires to really sizzle.

Employee advocacy: Decoding

Employee advocacy is not just a marketing buzzword. Employee advocacy is the key to turning you team into cheerleaders for your brand, who will enthusiastically wave your company’s flag.

You can empower your employees, just like customer brand advocates, to become a conduit of brand messaging. They will take company-related stories and content into their own networks, and they’ll be transformed into true brand ambassadors.

Take a moment to reflect on who your employees are. There’s more to them than a cubicle in an office, or a name in an email. They are your company’s lifeblood, its authentic voice, and its most credible evangelists.

Your employees’ voices can cut through the clutter of social media, where everyone is fighting for attention. The endorsements of your employees, which are personal and sincere can boost your reputation and increase your visibility.

Dig deeper: 6 tips for optimizing LinkedIn content for B2B marketing

Employee advocacy as a content marketing tool: Unlocking its potential

Consider your employees’ networks as a potential source of new opportunities. Your employees’ Facebook friends, connections on LinkedIn and Instagram followers are all potential audiences for your content. If these connections were pooled, the reach of your content could increase exponentially.

The nature of the personal relationships that support these networks makes them even more powerful. They are not faceless masses, but real people that engage more readily when they trust the source.

Employee endorsements can give your brand the authenticity and credibility it needs in an age when skepticism has become the default mode for many Internet users. People tend to trust their friends and peers. They are more likely engage with your content and to trust your brand if it is shared by a trusted person.

Word-of-mouth is a digital version of traditional marketing. Employee advocacy is a powerful tool for content marketing.

How to overcome the obstacles of implementing a program for employee advocacy

Many of the most successful marketing strategies are avoided due to challenges that require time and effort. These obstacles include:

Harmonizing professional and personal boundaries

When launching an employee advocacy program, one of the biggest challenges is balancing the personal and professional space. It is important to ensure that employees do not feel pressured into blending their personal social media accounts with professional obligations. It’s important to create a culture of mutual respect, transparency and clarity regarding the expectations and boundaries of the program.

Inspiring and educating your workforce

The advocacy program is only as good as your employees. To make it work, employees must understand the spirit of the program as well as the mechanics.

It involves training them regularly to make sure they understand the process and communicating clearly why their participation is important. Motivating employees can be done by using clever rewards, recognition or gamification to create excitement and competition.

Maintaining brand consistency in individual voices

Employee advocacy programs unleash a chorus for your brand. However, the core message of your brand must remain consistent and clear.

You can achieve this by providing your employees with content templates, guidelines and pre-approved material that will ensure the essence of your brand is not diluted.

How to integrate an employee advocacy program in your content marketing strategy. A step-bystep guide

We’ll take it step by step to learn how to seamlessly integrate an employee advocacy program into your content marketing strategy.

Find your brand ambassadors in your team

Although the entire staff can participate in the program, it is best to concentrate on those employees who are more engaged, have a strong social network, and share your brand’s values. These people are most likely to be the brand’s best advocates and influencers.

Step 2: Provide your advocates with the tools and guidance they need

After identifying your advocates, you need to provide them with all the resources necessary to make sure they are effective. It is important to provide clear instructions on how, when and what information should be shared. Tools that simplify the process are also helpful. Employee advocacy platforms are often used by businesses to streamline the process.

Step 3: Evaluate performance and refine your approach

As with any marketing campaign, it is important to monitor the performance of your program. Monitor metrics such as engagement, reach and conversions to see what works. You should be ready to adapt your strategies based on the insights you gain. This will help you maximize your effectiveness.

Employee advocacy programs that have been successful

How does employee advocacy look in real life? These are some examples of companies who have adopted employee advocacy and are doing a great job.

Shopify

Shopify stands out as a shining example of employee advocacy. Shopify has mastered the art to tap into the content creation potential of its employees.

The companies are doing everything from showcasing employees on their company pages and showcasing the expertise of their employees through blogs written by their staff to sharing thought-provoking material from their top executives.

What’s the cherry on top of it all? This is a win-win situation. This approach helps employees to boost their personal brand and gain recognition while also reaping the rewards of being an advocate.

It’s also a goldmine of content for Shopify. Their content calendar is always buzzing with new, engaging content.

SparkToro

SparkToro is a master at leveraging employee advocacy. What is the secret of their success? Rand Fishkin, Amanda Natividad and their dynamic duo.

Fishkin is a well-known marketing figure who excels at generating engaging discussions about SparkToro through his own social media channels. His charismatic personality and authority in his field attracts high engagement, and the trust that he has built among his followers often translates to interest in SparkToro.

Natividad is the Head of Growth at SparkToro. She shares SparkToro insights and news across her network. Her posts are a mix of expert advice and personal touch. They create content that’s relatable, engaging, and always SparkToro.

The authenticity of SparkToro is what makes it so special. Fishkin and Natividad’s advocacy efforts are natural because they integrate their personal brands with SparkToro’s story.

They are also able to continuously fuel the SparkToro fire, showing that employee advocacy is a win-win.

Employee advocacy: Does it fit your company?

It should be easy to set up an employee advocacy program now that you understand why it is so effective. It’s not a simple task.

It comes with its own share of hurdles, from respecting personal-professional boundaries and investing in comprehensive training to maintaining consistency in brand messaging. This is a delicate balance, and not all organizations are ready.

Asking some tough questions is the best way to determine if you are ready for an employee advocacy programme.

• Does your company culture provide fertile grounds for advocacy? Employees may be able to channel their enthusiasm and engagement into advocacy.
• Are your employees able to leverage their personal networks? The strength of your advocacy campaign is directly proportional the reach of employees’ networks.
• Do you have the resources and support to implement the program successfully?

Marketing involves a lot of strategic decision-making that can change the direction of a business. A decision like choosing an employee advocacy program should not be taken lightly. This is about building a shared brand, not just sharing news about your company on social media.

Make the right decision for your brand by taking your time to weigh up the pros and cons. Remember that every step towards better engagement with your brand is a positive step.

The article Employee advocacy – The goldmine of your content marketing strategy first appeared on MarTech.