+5,000% Engagement Boost: The power of Employee-Generated Content (EGC)

Hello! This is an article about why I think your brand's biggest influencers are already on your payroll. ?? Let's talk about employee-generated content (EGC) - a trend that's taking the branding world by storm and reminding you if you are not doing.. you should have at least some (deserved) FOMO by now. ??

Why EGC is the New Black ??

Remember when polished, professional content was all the rage? Well, times are a-changing, my friend. These days, authenticity reigns supreme, and nothing screams "real" quite like your own employees sharing their experiences.

? The Good Stuff ?

1. Authenticity Overload: Your employees are your best advocates because they know the brand inside and out. When they talk about your products or services, it feels more like a friendly recommendation than a sales pitch. Think of it like this: Would you trust your best friend’s advice on where to grab the best pizza in town or a billboard flashing "BEST PIZZA HERE!"? Exactly.
2. Trust Factor: People trust other people more than they trust logos. It's human nature. People want to see people—real, everyday folks. When your employees share content, it humanises your brand. No more cold corporate image. Instead, it’s relatable, and who doesn’t want to connect with a brand that feels like an old friend? And to smack some data behind this points - 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know over any other form of advertising.?
3. Engagement Boost: Let’s talk numbers. Companies that adopt EGC strategies have seen insane spikes in engagement. Content shared by employees receives 8x more engagement than content shared by brand channels. Paige Anthony from Anthropologie says, "We've seen more impressions on TikTok for the first quarter (+5,194% YOY) of 2024 than we did the whole of 2023, just by really leaning into this office-driven employee content that people just love to see."
4. Cost-Effective: Creating traditional content can get pricey with professional shoots, influencers, and all the bells and whistles. But EGC? It’s often just your employees sharing their experiences—raw, real, and low-cost. You’re tapping into an in-house resource that’s already passionate about your brand. Win-win!
5. Boosted Morale: When employees become brand ambassadors, they feel more connected to the company. As Paige puts it, "It creates such a nice sense of community between our teams - and I do think people just having fun translates, and that's obviously appealing content for people to watch." Plus, when customers see your employees having a blast, it’s contagious—they want in!

? The Not-So-Good Stuff ?

1. Quality Control: Not everyone is a professional content creator, so EGC can sometimes be a bit rough around the edges. But hey, that’s kind of the point, right? Still, you might have to do a bit of curating to ensure that the content aligns with your brand’s message.
2. Potential PR Nightmares: One wrong tweet, and suddenly you're trending for all the wrong reasons. Yikes!
3. Time Management: Creating content takes time. You'll need to balance EGC with your employees' actual job responsibilities.
4. Safeguarding Concerns: Paige emphasises, "You do need to have a safeguarding policy because you are opening people up to criticism that they might not have necessarily signed up for when they join the job - I mean, hate comments are real!"?

How to Get Started ??

Ready to jump on the EGC "bandwagon"? Here's a guide to get you rolling:

1. Find Your Stars: Look for employees who are already active on social media and passionate about your brand. They're your natural ambassadors. And lemme throw in some numbers for ya here - Interestingly, 98% of employees use at least one social media site for personal use, of which 50% are already posting about their company.
2. Set Clear Guidelines: Create clear rules to keep everyone on the same page and avoid those PR nightmares we mentioned above.
3. Provide Training: Offer basic content creation tips to help your team shine. Anthropologie hired a TikTok creator to ensure their content was relevant and trendy.
4. Start Small: Begin with a pilot program and scale up as you learn what works for your brand. The key is to make it light-hearted and as low-pressure as possible.
5. Safeguard Your Team: Implement a policy to protect employees from potential negative feedback.

Example: The Anthropologie Success Story

Take a page out of Anthropologie’s book (or TikTok). They didn’t wait for influencers to fill their content calendar. Instead, their social media team got hands-on, literally modelling their own products and creating videos. The result? Their community felt more connected to the brand and recognised the faces behind it. Customers started saying, “Hey, I saw you on TikTok!” when visiting stores. Talk about bridging the online and offline experience!

The Psychology Behind the Face

Ever wonder why we're more likely to trust a person than a logo? It's all about relatability. When we see a true person being real, imperfect, and passionate—builds trust. And it makes our brains go, "Hey, they're just like me!”. And as cheesy that might sound at first, it’s a fact. This triggers empathy and trust, making us more receptive to the message. It basically makes your brand feel more approachable and human. And it’s like the difference between chatting with a friend versus being handed a flyer on the street. Which one are you more likely to engage with? Exactly.

Tips from for success

1. Embrace Authenticity: Paige notes, "People love people. I look at brands like Dove who've historically always included real people in their marketing, and how successful they've been."
2. Be Platform-Savvy: Understand the platform you're using. Anthropologie hired a TikTok creator to ensure their content was relevant and trendy.
3. Involve Everyone: Don't just rely on your most confident employees. Different personalities will connect with different audience segments.
4. Plan Ahead: While spontaneity is great, planning is crucial when multiple people or departments are involved. Paige advises, "Be prepared, and be organised."
5. Create a Positive Environment: When employees feel good about their workplace, they're more likely to create engaging, positive content.

Final thoughts:?

In a world where authenticity is the new (brand) currency, employee-generated content is like striking gold. It’s relatable, it builds trust, and it’s a win for both your brand and your team. Sure, there are challenges like with every (public) project, but with the right approach, you can turn your employees into your brand’s most powerful advocates.

But let me make it clear, EGC isn't just about creating content - it's about building a community both inside and outside your company. As Paige puts it, "When we meet our customers in our stores, they're like “I saw you on TikTok!” - they feel like they know us, and it builds trust with our customers."

Sources (and more to read on this topic):

• Nielsen:?https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2012/consumer-trust-in-online-social-and-mobile-advertising-grows/
• Hootsuite:?https://blog.hootsuite.com/user-generated-content-ugc/?
• Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/katiesalcius/2024/08/07/employees-as-influencers-the-rise-of-employee-generated-content-egc/?
• Seenit:?https://www.seenit.io/events-webinars/exploring-2024-trends-and-the-simple-egc-formats-you-can-use-to-recognise-them/?
• Sea Digital:?https://www.seadigital.co.nz/post/your-brand-should-be-leveraging-employee-social-media-accounts-2024?