How to improve internal communication in an employee advocacy program

Promoting your brand is the most important thing. An employee advocacy program is a way?to give a boost to your brand and promote a product or service?in a more natural and closer way.??

This is why it has become a trend that is?gradually turning employees?into advocates of the company and its brands.?

When someone promotes your brand or business, the reach of your message is greater?if they share it on their social networks.??

If you have an?Employee Advocacy program, employees will be in charge of this promotion. Let’s take a look at what an employee advocacy program is,?its benefits, and how you can improve internal communication in it.???

What is a employee advocacy program?

These types of programs have always existed in various forms and concepts. Their starting premise is to consider employees as?key resources in recruiting and attracting talent, marketing and sales.??

The digital revolution and the consolidation of social networks have multiplied the?impact that employees can have?in the advocacy and promotion of the company.??

An employee advocacy program is about?making employees ambassadors and advocates for your brand. they will contribute to the visibility of the company they work for.??

This visibility may involve employee engagement by sharing information about?specific products or campaigns?or sharing the company culture on social media or other forums. This can help enhance your brand reputation and make recruiting new talent easier.?

Such programs should provide?guidelines, resources, and incentives. It unifies how employees can share branded content and makes it easier for them to do so.?

Employees may also get something in return for this promotion.?They can enhance their credibility and position themselves as industry experts.?

Prospective customers or new employees usually rely heavily on what the company’s employees have to say about the company, its products, and its services. Besides,?they value the company’s social and professional media?as the most important resources when looking for a job.?

An ambassador or employee advocate must have a certain profile and has certain responsibilities in order to communicate the company’s values:??

They must generate positive exposure?and create awareness for a brand through their own digital media. The employee advocate must see the company as an important part of his or her life.???

Must be an expert in the company’s products?or services in order to recommend them to family and friends.??

Must have a credible discourse and can be a trusted spokesperson for your company, as well as represent the company’s interests both internally and externally.?

Benefits of employee advocacy programs??

Using an?employee advocacy program?and increasing your employee engagement?can bring many advantages to your company, some of them being:????

• Optimize your image and increase brand awareness.?
• Increase the organic reach of publications and campaigns on social networks.?
• Drive higher levels of employee engagement and loyalty, as well as improve company culture.?
• Increase consumer confidence.?
• Attract new customers.?
• Attract new employees when necessary??

Tips to improve internal communication in an employee advocacy program?

There are some recommendations you can follow?to improve internal communication employee advocacy program?in your company, as well as, to improve its effectiveness and the engagement of your employees with the program.?

Create an environment of trust in your company?

If you want your employees to become advocates of your brand, you need a transparent culture?based on trust, communication, and freedom. Employee support cannot be bought or faked.?

If you give your employees trust, they will feel free to share their thoughts. You can encourage them to share messages and trust their judgment?without forcing them?to do so or you will lose the trust of your audience or potential customers.?

Set clear objectives and guidelines?

All online marketing actions have to establish concrete objectives. Even more so when it comes to involving your employees in the promotion of your company.??

You must be clear about?what you want employees to share?and how it fits in with the rest of your business goals.?

Your employees need to be clear about?what they can and cannot do. So you need to come up with operating rules to work by.?

These guidelines should be?created together with the employees?and not imposed directly from management. If you train your employees and support them, they will feel confident talking about your brand.?

Make the benefits clear?

Employees won’t promote your brand just for the sake of it.?They must get something in return. Make sure they understand the benefits. You may also want to offer them some incentives internally for sharing branded content.?

Ask employees?what types of incentives they would like. The more engaged they are in the process, the more they will feel like they have something at stake with the program.?

Use employee advocacy platforms??

Several online platforms can help you with?internal communication employee advocacy program?some of them are:?

• Social Chorus:?it is a?platform that connects employees?with content and news relevant to their day-to-day work at the company. This way they are better informed, more involved, and more productive. Besides, it allows the measurement of the effectiveness that the content is having on users.?
• Sprout Social: This?social media management?platform can be also used to improve relationships with customers and employees. You can find in it a social CRM and collaboration tools for the team to improve the employee advocacy program.?
• Smarp: it is a corporate?social network?that helps employees become advocates of your brand. It can be used for your employees to share valuable content and build their personal brand while increasing the organization’s credibility and reach.??
• Net&Market:?This is a?free Spanish alternative?where you can learn about employee advocacy. It is created for the company’s employees and collaborators, to improve communication between them and increase the feeling of belonging to the company. It included a marketplace for exchanging commercial offers.?

How to improve internal communication in an employee advocacy program? You already know all the details about it…?But if you want to learn more about it, don’t forget to download our?WhitePaper.