Leveraging Employee Advocacy for Effective LinkedIn Marketing: A Scientific Perspective

## 1. Introduction

In the realm of social media marketing, LinkedIn has emerged as a crucial platform for B2B marketing and professional networking. However, many companies struggle to achieve significant engagement and return on investment (ROI) through their company pages alone. This article examines the effectiveness of employee advocacy in LinkedIn marketing strategies, supported by current research and industry data.

## 2. LinkedIn's Content Ranking Algorithm

LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes content from individual members over company updates and sponsored ads. This preference is rooted in the platform's goal to foster personal connections and engagement (Bonilla, 2021). As a result, company page posts often receive limited visibility and engagement.

## 3. The LinkedIn Marketing Funnel

Research suggests that viewing LinkedIn marketing as a funnel can be more effective:

1. Top of the funnel: Employee personal profiles

2. Middle of the funnel: Company page

3. Bottom of the funnel: Company website

This approach aligns with the concept of social selling, where employees act as brand ambassadors to drive engagement and conversions (Itani et al., 2017).

## 4. Employee Advocacy: A Key to LinkedIn Marketing Success

### 4.1 Definition and Importance

Employee advocacy refers to the promotion of an organization by its workforce. On LinkedIn, this translates to employees sharing company-related content through their personal profiles. Studies have shown that content shared by employees receives 8 times more engagement than content shared by brand channels (Smarp, 2020).

### 4.2 Benefits of Employee Advocacy

1. Increased Reach: Employee networks can significantly expand a company's reach. Research by MSLGroup (2012) found that brand messages reached 561% further when shared by employees vs. the same messages shared via official brand social channels.

2. Enhanced Credibility: Content shared by individuals is often perceived as more trustworthy than corporate communications. A study by Edelman (2021) revealed that 53% of consumers trust a company's employees more than the CEO or company's PR department.

3. Improved Engagement: Posts from personal accounts typically generate higher engagement rates. LinkedIn's own data shows that employees are 14x more likely to share their company's content compared to other types of content (LinkedIn, 2020).

## 5. Strategies for Implementing Employee Advocacy on LinkedIn

### 5.1 Centralized Social Media Plan

Developing a centralized repository of marketing-approved content for employees to share can ensure consistency in messaging while leveraging personal networks. This approach has been shown to increase social media ROI by up to 54% (Altimeter, 2019).

### 5.2 Video Content Creation

Incorporating video content, especially featuring employees, can significantly boost engagement. LinkedIn reports that videos are shared 20 times more often than any other type of content on the platform (LinkedIn, 2017).

### 5.3 Micro-Content Strategy

Creating short, easily shareable content pieces can increase the likelihood of employee participation. Research indicates that micro-content can increase engagement rates by up to 50% compared to longer-form content (Buffer, 2019).

## 6. Challenges and Considerations

While employee advocacy offers numerous benefits, it's not without challenges. Companies must navigate issues such as:

1. Ensuring consistent messaging across diverse personal profiles

2. Maintaining a balance between personal and professional content

3. Addressing potential legal and compliance issues

Proper training and clear guidelines are essential to mitigate these risks (Dreher, 2014).

## 7. Conclusion

The effectiveness of LinkedIn marketing strategies can be significantly enhanced by leveraging employee advocacy. By focusing on empowering employees to share content through their personal profiles, companies can expand their reach, increase engagement, and drive more traffic to their company pages and websites. This approach aligns with LinkedIn's algorithm preferences and takes advantage of the trust and authenticity associated with personal accounts.

Future research could explore the long-term impact of employee advocacy programs on brand perception and customer loyalty, as well as the most effective types of content for employee sharing on LinkedIn.

## References

Altimeter. (2019). The State of Digital Marketing Report.

Bonilla, D. (2021). Understanding LinkedIn's Algorithm: A Deep Dive. Journal of Digital Marketing, 15(3), 234-250.

Buffer. (2019). The State of Social Media Marketing Report.

Dreher, S. (2014). Social media and the world of work: A strategic approach to employees' participation in social media. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19(4), 344-356.

Edelman. (2021). Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report.

Itani, O. S., 2. Maintaining a balance between personal and professional content

3. Addressing potential legal and compliance issues

Proper training and clear guidelines are essential to mitigate these risks (Dreher, 2014).

## 7. Conclusion

The effectiveness of LinkedIn marketing strategies can be significantly enhanced by leveraging employee advocacy. By focusing on empowering employees to share content through their personal profiles, companies can expand their reach, increase engagement, and drive more traffic to their company pages and websites. This approach aligns with LinkedIn's algorithm preferences and takes advantage of the trust and authenticity associated with personal accounts.

Future research could explore the long-term impact of employee advocacy programs on brand perception and customer loyalty, as well as the most effective types of content for employee sharing on LinkedIn.

## References

Altimeter. (2019). The State of Digital Marketing Report.

Bonilla, D. (2021). Understanding LinkedIn's Algorithm: A Deep Dive. Journal of Digital Marketing, 15(3), 234-250.

Buffer. (2019). The State of Social Media Marketing Report.

Dreher, S. (2014). Social media and the world of work: A strategic approach to employees' participation in social media. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 19(4), 344-356.

Edelman. (2021). Edelman Trust Barometer Global Report.

Itani, O. S., Agnihotri, R., & Dingus, R. (2017). Social media use in B2b sales and its impact on competitive intelligence collection and adaptive selling: Examining the role of learning orientation as an enabler. Industrial Marketing Management, 66, 64-79.

LinkedIn. (2017). LinkedIn Video Marketing Statistics.

LinkedIn. (2020). LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog: Employee Advocacy Statistics.

MSLGroup. (2012). Social Employee Advocacy Research.

Smarp. (2020). Employee Advocacy Statistics: The Ultimate Collection.Agnihotri, R., & Dingus, R. (2017). Social media use in B2b sales and its impact on competitive intelligence collection and adaptive selling: Examining the role of learning orientation as an enabler. Industrial Marketing Management, 66, 64-79.

LinkedIn. (2017). LinkedIn Video Marketing Statistics.

LinkedIn. (2020). LinkedIn Marketing Solutions Blog: Employee Advocacy Statistics.

MSLGroup. (2012). Social Employee Advocacy Research.

Smarp. (2020). Employee Advocacy Statistics: The Ultimate Collection.