Employee Advocates: Your Company’s Greatest Asset

October 09, 2017

Your employees know your organization better than anyone else. Why? They’re the ones who spend the most time in the depths of the company’s work. As businesses become more savvy with their digital presence, many are recognizing the growing importance of converting their hardworking employees into company advocates.

So what exactly is Employee Advocacy?

Employee Advocacy (noun): Any promotion of a company by its employees, through a variety of mediums, including social media.

How to Create Employee Advocates

Regardless of your company culture, there are ways to turn employees to evangelism for your organization. People love to hear that their opinions are valued and you might be able to share their enthusiasm as fuel for your marketing strategy. Plus, it’ll provide more visibility into your organization, introducing your organization to new audiences on social media. It’s a win-win. So, how exactly can you get started?

1. Offer a Survey

This is a great starting point to identify those employees who might be most eager to become a brand advocate for the company. Plus, comments collected from your survey can be repurposed for social, blogging, and video content.

2. Give Them Something to Talk About

Not only should you trust your employee advocates to speak positively of your company online, but you should also give them good things to talk about. Be transparent and share good news with advocates about your success. It can also be helpful to create standard guidelines for sharing company information across social networks.

3. Shine the Spotlight on Your Staff

Like customer appreciation, employee appreciation is a fairly simple way to show that you’re engaged and care about employees. Highlight various teams, award an Employee of the Month, or celebrate work anniversaries on social media. It also provides fun, shareworthy content for your employee advocates to repurpose on their own networks.

4. Be Open to All Employees

While many of your employees might be millennials, not everyone is a marketing genius, nor are all employees present on the latest social platforms. Instead of just one strategy, allow employees to be vocal in ways they’re most comfortable with. Welcoming advocates from all departments might also create fresh opportunities for employees to network at work among those they don’t normally meet.

At Pacific Office Automation, we’re lucky to have many employees who are excited to share their experiences in building a career here. From Portland to Phoenix and cities in between, we’re proud to have advocates across the West Coast. If you’re interested in a rewarding career in business, check out our current openings and apply online today. We look forward to hearing from you.