How to Empower Your Employees to Be Great Brand Ambassadors
December 30, 2024
SEB Marketing Team
While brands once relied solely on traditional marketing to establish trust and authenticity, they are now turning to employees. In this digitally connected world, empowering employees to become brand ambassadors can create a ripple effect, strengthening recruitment efforts, fostering customer loyalty, and enhancing overall brand perception. But what does it take to turn employees into brand ambassadors? Here are some actionable strategies to build employee advocacy and a successful program.
Why Employee Advocacy Matters
Employees are often seen as more trustworthy than CEOs, influencers, or ads when it comes to delivering brand messages. Their advocacy is perceived as genuine and unscripted, adding an invaluable layer of credibility to your company’s image. Beyond building trust, involving employees in brand advocacy enhances their engagement, fostering a deeper connection to your organization’s mission. This increased engagement not only boosts morale and loyalty but also strengthens your company’s internal culture. Also, employees who share positive experiences about their workplace become powerful recruitment ambassadors, attracting top talent through authentic, relatable testimonials. For customers, employees who embody your brand values create meaningful interactions that build trust and loyalty, leading to long-term, beneficial relationships.
How to Empower Employees as Brand Ambassadors
To reap these benefits, businesses must create an environment where employees feel confident and motivated to advocate for their brand. Here’s how:
Educate Employees About Your Brand Values: Employees need to understand your brand inside and out to authentically represent it. Start by hosting workshops designed to align teams with your brand message and values. Create an engaging onboarding process that immerses new hires in your brand culture from day one, ensuring they feel connected to the organization’s mission. Complement these efforts with a comprehensive brand book or guide that outlines your mission, vision, values, and messaging guidelines, serving as a go-to resource for employees to authentically represent your brand.
Encourage Creativity and Participation: Empower employees to share their unique perspectives on the brand. Whether it’s posting on social media, contributing to a blog, or creating content, their creativity can bring fresh energy to your brand narrative. For instance, a “Day in the Life” series where employees document their workday can humanize your brand. Another option is to create a challenge or competition around sharing your company’s brand. Be sure to include guidance on social media etiquette and branding dos and don’ts with a checklist or a simple guidebook with tips and best practices.
Recognize and Reward Contributions: Recognition is a powerful motivator. Highlight employees who actively participate in brand advocacy, whether through internal newsletters, shoutouts during team meetings, or incentive programs. Create an “Employee Advocate of the Month” program. Feature their story in company communications and reward them with perks like gift cards or extra time off. Alternatively, consider offering rewards such as professional development opportunities. For example, send top advocates to industry conferences or workshops.
Leverage Technology for Seamless Advocacy: Tools like employee advocacy platforms can simplify the process of sharing branded content. Platforms such as LinkedIn Elevate, Hootsuite Amplify, or Everyone Social often provide pre-approved content and track engagement metrics, making it easier for employees to participate. Not to mention, they can streamline the sharing process and provide analytics to measure impact. Provide resources such as pre-written posts, branded visuals, and hashtags to streamline the process. Make it easy for employees to share content with a few clicks.
Foster a Culture of Trust and Authenticity: Employees should never feel forced into advocacy. Create a culture that celebrates authenticity, where employees feel comfortable sharing their honest opinions. Encourage open communication and feedback about advocacy efforts. Hold regular town halls or Q&A sessions where employees can voice their thoughts. Let employees use their own voice rather than scripted messaging. Authenticity resonates more than polished corporate-speak.
Starting Small and Expanding Gradually
Launching an employee advocacy program doesn’t have to be daunting. Start with a pilot group of enthusiastic employees, gather feedback, and refine the program. Once you see the impact, gradually expand the initiative across departments and teams. For example, begin with a small group of volunteers from the marketing and sales teams. As they share their experiences and successes, use their feedback to improve the program before rolling it out company-wide.
Empowering employees to be brand ambassadors is not just about boosting your brand; it’s about creating a workplace where employees feel valued, connected, and inspired. By implementing these strategies, you’ll transform your workforce into a powerful, authentic voice for your organization. Start small, educate your employees, and celebrate every contribution. The results – greater trust, loyalty, and engagement – will speak for themselves.