Right, let’s talk Facebook. Not just the endless scrolling and cat videos (though, guilty as charged!), but using it strategically to actually generate new business. We’ve all heard about fancy algorithms and targeted ads, but I want to share something that’s been incredibly powerful for us: employee advocacy. And trust me, before this, the thought of encouraging our team to post about work on their personal profiles felt, well, a bit awkward. But it turns out, it’s been an absolute game-changer.
The ‘Why’: Why Employee Advocacy?
Okay, first things first: Why bother? Why not just stick to our official company page? Here’s the deal: people trust people. Your potential customers are far more likely to believe a recommendation from a friend or colleague than a polished marketing message from a brand. That’s where employee advocacy comes in. When your employees share company news, successes, and even just behind-the-scenes glimpses, it feels authentic and relatable. It cuts through the noise and builds real trust, which is gold dust when you’re trying to attract new business.
Building Our Employee Advocacy Programme: A Step-by-Step Guide
So, how did we do it? It wasn’t overnight, and it needed careful planning. Here’s the blueprint we followed:
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Training is Key: We didn’t just unleash our employees onto Facebook without guidance. We ran workshops covering social media best practices, brand guidelines, and even provided example posts. This ensured everyone felt comfortable and confident, and that messaging remained consistent with our overall brand image. Crucially, we emphasised the importance of transparency – authenticity is key. If they’re genuinely excited about a new product, great! If they have a funny anecdote about a team meeting, even better! The key is being themselves, while still representing the company positively.
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Clear Guidelines, Not Rigid Rules: We created a social media policy, but it wasn’t a list of ‘dos and don’ts’. It was more a set of principles: ‘Be respectful’, ‘Be accurate’, ‘Disclose your affiliation with the company’. We wanted our employees to feel empowered, not restricted. And importantly, we made it clear participation was voluntary. You can’t force authenticity!
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Incentives (But Not Always Monetary): Let’s be honest, a little encouragement goes a long way. We introduced a points-based system where employees earned points for sharing content, engaging with company posts, and referring potential clients. These points could be redeemed for things like extra holiday days, gift vouchers, or even a donation to a charity of their choice. The key is to make the incentives meaningful and aligned with your company culture. Also, never underestimate the power of simple recognition! A shout-out in a team meeting or a company newsletter can be just as motivating as a tangible reward.
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Content is King (And We Made it Easy): We created a content library filled with pre-approved articles, images, and videos that employees could easily share. We made it as easy as possible for them to participate. Tools like Buffer or Hootsuite can also be useful for scheduling and tracking shares.
Understanding and Engaging with Your Target Audience
This is absolutely crucial. What are their pain points? What are their interests? What kind of content do they already engage with on Facebook? If you’re selling accounting software, your target audience probably isn’t interested in pictures of your team’s cat. (Maybe… unless it’s really good accounting cat!) We encouraged our employees to tailor their posts to their own networks, focusing on the topics that resonate most with their friends and followers. For example, someone with a large network of small business owners might focus on sharing articles about financial management, while someone with a background in marketing might share content about branding and social media strategy.
Measuring Success (and Learning from Our Mistakes)
We tracked everything: website traffic, lead generation, and even brand mentions. This helped us understand what was working and what wasn’t. We quickly learned that certain types of content resonated more than others, and we adjusted our strategy accordingly. For example, behind-the-scenes glimpses of our company culture proved to be incredibly popular, while overly promotional content fell flat.
We also had a few stumbles along the way. One employee accidentally shared a draft post that contained some confidential information (thankfully, we caught it quickly). It reinforced the importance of thorough training and clear communication. We learned from our mistakes and refined our programme over time.
So, there you have it. By empowering our employees to become brand advocates, we’ve not only amplified our brand reach on Facebook but also built trust with our target audience and, crucially, generated new business. This is a fantastic way to drive engagement and unlock the potential of the best resource you have.
