Dive Brief:

• Your employees can be your best advocates – but some employers are concerned that a) employees will say things that are “off-brand” or b) employees will get so good at establishing themselves in the industry that they’ll be poached.
• But, according to a writer at Skyword, employee advocacy may be worth the risk. Employees tend to have greater reach and consumers tend to trust them more.
• Additionally, allowing employees to build their own personal brands by sharing company content will produce more loyal employees – and eventual loyal alumni with powerful reach who may still share your stuff.

Dive Insight:

While only two percent of employees share their company’s content, according to LinkedIn, they drive 20% of the traffic those posts receive. So it may be in HR’s interest to take a look at how and if your employees share your social media posts.

Skyword suggests creating a structured, completely transparent advocacy program that keeps rules simple and participation voluntary. Share with your employees what you consider good talking points and what is classified and not to be shared. An “overview of the marketing strategy” may be a good refresher. This way, employees feel they (and their posts) are valued and trusted.