“You may not have a huge marketing budget or a Madison Avenue advertising agency to support your marketing efforts, but there is one competitive advantage you have that no other business does – your employees.†– Forbes
Getting your employees to champion your company when they’re off the clock can increase customer loyalty, boost sales and even help attract better candidates during the hiring process.
Here’s how to turn your employees into proud promoters:
Monitor Your Online ReputationÂ
The first step in changing the conversation about your company is finding out what’s already being said. This means monitoring your online reputation so you have an idea of what’s working and what’s not.
“Yes, gone are the days when it should scare an organization that their employees were taking to Twitter in the middle of the workday. It’s time to embrace the fact that your workforce is talking to other people on these platforms, and turn it around to your advantage.†– The Undercover Recruiter
Your employees are likely already talking about you online (Facebook, Linkedin, Glassdoor, etc.). So, you can monitor public forums and sites to get an idea of what’s being said. Once you know where you stand with employees, you can take steps to improve your reputation.
Ask For Anonymous, Constructive Feedback
Your employees are your best source of feedback when it comes to your company. As a manager, it’s essential to get your team’s input whenever relevant.
“The constructive feedback you receive may surprise you.†– Impraise
Remember, your team is there to support you and your company’s goals. Veteran staff can often illuminate blind spots and make you aware of things you may have missed.
So, don’t be afraid to solicit employee feedback as a way to get ideas about how to improve your standing with them. Your team will appreciate the effort to include them and you will be seen more favorably.
Let Employees Help Shape The CultureÂ
People take voluntary ownership over things they create themselves. This means employees who feel like they’ve helped shape the culture of their workplace will be more likely to promote it.
“…the “like it or leave it” approach [to management] is virtually guaranteed to erode trust among your employees – and that trust is imperative to your business success. Your employees hold a hugely influential position in shaping your company’s reputation.†– The Globe And Mail
Have an open door policy and ask for regular feedback. This will help improve and build a culture your employees are keen to promote!
Encourage Sharing On Social MediaÂ
Once you know where you stand with employees online, you can encourage them to share on social media.
Here are some insightful stats from Hootsuite about just how powerful employee advocacy can be:
- “More people trust a regular employee (53%) than a CEO (47%). Even more people (65%) trust a company technical expert.
- Nearly 86% of employees involved in a formal advocacy program say it had a positive effect on their careers.
- LinkedIn found the employees of a company tend to have 10 times more followers than the company itself.
- LinkedIn also found while only about 2% of employees reshare their company’s social posts, they are responsible for 20% of overall engagement.
- Job seekers (i.e., potential recruits) say current employees are the most trusted source of information about a company. They also rank social and professional networks as the most important resources in their job search.†– Hootsuite
Encouraging employees to promote your company is all about making sure staff feel heard. Your company culture needs to be one of openness and generosity.
Growing employee advocacy is an organic process. It’s the result of a genuine enthusiasm to be associated with good work and good people. So, while you can’t make your employees brag about you online, these tips will increase the likelihood they’ll want to!
If you have questions or would like more information, I’d be happy to help. Please send an email, and my team will get in touch with you!
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