Implement an Employee Advocacy strategy
Ben explains in more detail what it is and gives us some examples of brands that have implemented a strategy like this.
Here's another example of employee advocacy: Adobe employees have their own blog and share their daily life via the hashtag #AdobeLife. Their ambassador program brings together 21 employees from seven different countries, who are particularly active in communicating about the company on their social networks.
Let’s look at some of the steps you can take to set up your employee advocacy program:
Set and Share Goals
To ensure your employees can help you, share the goals you want to achieve with them at a formal launch.
Promoting your new line? Sharing employee testimonials? Developing your brand image on the internet? Increasing website and lead conversion rates?
Your goal is to make all your teams aware of employee advocacy benefits— for the company and themselves.
Employee advocacy is not just about sharing promotional content related to your business. Your employees also benefit by sharing quality content related to their industry, staying on top of the latest trends, improving their communication skills, and showcasing their expertise.
Define a Scope for Action Without Being Too Restrictive!
To encourage action, provide a clear framework by specifying good practices.
One way to do this is to prepare communication guidelines for them containing:
The best practices for posting on each social network (tone, vocabulary, key phrases, FAQ, etc.).
Post templates they can adapt to their needs.
Confidential information they should not share.
Visuals conforming to your brand guidelines (logo, banner, etc.).
Here is an example of best practices given by Starbucks to its “partners”.
Identify and Reward Your Program Ambassadors
While the goal is for everyone to participate, it is equally important to identify the driving forces who could become program ambassadors.
Be sure to highlight these ambassadors and communicate about their actions. For example, you could publish the top five of the month’s best posts in an internal newsletter or print and display them on your premises.
You could also provide a reward. Depending on the size of the company and the budget, this could be a badge for their email signature, product discounts, gift vouchers, etc.
Measure Internal and External Feedback
Based on the goals set at the start, make sure you are tracking the right KPIs.
Here are some data points you could track:
The number of posts posted by your staff.
The average engagement rate for these posts.
The click-through rate on links promoted by employees.
Finally, make sure your employees are still committed to the program and feel involved in the process. Share regular updates about any difficulties and possible improvements. Their satisfaction and motivation are the keys to the success of your program!
The Deditex Case Study
Compare your ideas with Michael’s.
Encourage Customer Advocacy
Customer advocacy is the equivalent of a customer ambassador program. The company relies on its most loyal customers to attract new prospects.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you embark on your customer advocacy journey:
Listen to Your Customers
Analyze your customers’ conversations on the platforms where they usually express themselves (social networks, review sites, forums, blogs, etc.).
This will allow you to identify any areas of friction for your customers, so you are better placed to respond to any dissatisfaction.
To evaluate the state of your customer relationship, calculate your NPS (Net Promoter Score.
Encourage Them to Create Content
How do I get my customers to talk about my brand?
1) Organize contests or prize draws.
In January 2020, Apple launched a new photo contest to promote the Night mode on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro or 11, and Pro Max. Entries were made via Instagram, using the hashtags #ShotoniPhone and #NightmodeChallenge. Participants were also asked to specify their model.
2) Provide them with content they will want to share.
Spotify provides users with a detailed report of their favorite music of the year, highlighting the most played artist or track.
3) Value them.
Offer invitations to exclusive events.
Provide specific gifts or benefits.
Allow them to take advantage of exclusive promotions.
4) Value content creators.
The brand Asos set up the hashtag #AsSeenOnMe for users who post photos of their Asos outfits. It re-shares this content on its website and Instagram account: a highlight that customers appreciate and enticing to prospects.
5) Include your customers upstream of your commercial offer by proposing product or service co-creation.
The Lego brand created LEGO Ideas, an online community where members can discover other fans’ creations, submit their own, and vote for their favorite. If a project gets 10,000 votes, LEGO reviews the idea and may decide to create and market it worldwide.
Some Rules to Observe
Consider setting up a campaign or brand-specific hashtag. It will allow you to find your brand’s UGC more easily and help your users access the content.
Always thank people who took the time to leave a review, post a photo, or share their impressions in a story. You need to show that you are paying attention to what is being said about you (positive or negative).
If you want to reuse a UGC, don’t forget to ask the author’s permission and credit them by mentioning their account name “@xxx.”
The Deditex Case Study
In the Deditex case study, how would you implement a customer advocacy strategy?
Once you have finalized your idea, compare it with Michael’s!
Let’s Recap!
In the age of social networks, all your company’s stakeholders (customers, employees, partners) can exercise their power of influence. So don’t neglect them!
Employee advocacy refers to a company relying on its employees to increase its visibility. This approach’s success depends on the well-being of the employees and their motivation.
An employee advocacy program should set the scope of action, provide them with the necessary materials, and encourage them to get involved.
Customer advocacy is the equivalent of the “customer ambassador program.” The company relies on its loyal customers to convince others to become customers.
There are other important influencers to consider. Discover them in the next chapter!
