Employee Advocacy: What Content Works Best?

It’s one of the first questions companies ask when launching an employee advocacy program: what content works best? The answer depends on your objectives.

For example, is the aim of employee advocacy to promote the visibility of marketing content, or recruitment opportunities? Are you aiming to boost engagement on social media, or drive additional traffic to brand websites?

Chances are your strategy combines a number of objectives, which is why it’s impossible to pinpoint one type of content that works better than others.

However, it is important to evaluate all the possibilities in light of the goals you set when launching employee advocacy.

Product-Focused Content

This is arguably the least favored form of content among companies that have launched employee advocacy, and for good reason.

Content that is highly product-focused can come across as being pushy, meaning employees are unlikely to share it (they don’t want to be perceived as pitching to their connections) and end-user audiences are likely to tune out. That said, product-oriented pieces do have their place.

For example, it can be highly effective for social sellers who are interacting with prospects at an advanced stage of the sales funnel, and who want to share more detailed information about product offerings.

And when a new product is launched, dedicated communication initiatives such as videos, competitions and press releases often have high engagement rates, as both employees and end-user audiences want to be the first to know and talk about an important release.

Employer Brand Content

This is one of the most popular types of content and is highly beneficial for all involved. Prioritizing pieces that present your company in action allows employees to share success stories they are involved in, thus boosting their professional development on social media. It also humanizes your brand, by putting the focus on the people who make it tick.

For recruiters, sharing job offers isn’t enough to stand out on social networks; it’s important to communicate about what it’s like to be a part of the organization. “Inside look” pieces that reflect company culture, showcase events and valorizes the work of individuals gives your brand a personality on social media. It engages employees because they can relate to it personally; and attracts the attention of end-user audiences because it is both transparent and personal.

Marketing Content

Marketing content is particularly useful for thought leadership and social selling – but only when it provides value. It shouldn’t be overly product-focused, as not only is this unlikely to inspire employees to share, but it is not what resonates with end-user audiences.

What is pertinent is content that presents industry insights, case studies, data analysis and editorial points of view. Your employees will not want to advertise on behalf of your company.

They will, however, want to share insights and expertise that support the value of products and services. What’s more, sharing insights is more likely to engage end-user audiences. It demonstrates that your company doesn’t just sell stuff, but that it has unique insights and ideas to bring to the table.

Third Party Content

It’s important to remember that employees won’t want to share company content alone; the aim is for them to demonstrate expertise and develop a personal brand, which involves sharing a range of content – especially for social sellers.

This is why it’s worth curating relevant third party feeds in addition to company content. Not only does the inclusion of third-party content give employees access to additional industry insights, it also enhances your credibility as a brand; that your employees can demonstrate wider industry awareness sends the message that you genuinely invest your time in what you do. You engage with what other industry players are saying. Ultimately, the content you promote through employee advocacy will be balanced according to your company’s objectives.

Moreover, these objectives may well change as your employee advocacy program matures and evolves. For example, you might begin by focusing on marketing content, and incorporate employer branding at a later stage. Alternatively, you might launch an employee advocacy initiative that is specifically for social selling, with pieces that you produce with this in mind.

But regardless of your goals, the production and optimization of content for employee advocacy should be a fun process. One that enables you to improve both brand communication and employee engagement along the way.

About Sociabble

Sociabble is the leading provider of social selling software. Our unique platform organizes brand, third-party, and user-generated content onto themed channels.

From these channels, users can share on social media and track subsequent traffic and lead generation. Available natively for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone, Sociabble features include gamification, newsletters, calls-to-action, advanced analytics, lead tracking, and individual performance dashboards.

The platform also integrates with a number of CRM, curation, listening and retargeting tools, including Office 365, Salesforce, and RadiumOne.

Used in over 60 countries, Sociabble’s client base includes companies from multiple sectors including; energy, tech and communications, finance, government, education, and media.