Employees as Brand Ambassadors – How to Leverage The Power of Expertise and Authenticity
In the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape, organisations are uncovering a hidden asset right under their noses. Utilising professionals as digital brand ambassadors is more than just a strategy. It’s a paradigm shift towards authenticity.
As we all know, social media is a powerful tool for businesses to reach their audience and build brand presence in today's rapidly evolving digital world. While many organisations invest mainly in external marketing strategies, one often overlooked resource and outlet is their employees.
When nurtured as brand ambassadors, employees can become valuable assets while pursuing thought leadership and shaping a positive and authentic image for any organisation.
The Demand for Authenticity
Authenticity is paramount in today's discerning consumer landscape. The common quest for it stems from a desire to connect with genuine human experiences, imperfections, and emotions – rather than the ad-like content and sterile facade often presented online.
Influencer collaboration – and employee advocacy as a form of it – embody the genuine voices that can build trust through personal narratives and by sharing know-how and experiences on social media, humanising the brand and making it relatable.
“Utilising employees and other relevant influencers as brand ambassadors supports marketing and communication and presents the brand and products with added authenticity and personality.“
Eveliina Miettunen
Boosting Visibility, Managing Risks
Corporate communication should recognise employees as the ultimate spokespersons for the organisation and its operations – from marketing and sales to recruiting – and invest in them as such. As a part of diverse networks and active members on digital platforms ambassadors can significantly boost a company's credibility and bridge gaps left by impersonal corporate messaging.
Conversely, negative criticism from employees has huge potential to harm an organisation's reputation. Employees’ experiences – and rumours, for that matter – spread quickly on social platforms and impact both consumer perception and employee morale.
By not undermining the power of brand ambassadors and providing them guidance and resources, organisations can avoid potential reputational risks and benefit from employees sharing their expertise, industry knowledge, and real-world insights – contributing to the brand and serving as living testimonials to its values and thought leadership.
Unleash the Power of Ambassadors
- Educate and engage.
Equip employees with the knowledge and skills they need to confidently represent the company by providing social media guidelines and training. Show an example by creating engaging content that employees can easily like, comment on and share on their social media platforms. - Invest in internal communication.
Transparency builds trust, so keep all employees informed about company updates, goals, and achievements – and whether the information is public and okay to share. - Focus on professional development.
Encourage employees to build their personal brand and professional network by highlighting ways that a strong professional brand benefits them in the long run. - Acknowledge efforts made.
Motivate employee advocacy on social media by recognising contributions through programmes and incentives. Share relevant employee-generated content on company platforms to enhance credibility and authenticity. - Measure and improve.
Implement metrics to measure the impact of employee advocacy. Actively give and ask for feedback from digital brand ambassadors as well as followers to develop organisational initiatives and strategies.
Recognising and nurturing employees as digital brand ambassadors unlocks opportunities. A well-crafted strategy accompanied by clear guidelines, incentives, and training transforms employees into advocates, significantly contributing to the organisation's success in the digital landscape.
Could we assist your organisation with this endeavour?
Eveliina Miettunen
Communications Consultant, who has been in a time-consuming relationship with social media since 2008 and uses different platforms to be entertained, educated and engaged.
