Employees have the potential to be a company’s strongest brand advocates. When they actively engage on LinkedIn, sharing insights and company updates, their networks take notice. This kind of organic reach builds trust and credibility far beyond traditional marketing efforts. Unlike paid advertising, which often faces scepticism, advocacy from real employees carries authenticity, making messages more persuasive and memorable.
Turning your staff into brand champions
Developing an effective employee advocacy programme on LinkedIn requires careful planning and execution. From securing leadership support to using the right tools, every step matters in transforming employees into engaged brand champions. By following the structured approach outlined below, you can create a strategy that encourages participation, maintains enthusiasm and delivers measurable results.
What is employee advocacy?
Employee advocacy refers to staff actively promoting their company on social media, particularly LinkedIn. This involves sharing company news, engaging with industry discussions and positioning themselves as thought leaders. Unlike corporate branding efforts, advocacy feels personal, making it more relatable and compelling.
Why it matters
For businesses, it increases brand visibility and fosters trust. It can even help when attracting top talent. That’s because employee advocacy enhances recruitment efforts by showcasing company culture through the voices of those who experience it daily. Prospective hires gain a genuine understanding of the organisation, which helps in attracting candidates who align with company values.
For employees, advocacy builds personal brands, enhances career opportunities and strengthens professional networks. Regularly sharing insights positions them as industry experts, which can lead to speaking engagements, networking opportunities and career progression. A strong programme benefits both sides, making it a win-win initiative.
Steps to implement employee advocacy on LinkedIn
Building an effective employee advocacy programme requires more than just encouragement. It needs structure, leadership support and clear guidelines. By following a step-by-step approach, you can ensure employees feel confident and motivated to represent your brand on LinkedIn in a way that benefits both them and the company.
Step 1: Secure leadership buy-in
Leadership sets the tone. When executives post consistently, engage with employees and showcase the benefits of LinkedIn advocacy, the rest of the organisation follows. Senior figures should lead by example, proving that advocacy delivers results.
Encouraging leadership to engage in discussions, comment on employee posts and share insights fosters a culture of openness and collaboration. This visibility reassures employees that advocacy is not just a passing initiative but an integral part of company culture.
Step 2: Choose a channel champion
A dedicated individual (or even team) should oversee the advocacy programme. This person coordinates content, encourages participation and ensures consistency. A motivated channel champion keeps the initiative running smoothly.
Selecting a well-connected and enthusiastic leader is crucial. The ideal champion understands both the company’s strategic goals and the nuances of LinkedIn’s algorithm, ensuring that shared content has the best chance of reaching wider audiences.
Step 3: Document programme requirements
Clear guidelines prevent confusion. Employees should understand expectations around posting frequency, engagement and content sharing. A structured approach ensures advocacy efforts remain aligned with company goals.
Providing employees with a content calendar helps maintain regular posting habits. Offering a mix of curated content, industry news and personal insights prevents feeds from becoming monotonous.
Step 4: Educate employees
Not every employee feels confident using LinkedIn for professional engagement. Providing training on best practices, social media etiquette and the benefits of advocacy increases participation. When employees see the value in personal brand growth, they become more engaged advocates.
Interactive workshops, one-on-one coaching and practical exercises make training more engaging. Employees should feel comfortable using LinkedIn’s features, from publishing articles to engaging in meaningful conversations within their industry.
Tools and strategies for employee advocacy
The right tools make advocacy easier, ensuring employees have access to relevant content and know when and how to engage. LinkedIn offers several built-in features designed to support advocacy efforts, while analytics help track performance and refine strategies for maximum impact.
Company page analytics
Tracking engagement rates, follower growth and post performance provides insights into what works best. Understanding which types of posts perform well allows businesses to refine content strategies and encourage more effective participation.
The ‘my company’ tab
This LinkedIn feature helps employees stay connected with internal news and shared content, encouraging participation. This ensures a steady stream of relevant content, making advocacy effortless.
Employee notifications
Notifying employees when key company posts go live ensures timely engagement, boosting visibility. Prompt interaction helps posts gain traction, increasing their reach within LinkedIn’s algorithm.
Best times to post
Content performs best when posted at the right times. Scheduling posts during peak engagement hours maximises reach and interaction. Encouraging employees to engage with posts within the first hour significantly increases visibility. Here’s a rundown of the optimum times to post on LinkedIn from Sprout Social.
Sustaining employee engagement
Getting employees involved in advocacy is one thing, but keeping them engaged over time is another. A strong content strategy, recognition for participation and ongoing training are essential for maintaining enthusiasm and ensuring advocacy remains a core part of your organisation’s culture.
Content strategy
A varied content mix, incorporating employee contributions and feedback, keeps advocacy fresh and engaging. Employees should feel empowered to share their own perspectives, rather than just reposting corporate messages.
Encouraging storytelling makes advocacy more authentic. Employees sharing personal experiences, challenges and achievements create engaging content that resonates with their networks.
Incentives and recognition
Acknowledging employees who actively participate encourages ongoing involvement. Whether through internal recognition or incentives, appreciation reinforces commitment. Gamifying participation through leaderboards or rewards for top contributors can keep momentum high. For instance, here at Hallam, leading posters are rewarded with Amazon vouchers.
Ongoing training
Social media evolves constantly. Regular training sessions help employees stay up to date with best practices and platform changes. Keeping employees informed about LinkedIn’s algorithm updates and new features ensures their efforts remain effective.
Measuring success
To understand the true impact of your advocacy programme, tracking the right metrics is crucial. Engagement rates, reach and employee participation provide valuable insights, helping you refine the strategy and demonstrate the value of advocacy efforts to key stakeholders.
Key performance indicators
Tracking engagement rates, reach and lead generation determines the effectiveness of advocacy efforts. Employee participation rates, the number of shares and audience engagement should be measured alongside brand growth.
Regular programme evaluation
Reviewing results and refining the strategy ensures continuous improvement. Advocacy programmes thrive when businesses adapt based on performance insights. Conducting quarterly reviews, gathering employee feedback and adjusting the approach ensures sustained success.
Conclusion
A well-structured employee advocacy programme transforms staff into powerful brand ambassadors. With leadership support, clear guidelines and the right tools, LinkedIn advocacy enhances credibility, strengthens brand awareness and drives meaningful engagement.
Encouraging employees to find their unique voice within LinkedIn creates a more engaging and authentic advocacy programme. When employees feel their insights matter, they contribute more willingly and with greater enthusiasm.
Time to act
Start by engaging leadership, empowering employees and building a structured advocacy plan. When done well, employee advocacy creates a ripple effect, elevating both individual careers and company reputation. The more employees engage, the greater the impact, leading to long-term benefits for everyone involved.
