What is Employee Advocacy?
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Employee advocacy is the practice of encouraging employees to become advocates—representatives and supporters—of their company, particularly (but not exclusively) to an external audience.
This topic has become increasingly relevant for several reasons:
1. The growing importance of influencers
An influencer is anyone with an audience who can, directly or indirectly, shape the behavior of others. While well-known influencers dominate the digital space, micro- and nano-influencers are becoming more significant. These individuals have smaller followings but are perceived as more authentic and therefore more credible. Their success is built on their status as trusted figures within their industry.
There is no one more authentic and credible than an employee when speaking about their own company. This is why organizations seeking to enhance their employer branding should begin by engaging their most natural influencers: their employees.
2. The decline of traditional communication
Consumers are increasingly skeptical of advertising messages. Employee advocacy harnesses the power of word of mouth, which has always played a critical role in shaping purchasing decisions and influencing opinions.
People trust word of mouth because they find it more credible than traditional advertising.
A recommendation from a friend, colleague, or even an online review from a stranger often carries more weight than a commercial or billboard.
The same principle applies to a company’s reputation: what employees say about their workplace is far more influential than a hundred carefully crafted corporate messages.
3. The amplifying power of social media
Both influencers and word of mouth gain exponential power through the internet, especially via social media.
Social networks enable companies to reach a broader audience. Research indicates that the collective reach of employees (the visibility of their posts among their personal and professional circles) significantly exceeds the visibility a company can achieve through its official Facebook fanpage or LinkedIn company page.
Beyond greater reach, messages shared by employees are perceived as more authentic and, therefore, more credible.
Why Employee Advocacy matters
To summarize, three key factors make employee advocacy a valuable strategy for companies:
The growing influence of micro- and nano-influencers
The power of word of mouth
The amplification effect of social networks
These elements highlight why employee advocacy is a powerful tool for organizations looking to build credibility and enhance their brand reputation.
How to make Employee Advocacy work
For an employee advocacy program to succeed, employees must have the freedom to express themselves authentically. They should be encouraged to share their professional experiences, achievements, and even challenges in their own unique voice.
This level of authenticity fosters credibility — something that cannot be achieved through rigidly controlled corporate messaging or mandatory content-sharing guidelines.
The most effective employee advocacy programs are those where companies relinquish complete control over the narrative and allow employees to tell the company's story in their own words.
How to turn employees into advocates
So, how can organizations turn their employees into advocates?
1. Recognition and encouragement
Employees need to feel valued in their roles. They should understand that sharing their stories, achievements, and even challenges is not only accepted but encouraged.
2. Providing the right tools and training
Employees should be equipped with the right knowledge and skills to effectively take on this role. Before launching an advocacy program, companies should provide training on social media best practices and digital communication strategies.
The benefits of Employee Advocacy
For employees:
They feel recognized and appreciated
They build their professional reputation
They develop new digital communication skills
Their engagement and motivation increase
For the company:
It gains greater visibility, credibility, and brand reputation
It reaches diverse audiences, including potential candidates, customers, suppliers, and stakeholders
The power of human connections
Employee advocacy thrives on human connections*
People prefer engaging with real individuals rather than faceless corporations or impersonal brands. Employees can play a vital role in humanizing their company, making it more approachable, relatable, and authentic.
By empowering employees to share their experiences, organizations can build stronger, more trustworthy relationships with their audiences.