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How To Get Your Talent To Engage In Your Social Media Strategy

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According to LinkedIn, only 3% of employees share company content with their community, yet they’re responsible for a 30% increase in social actions (likes, comments and shares) of the content they share. Clearly, making your people digital advocates is important and can mean a competitive advantage for your company.

One of my law firm clients (name withheld to protect their social media advantage) has the social media voice of a legal giant with five times as many lawyers because they added the voices of their associates and partners to their social media strategy. That’s the voice multiplier.

To turn your talent into a digital advocacy force:

1.   Explain why. Most employees have no idea the impact they can have when they engage with the content your social media team creates. When they know the impact it has on increasing sales and recruiting top talent, they’re more likely to get involved. According to the 2017 Edelman Trust Barometer employees are the most trusted sources of information in a company. It’s likely that your people have no idea that’s the case. Share these stats from MSL Group with your people:

  • Brand messages reach 561% further when shared by employees vs. corporate brands’ social channels.
  • Brand messages are re-shared 24 times more frequently when distributed by employees vs. the brand.

2.   Start with LinkedIn. For most companies, LinkedIn is the most logical entry point. Most professionals have a LinkedIn profile and they already engage in LinkedIn at least occasionally, so the learning curve is short or nonexistent. For B-to-B companies, it’s the social media platform where you’re likely to find your clients and business partners. For all companies, it’s likely where your future top talent hangs out.

3.   Get them when they start. Onboarding is one of the best places to create engagement. If you let your people know from the day they start how valuable they are to your communication strategy, they’ll be more likely to jump aboard. Plus, it’s easier to start a new habit when something changes— like starting a new job. So if they had not been involved in digital advocacy at previous employers, they can start with your organization.

4.   Give them permission. There’s a persistent mindset (a holdover from the previous decade) that impedes social media activities at work. The mindset goes like this: “If I’m on LinkedIn or using social media, my manager and others in the company will think I’m looking for a job or I’m goofing off or not serious about my role.” Give your people the mandate to get actively involved in your company’s social communications. After all, employees with socially encouraging bosses are significantly more likely to help expand sales than employees whose bosses don’t encourage it—72% vs. 48%, according to Weber Shandwick.

5.   Show them how. Your people are likely feeling a sense of overwhelm with endless email, Zoom meetings and objectives. They don’t want to waste valuable time trying to figure out how to become your company’s most prolific digital brand advocate. The Employee Advocacy Impact Study revealed that 12% of employees don’t know what to share because there is no employee advocacy plan in place and 8% think they don’t have a big enough network to have an impact. Most employees could benefit from learning more about how to use social media. Even Gen Z and Millennials who were born with their fingers on keys have things to learn about best practices in social media. Having a comprehensive social media learning program increases their personal digital dexterity as well. L&D leaders are critical to implementing effective digital branding programs.

6.   Acknowledge them. By creating awards and incentives, you can expand participation. Creating contests within a department or between departments helps large groups of people jump on board and adds an element of fun and competition. Overtly calling out your most fervent digital brand stewards will encourage others to get involved.

7.   Make it about them. Your people are going to be more likely to engage when they see the WIIFM. They may even resent being asked to become a digital brand ambassador when it was nowhere in their position description when they joined the organization. When they see that being a digital advocate makes them more influential inside your organization and helps them build their personal brand in support of their career goals, they’ll be more sanguine about getting involved. Start with personal branding. Why? First, when your people share your company’s content, you want to make sure their online profile is stellar—their personal brand will impact your brand. Second, you’re showing that you trust them and value the unique contribution they deliver to your organization.

When you take these actions, you’ll expand your company’s voice while creating greater connection and commitment among your employees.

William Arruda is a founder of CareerBlast and co-creator of BrandBoost - a video-based personal branding talent development experience.

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