Employee Advocacy
Published: May 7, 2024
How much is brand perception worth to your company?
Imagine scrolling through your social media feed and seeing a post shared, not by a brand, but by a respected colleague. Their endorsement carries significant weight, shaping your opinion. Now imagine amplifying your brand’s messaging simply by tapping into an already existing resource: your employees.
In this blog post, we’ll explore employee advocacy, highlighting its importance in fostering authenticity and building genuine connections with your target market. We’ll also analyze some of the best employee advocacy examples, giving you ideas for how to harness your team's collective voice to elevate your brand's presence and credibility.
Ready? Let’s get started.
Employee advocacy isn't just the latest buzzword in business — it's a powerful strategy that transforms your team into a dynamic force for brand promotion. Moreover, it’s your employees, armed with genuine enthusiasm and personal connections, sharing your brand's story across their social networks. Our statistics show that employee advocacy is so effective that 73% of social media marketers report it doubled social media engagement, while 26% say that it actually tripled it!
Why does this matter? We live in a digital society where consumers are bombarded with faceless advertisements and branded content, and in this reality, authenticity is the currency of trust. When messages come from employees, who are perceived as more trustworthy than corporate brands, they resonate more strongly with their target audience.
Plus, leveraging the power of your team's social networks is an incredibly cost-effective solution, enabling you to avoid a hefty advertising budget. If you’re looking to increase engagement, boost your brand reputation, and drive business growth, employee advocacy is one strategy that you don’t want to overlook.
In the next section, we'll explore some of the best employee advocacy examples in action.
Starbucks is an excellent example of a brand with a successful employee advocacy program. Here’s why: Starbucks doesn’t just have employees — they have “partners” who actively choose their impact areas to give back through The Starbucks Foundation.
The Starbucks Foundation, committed to strengthening humanity, focuses on community resiliency, prosperity, and disaster relief. This approach not only empowers partners but also positively impacts communities. It’s a strategic, empathetic, and effective model of employee advocacy that resonates with both employees and the general public.
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Source: Starbucks Partners
IBM is another great example of a company with a successful employee advocacy strategy. The brand encourages its employees to use company events and other gatherings as inspiration for content creation.
Here, employee Nada Alkutbi shares her excitement about attending IBM’s first-ever THINK event in Riyadh. She also admits that this is her first TikTok video. The result? She is seen as relatable, garnering 154 likes and 44 comments. Sharing genuine content humanizes IBM’s brand and culture, which resonates with its audience.
Source: Nada Alkutbi
Cisco's approach to employee advocacy sets a remarkable example of how to foster brand loyalty from within. For example, take its ingenious use of #wearecisco. Using a creative hashtag isn’t just a social media trend —- it's creating a feeling of togetherness as a group of friends —- not just a big company.
Source: Wearecisco
What's truly impressive is how Cisco integrates this ethos into every aspect of its marketing strategy. From weaving this narrative into their official communications to featuring employee stories on their blog, Cisco prioritizes the human element in its marketing.
The strategy is simple yet profound: let your employees share first-hand why it’s great to work for your company. Cisco knows that posts featuring content from its employees will resonate more than generic branded posts. In this example, check out the level of engagement Cisco cultivated by simply using this strategy:
Source: Cisco
In addition to the 1,800+ positive reactions, there were several comments echoing Cisco’s supportive culture. This level of social engagement not only boosts brand awareness but increases Cisco’s credibility as an employer who supports its dedicated employees:
Source: Cisco
Zendesk stands out as one of the best brand advocacy examples, and one employee's LinkedIn post truly captures why. They express gratitude for Zendesk's "Recharge Leave," highlighting the company's commitment to work-life balance and employee wellness.
This strategy is effective because it showcases tangible support for employees' well-being, fostering loyalty and positive brand sentiment. By prioritizing employee welfare, Zendesk not only attracts top talent but also cultivates a culture of caring and appreciation, ultimately, strengthening their brand reputation.
Source: Franch Almero
Stryker is a medical technology company that offers innovative services and products that help improve healthcare and patient outcomes. It uses GaggleAMP’s employee advocacy platform and tools to share with its audience how important it is to have close relationships with co-workers.
Stryker’s employee advocacy is exemplified by the high-level of camaraderie among its employees. Here, this employee’s LinkedIn comment highlights the importance of having a best friend at work, stating it increases happiness, reduces stress, and improves productivity. The sentiment underscores the supportive and friendly work environment at Stryker, making it a great example of employee advocacy.
Source: Kristi F.
Tricentis, a software testing company, is another brand that uses GaggleAMP to foster human connections and engagement on social media. Through its "People of Tricentis" series, the company spotlights individual stories and contributions, like Katerina Prikhnenko's journey to finding a home with Tricentis:
Source: Sevinc K.
This initiative showcases Tricentis' diverse and inclusive culture and highlights its commitment to valuing and amplifying its employees’ voices. By sharing authentic stories of its team members, Tricentis not only strengthens internal morale but also attracts top talent externally. This genuine portrayal of the company's values fosters trust, loyalty, and pride among employees, solidifying Tricentis' reputation as an employer of choice.
The next example comes from Elastic, a software company for search, logging, observability, security, and analytics. This post stands out for two reasons. First, it showcases the company’s expertise, highlighting AI solutions to enhance search relevance, observability, and security. This promotes Elastic as an innovative and knowledgeable industry leader who’s committed to sharing knowledge and providing solutions to real-world problems.
Second, it fosters a personal connection between company leaders and the audience by giving them the opportunity to get to know the founder better. This approach humanizes the brand, making it more relatable. Elastic effectively combines personal engagement with promotional messaging, setting a high standard for employee advocacy that builds trust and relatability.
Source: Colin Tan Thong Tee
Another outstanding case of a successful employee advocacy strategy comes from TRC Group, a company that provides innovative technology products, specialist recruitment solutions, and IT consulting services. The company knows that one of the best ways to build a strong brand image is to recognize its employees’ achievements regularly.
By acknowledging and celebrating employee achievements, TRC Group not only shapes a positive company culture centered on encouragement and synergy but also boosts morale and attracts top talent. It also highlights the value TRC Group places on hard work, dedication, and teamwork, making it an inspiring model for employee advocacy.
The result: employees feel appreciated and valued. In this example, take a look at the hashtags that employee Anna Reddy uses to sum up what working at TRC Group feels like. Reviews that come directly from your employees are pure gold when you’re on the hunt for new recruits.
Source: Anna Reddy
Our last example comes from New Zealand’s largest grocery retailer, Foodstuffs North Island. The company is committed to being a positive force for its community and customers, while striving to create a great workplace for its employees.
Source: Amy Varcoe
Foodstuffs North Island exemplifies employee advocacy through genuine team engagement, as demonstrated by this employee's heartfelt post. Its team day at Social Cooking fostered connection, laughter, and meaningful discussions around personal values and brand alignment.
By prioritizing team bonding and individual growth, Foodstuffs not only strengthens internal cohesion but also cultivates a culture of belonging and excellence. This post reflects the company's commitment to fostering a supportive and enjoyable workplace, making it a standout example of employee advocacy. Check out some of the comments from other team members:
Source: Amy Varcoe
Now that you've seen the transformative power of employee advocacy, it's time to take action. With GaggleAMP, you have a trusted partner to guide you on this exciting journey.
Our platform streamlines the process of launching and managing employee advocacy campaigns, providing you with the tools and insights you need to succeed. From content curation and distribution to tracking engagement and measuring results, GaggleAMP empowers you to maximize the impact of your employee advocacy efforts.
Ready to kick your brand into high gear? Schedule a demo today and witness firsthand how GaggleAMP revolutionizes employee advocacy. Let's fuel your brand's ascent together, one empowered advocate at a time.
Employee Advocacy
Employee Advocacy
Employee Advocacy
