Employees who Truly Represent Your Brand
Are you looking for ways to increase your website traffic and find better leads? According to Inc., employee advocates will increase your traffic by 5x online and give you 25% more leads.
What is an Employee Advocate?
Employee advocates are simply anyone on your team that is truly fired up about your brand and ready to spread the word. Employee advocates don’t have to be pushy or obnoxious, they simply tell their friends and family about your brand’s good qualities and will stand up for you if someone does attack your brand or reputation. An employee brand advocate is also going to act according to your brand while on the job.
Why are Employee Advocates so Important?
Nielson found that nearly all consumers (84%) said they either completely or somewhat trust the recommendations they get from family, colleges and friends. This makes personal (or word-of-mouth) recommendations the most trusted sources of information that you could expose your customers to. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer Report, “Employees are the most credible voices on multiple topics, including the company’s work environment, integrity, innovation and business practices.” Most importantly, employee contact will hugely impact your customers, so you need employees who are fully on board and acting in the best interest of the company (and according to the direction of the brand).
Building Employee Advocates
Advocacy requires spontaneity, honesty and interest. You cannot force advocacy because it is most important when no one is there to enforce what is said. Employees that act according to your branding are able to make your marketing statements true when the customer shows up. If employees aren’t sassy enough, quick enough, nice enough, etc., then your brand will feel very different in person than it does online or in writing.
Start by being honest and clear with your employees. Share the kind of content that will help them understand your brand. Work with them on understanding the company from a very deep level and taking ownership of every part of the company.
Hire the Right People
This one sounds easy, but it may prove hard. You need to search for the right people who actually fit your brand from the start. This goes beyond talent. You want new hires to be able to buy-in to the company mentality from the start.
Be Open to Improvement
Offer your employees a chance to change your brand and make sure that you are listening to their input. Give them a chance to make anonymous tips and make sure there is nothing that might scare them into not offering a suggestion. If your employees are afraid to say something, they will let problematic practices occur and they will be acting at odds with your branding. You need employees that take ownership and see your brand as their own.
