Transforming Employees into Online Brand Ambassadors

By Caitlin Zucal.

Employees and social media – too risky or an opportunity for success? Many companies are discovering that every single employee has the potential to become a brand ambassador — someone who draws visibility to their workplace and acts as an advocate for the company, both online and off. Social media advocacy in the workplace can lead to authentic relationships, boosted sales and positive branding. In order to help employees reach their online potential, here are three tips on how to transform employees into powerful brand advocates:

Train Employees

Not everyone is a social media expert, and that’s ok. Employers should view this as an opportunity for employee development. Brand ambassadors need to feel confident about their online presence, so help them get there! For example, employees may not know where to begin or which platform is best for them. So, provide a crash course on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter and let them decide which platform matches their goals and personalities.

It is also important to have a conversation on social media responsibility. Employers should review the significance and value of the company’s social media policy with employees. Train them on social media etiquette for online interactions and clearly explain the importance of reputational management and brand protection. These learning opportunities demonstrate that the company encourages people to start engaging and prepares them to do it successfully.

Establish Trust and Open Communication

Brand ambassadors are going to talk about the company on social media – make sure they are sharing the right content. Employers must establish and maintain absolute transparency regarding social media communications. Whether it’s a regular email or a quick discussion at a weekly company meeting, outline what information can be shared online and what needs to remain internal.

Trust is also an important factor to brand advocacy – encouraging employees to share exciting company news on social media builds a level of trust and enables employees to feel like they’re “in the know” and expected to act appropriately when representing the workplace.

Become a Social Media Advocate

Employee activism on social media can easily transform employees into brand ambassadors for the company. However, it’s important to emphasize that you, as the employer, are also an advocate for the social media well-being of employees.

Therefore, take an active role in the success of employees in the digital space. Educate them on social media do’s and don’ts and encourage completed profiles that showcase experience, expertise and personality. For example, RegEd held a series of LinkedIn optimization sessions where employees received a review of their profiles and tips on how to build a more effective online presence – whether that meant adding a professional photo, spotlighting volunteer activities, or requesting recommendations and endorsements. This investment in your employees will help them become stronger professionals and increase brand loyalty throughout the company.

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RegEd (powered by Arkovi) is the premier financial services social media solution for archiving, compliance and market intelligence. Through a cloud-based, secure platform - RegEd enables financial advisors and institutions to engage in social media from any business or personal device while satisfying compliance requirements and leveraging tools for search, reporting and public monitoring features. RegEd (Arkovi) was founded by industry veterans with the goal of making it simple to leverage the power of social media without the burden of additional hardware, software and configuration. Start using RegEd in 3-5 minutes and discover benefits for business development, compliance and marketing all in one platform! Learn more > www.arkovi.com