Boosting brand visibility by transforming employees into influencers

Sometime ago, Cisco announced they'll train their employees to be influencers on LinkedIn, the popular social network for professionals.

For any organization wanting to gain greater digital visibility, it seems like great strategy. Almost organic. Especially if you are Cisco, a company with about 83,000 employees, you'd want to tap into the professional network of your employees and reach more people.

The times they are a-changin'

It looks like a very natural evolution for digital brand building, but it's far from the way organizations viewed the use of third-party social media platforms years ago.

There was a time when businesses and organizations would prohibit employees from posting anything about the employer on social media. No pictures of the workplace and no social commentary on new products. Certainly no public discussions with customers.

Those were the first two decades of the twenty first century as companies got introduced to third-party social media platforms, and then cautiously learnt to navigate them, going from posting formal minutes to memes.

But the times they are a-changin' as the Bob Dylan song continues to remind us. The times, they are always changing.

As different forms of social media continues to proliferate every aspect of life, it's become a channel that's core to new-age brand building and visibility. It also means organizations are now more comfortable and creative with social media.

Employees don a new hat

Organizations now find themselves in a digital landscape where content floods are frequent, cost of customer acquisition via social channels are rising and competition is growing.

This is also pushing organizations to innovate on brand building and get creative in their use of third-party social media. Thus, it now makes for good strategy to authentically tap into the professional networks of employees for greater digital brand visibility and engagement.

Helping transform employees into social media influencers can offer numerous benefits, provided organizations approach it strategically and with a focus on authenticity.

Benefits of helping employees become social media influencers:

1. Amplified brand reach: Leveraging employees as influencers can significantly expand the reach of a company's brand. Employees, being authentic representatives of the organization, can share insights, achievements, and industry knowledge, thereby increasing the company's online visibility.
2. Trust and credibility: Followers often perceive content shared by individuals within a organization as more authentic and trustworthy than traditional corporate messaging. This approach can help build stronger connections with the audience, fostering trust and credibility.
3. Talent acquisition and employee retention: A organization's active presence on social media, driven by employee influencers, can attract top talent. Additionally, it can contribute to a positive internal culture, boosting employee morale and retention.
4. Industry thought leadership: Employee influencers can establish the company as a thought leader within its industry. Sharing valuable insights and expertise positions the organization at the forefront of industry trends and developments.
5. Engagement and networking: Owned and third-party social media platforms can also provide a space for meaningful engagement and networking. Employee influencers can participate in conversations, connect with industry professionals, and represent the company in a dynamic and interactive way.

This journey of transformation, of empowering, training and going the full journey with employees as they grow into influencers requires a long-term view. When you go into the fine operations of it, it requires the use of the right tools to execute the strategy.

Where would the employees be trained? How and where would they receive the latest updates that can be spoken about on third-party social media or shared to directly? How will organizations track the success of such a strategy and reward top performers?

Using a branded digital content and community platform can play a pivotal role in facilitating such a transformation.

Such a platform would provide the necessary tools, education, and support for employees to effectively represent the organization on an owned marketing and communications platform and on third-party social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook.

How a branded content-community hub can help ace such a transformation:

1. Education and training: An internal platform can serve as a hub for educating employees on social media best practices, industry trends, and company values. Training sessions, webinars, and interactive content can be shared to enhance their influencer capabilities.
2. Content publishing and distribution: The platform can facilitate the publishing and distribution of relevant content for employees to share. This includes articles, infographics, polls, quizzes and other engaging formats aligned with the company's messaging.
3. Tracking and analytics: Implementing referral mechanisms on the platform allows the company to monitor the performance of shared content. Analytics can help measure the reach, engagement, and impact of employee influencers, enabling data-driven adjustments to the strategy and providing a means to incentivize more shares by creating transparent leaderboards.
4. Community building: Fostering a sense of community among employees also encourages collaboration and knowledge sharing. This can create a supportive environment for employee influencers and enhance their effectiveness and invite their private professional communities and followers to join the company hub.

While this appears to be a growing trend, organizations should also be mindful of potential challenges and risks associated with such a shift in strategy.

Potential perils and shift in strategy:

1. Uniformity and saturation: If all companies adopt similar employee influencer strategies, there is a risk of over-saturation on third-party social media platforms, diluting the impact of individual brands. Companies should strive for uniqueness and authenticity in their approach and aim to also build their owned social platforms where they control the narrative and don't have to compete for attention.
2. Employee privacy concerns: Employees may have concerns about privacy and personal boundaries. Striking a balance between professional representation and personal privacy is crucial to avoid potential discomfort among employees.
3. Social media risks: Third-party social media platforms come with inherent risks, including negative comments, controversies, and potential misuse of information. Companies must build strategies to address and mitigate such risks, and get acquainted with moderation features on their owned platforms.

The move towards encouraging employees to be influencers signifies a departure from the traditional approach of restricting employees from posting on social media. While there are significant benefits, organizations must navigate this shift carefully to maintain a positive balance between employee empowerment and organizational interests.