Leveraging Social Media for Employee Interaction

TRUTH bomb of the day: People connect with people, not faceless corporations on social. This insight helped two merging health systems successfully rebrand without losing their employees' trust. When Beaumont Health and Spectrum Health merged into Corewell Health, they were up against: - 21 hospitals becoming one brand - 300+ outpatient locations needing alignment - 65,000 employees wondering "what's next?" The typical thing to do is to blast out corporate memos and hope for the best. (Spoiler: that never works) Instead, Corewell Health's social team did something different: They turned their EMPLOYEES into the voice of the brand. They leveraged 65,000+ people in their organization and empowered them to drive results! Using Hootsuite Enterprise they were able to: - Create one central hub for brand content (keeping 65,000 people across 300+ locations on-brand) - Make sharing authentic stories effortless (busy healthcare workers could share pre-approved content in seconds) - Monitor conversations in real-time (it became easy to spot negative sentiment early and adjust their content accordingly) And I’m still shocked by the results they generated: → 3M+ MORE impressions from employee-shared content →  2.5x HIGHER engagement than healthcare industry average (4.76% to 1.8%) → 50% DROP in negative sentiment since the merger went into effect (14% to 7%) The big lesson? 👇🏻 Your most powerful brand ambassadors aren't your ads or announcements. They're your people. When you empower employees to share their authentic experiences on social media, you build trust in ways traditional corporate communications never could.

We're not investing in influencers to be the face of our brand. We're investing in our employees. Here's why this matters: An old saying goes, "People buy from people," and it holds more weight than ever. People are seeking personal connection and trust for their business transactions, and this is where your team becomes your most valuable asset. Let me explain how you’re going to do this: 1. You’re going to put your business out there as its most authentic self. The world has ENOUGH polished ads and perfect pitches. When your team members share their experiences, expertise, or stories, you create a genuine connection with your audience. This authenticity is relatable, builds trust and puts a face behind your brand. 2. Each team member has their own network, both professionally and socially. You’re going to lean into that. You’ll make them advocates for your brand and get them to introduce your business to a whole new audience in a more organic and trusted way. 3. Platforms like LinkedIn favor individuals over brands in their algorithms. This means that content shared by your employees will naturally get more reach and engagement, thereby increasing your brand's visibility without the need for additional ad spend. 4. The most important part is that it builds a culture of ownership. When employees are encouraged to be brand ambassadors, they feel like they’re directly in charge of the brand's revenue and growth, which creates a sense of pride in work. This boosts morale and leads to better job performance and overall employee retention. Let’s take a real-life example: We’re all familiar with the “Day in the Life of X” videos. If you’re unfamiliar, they were a trend of employees showing where they worked and how their days were structured. If you go on YouTube and search, “day in the life of a Tesla engineer,” you’ll see videos of employees sharing development challenges and daily wins. Each post becomes a mini-case study, showcasing the company's expertise and the real people behind it. This makes the business more relatable and trustworthy for the general public. So, how do you implement this? I know that at Venveo, we encouraged our team to use LinkedIn and Twitter to share their professional journeys, insights and thoughts related to our industry on their social platforms. We never treated it as a goal to turn them into salespeople. We want them to share their authentic voices on their overall experience of the work they do and the results they get. If it creates advocacy for the brand, we just hit two birds with one stone, and no one’s complaining about that. Your team members aren’t just employees; they are potential influencers who can represent your brand in the most relatable and raw way. So invest in them. You're not only enhancing your marketing strategy but also enriching your company culture. In the end, people connect with people, not faceless brands. #digitalmarketingtips #digitalmarketingstrategy

If you train employees to build their personal brand on social media, they’ll be noticed, recruited and leave. 😱 Or worse, they’ll say something wrong, or share things that are not aligned with what you want them to say. This is a common concern shared by many organizations and their leaders. Let’s look at a different way to approach it. First let’s start with our mindset, and shift from fear to empowerment. Instead of holding back employees' visibility, let's celebrate their achievements and create an environment where they can flourish. Why? Because employees play a key role in brand visibility. Visibility of content posted on company pages has diminished over the past few years, employees play a vital role in closing this gap. At the same time the role of B2B social media has only grown: 🎯 75% of B2B buyers rely on social media as part of their decision-making process (SproutSocial) 🎯 96% of B2B buyers want content with more input from industry thought leaders (Content Marketing Institute) 🎯 84% of C-level and VP-level buyers are influenced by social media in their decision-making (IDC) Let’s activate your people safely. To do this you need: 📌 Simple, short social media policy Easy to read, provides guardrails to protect the organization and its employees 📌 Education and training Always-on access to the basics, plus opportunities to take more advanced modules focused on specific use cases 📌 Role models Show employees what good looks like. Be equipped to highlight leaders, sales professionals, marketers, SMEs, and social media team members that are walking the talk. 📌 Aligned goals Every employee has goals. Make sure they’re aligned to their manager’s goals, function and business goals, and organization goals. People want to be a part of soemthing where they can make a difference 📌 Organization culture Understand it and invest in creating a culture where people thrive. A place they want to show up to, where their voices matter and their points of view are valued. This shapes how people show up and behave where ever they are. 📌 Communications Weave social media guidelines, tips and best practices into your internal and executive communications 📌 Measurement Demonstrate the impact by aligning colleague activities on social media directly to organization goals and KPIs. Show the value generated as a part of your reporting What else can you add? Please share in comments. #SocialMedia #EmployeeAdvocacy #Marketing #SocBizExchange

Everybody on your team is a marketer. Here's why your company needs corporate creators. Your employees aren’t just the backbone of your business - they’re your brand’s most authentic voice. Empowering them to share their knowledge and experiences on #LinkedIn can transform how your company is perceived. Here’s why: 1️⃣ Amplify Your Brand’s Reach Every post from an employee is an opportunity to connect with a new audience. Their stories, insights, and expertise humanize your brand and build trust. It’s authentic, organic marketing at scale. 2️⃣ Attract Top Talent People don’t just join companies - they join cultures. When employees share their experiences, it showcases what it’s like to work at your company, making it a magnet for top-tier talent. 3️⃣ Strengthen Employee Engagement Encouraging employees to share their voices on LinkedIn fosters a sense of ownership and pride. It’s a way to recognize their expertise and give them a platform to shine, boosting morale and connection to the organization. 4️⃣ Drive Innovation and Thought Leadership Corporate creators position your company as a leader in the industry. Their posts can highlight your vision, showcase your expertise, and keep your brand at the forefront of conversations in your field. 5️⃣ Create a Competitive Advantage Most companies overlook the potential of employee creators. Those who tap into this resource stand out - building stronger networks, deeper trust, and a more compelling brand presence. ✅ Your employees are your greatest untapped resource for building your brand, attracting talent, and driving engagement. By supporting them with training, encouragement, and resources, you’ll elevate your people and your entire organization.

Why do employees hesitate to engage in social media advocacy programs? You may have seen: ❌ Lack of clear guidelines on what to share. ❌ Fear of sounding inauthentic or promotional. ❌ A sense that their efforts won’t make an impact. But here’s the thing: A well-designed advocacy program isn’t just about amplifying your brand—it’s about empowering employees to share stories that resonate with their values and experiences. Here’s how to make it work: 🔹 Educate: Provide training on best practices and guidelines. Show them how their efforts can align with their personal brand. 🔹 Equip: Share ready-to-use content and templates to make participation effortless. 🔹 Encourage: Recognize and celebrate employees who actively engage. A little appreciation goes a long way! 🔹 Empower: Let employees craft their own narratives around the content to make it authentic and relatable. When employees feel invested, your brand voice gains diversity, credibility, and reach. What’s one way your company has successfully engaged employees in advocacy? #SocialMedia #EmployeeAdvocacy

During my 1:1 with the CEO of a marketing client yesterday, he shared that he initially reached out to us after seeing content on my personal LinkedIn profile. I loved hearing this, and it got me thinking about how much time companies spend on their company pages versus supporting employees' personal LinkedIn accounts. In an increasingly AI-driven world, it's human connection and authenticity that will stand out and ultimately drive results. From a recent AdAge article, "Research shows that content shared by employees generates eight times more engagement than content shared by corporate accounts. Companies with strong employee advocacy programs grow their social reach by 561%." Perhaps we should focus less on pushing out messages on branded pages and more on "socializing" - genuine person-to-person interaction - through employee advocacy.