Employee Advocacy and thought leadership often go hand in hand, as individuals build their personal brand and top of mind through the initiative.
Being a brand ambassador can boost the brand of the organization, as well as that of the individual advocating for the employer. Data supports the notion that employees regard shared benefits as the most important ones when it comes to motivations for advocating. But building a personal brand and one’s thought leadership are just as important and more personal motivations for the employee than just branding or selling the organization’s product or service.
Thought leadership is not an easy term to define. What is it? It’s about having answers to the questions buyers are asking. It’s about being educational and showing that you possess knowledge in your field that others may not. The thing about thought leadership is that anyone can grow and harbor it.
What does building thought leadership mean in practice, and how can Employee Advocacy help out in the process?
Being present on social media
It’s all about being present and active on social media and elsewhere online. Making yourself known and heard means that participating in discussions is key. You can provide value to ongoing discussions by sharing your knowledge and experiences.
Maintaining an active social media presence in company advocacy programs is made easy, when employees are encouraged, rather than stopped from sharing their professional knowledge online and during work hours. By doing so, individuals can showcase their individuals’ expertise and valuable thoughts on social media.
Adding uniqueness into the mix
In terms of establishing a personal brand and thought leadership, innovative thinking can be used as an effective marketing tool. Think about the underlying notion that sets you as an expert or your company apart from the rest. What is it that you have to offer for the audience that others do not have?
This type of sharing of unique ideas can be combined with organizational goals, when employees can share branded or industry content and tie it with their own notions of their work. Sharing ideas does not brand anyone as a thought leader overnight, but supporting the building of a social media presence around their professional expertise and keeping it consistent can help employees build a personal brand around the ideas and topics they know the most about.
Using content to showcase your expertise
Content is a great way to build visibility and brand yourself as an expert. Whether it is self-produced, company content or third-party articles, it’s a way to educate others, start discussions and gain visibility.
Employee Advocacy supports employee-generated content. “We now place the most value on what we perceive to be authentic information: the word of the employee at the coalface,” Sarah Goodall writes on employee generated content. Employees can provide insights into brands and industries through knowledge that is not present on branded social media pages or websites.
Build your thought leadership to boost your career and professional expertise on social media.
Want to learn more? Check out our social media policy template!
