Arguably the hardest part of leveraging the power of social media is generating an initial swell of activity. Every day, we read fantastic case studies of companies who tap their biggest fans to help generate quality word-of-mouth. While there’s no question that customers are one of the most effective assets in social-media marketing, companies of all shapes and sizes often overlook their built-in social network: their employees.
A recent Forrester study indicates that tech-savvy employees who are equipped with information are more likely to advocate on their company’s behalf. Consequently, it is the responsibility of today’s marketer to arm their colleagues with the tools and messages to enable word-of-mouth. In today’s competitive environment, every social-media campaign needs a spark. Your employees, the very folks who build, sell and manage your products every day, are perhaps the most suited to kick-start your campaign. Here are a few ways to empower your employees to get your word-of-mouth moving.
Extend the “all-staff” e-mail. Internal “all-staff” e-mails are perhaps the No. 1 way employees hear about all the great milestones, product updates and announcements at your company. But why do we stop there? After each important announcement (intended for the outside world, of course), add a baked-in tweet or status update, complete with a link to the appropriate news release or landing page. Not only will your well-connected employees share the big announcement, their networks will listen — as they will be “breaking the news” from the inside.
Socialize PowerPoint. Is there a company PowerPoint deck that your sales or business development people use frequently? If you’re lucky, the deck details the value of your business in ways your website or your e-mail signature just can’t. So why not extend that messaging? Get that presentation uploaded on SlideShare, tag accordingly and get your entire staff to upload the deck to their LinkedIn profiles, via the SlideShare application (You can also use Google Presentation on LinkedIn).
“Like” where you work. Chances are, a good chunk of your staff is on Facebook. Scratch that. They all are. How many of them “like” your company? Some people may prefer to keep their personal life separate from their professional life, but it never hurts to ask. Most likely, they’ll accept — and several of them may turn into active (and valuable) participants.
Ax the fax and socialize your business cards. When was the last time someone interacted with you (or your company) via fax? So why is a fax number still a standard component of business cards while social-media outlets are omitted? It just makes sense. Your staff are leaving behind their business cards at conferences and meetings, so including a link to a blog, a company Twitter account or Facebook page provides potential customers or clients with a meaningful way to interact with your brand. All of the above also applies to your employees’ e-mail signatures. Present your staff with a template, complete with all appropriate social outposts — and watch your network grow.
What other ways are companies leveraging the employee marketer? Incentives?
Image credit: AVAVA, via iStock Photo
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[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by SmartBrief on SocMed and others. SmartBrief on SocMed said: 4 ways to transform your employees into social-media marketers http://t.co/eM3OMrL [...]
[...] 4 ways to transform your employees into social-media marketers [...]
[...] SmartBlog on Social Media reports today that a recent Forrester study states “that tech-savvy employees who are equipped with information are more likely to advocate on their company’s behalf.” Not a surprise and consistent with Peters’ point about keeping everyone, including the receptionist, informed. [...]
[...] – 4 ways to transform your employees into social-media marketers [...]
I love the “all staff email.” I am implementing that one this week. It is hard for us marketing types to remember that it is not natural for much of our staff to SHARE info, even in this day and age. Just a little structure as you recommend can greatly help.
Thanks for the tips.
Thanks Julie,
Great to hear you're implementing that right away. Marketers often underestimate their own colleagues outside of their department– and with social media becoming more prevalent in professional life– we can no longer afford to do that. So inform and equip everyone like you would your very best marketers.
Realy good guides how to make social media marketer, thank Julie
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[...] – Best Practices and Case Studies on Social Media Marketing for Business, view the original @ 4 ways to transform your employees into social-media marketers Blog this! Bookmark on Delicious Digg this post Recommend on Facebook Buzz it up Share on Linkedin [...]
[...] “Ax the fax and socialize your business cards. When was the last time someone interacted with you (or your company) via fax? So why is a fax number still a standard component of business cards while social-media outlets are omitted? It just makes sense. Your staff are leaving behind their business cards at conferences and meetings, so including a link to a blog, a company Twitter account or Facebook page provides potential customers or clients with a meaningful way to interact with your brand. All of the above also applies to your employees’ e-mail signatures. Present your staff with a template, complete with all appropriate social outposts — and watch your network grow.” – Read article [...]
This piece was shared with the Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs) Community by Constance Woodson. It contains some good tips, but I wonder if trying to "transform" everyone into SM marketers is the best idea. I like the idea of enabling people's efforts, but people shouldn't feel forced to market. There's also a risk of overexposure – especially if certain employees have overlapping networks, their “sharing” could be viewed as “spamming,” which could quickly turn good news into bad. Organizations should pay attention to the signal/noise ratio in their communications and manage them accordingly. Social media enthusiasts in particular should remember that not everyone shares their passion, and their tolerance for “too much information” is lower than they might think.
Courtney Hunt
Founder, SMinOrgs Community
[...] – 4 ways to transform your employees into social media marketers [...]
We are beginning the "all staff email" practice this week. Great recomendation.