EveryoneSocial https://everyonesocial.com/ Fri, 31 Oct 2025 16:36:18 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.4 People, Platforms & Imperfection: Why Modern B2B CMOs Are Rewriting the Playbook đŸ§© https://everyonesocial.com/blog/people-platforms-imperfection-why-modern-b2b-cmos-are-rewriting-the-playbook/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=people-platforms-imperfection-why-modern-b2b-cmos-are-rewriting-the-playbook https://everyonesocial.com/blog/people-platforms-imperfection-why-modern-b2b-cmos-are-rewriting-the-playbook/#respond Thu, 26 Jun 2025 22:34:13 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=33965 In today’s social-first world, B2B marketing is undergoing a profound shift. A recent session featuring top CMOs—including leaders from Bain, SAP, and Dentsu—illuminated three transformative trends your team needs to know: turning companies into people, embracing authentic imperfection, and mastering platform algorithms. Below, we unpack each insight and show how they fit into the strategic...

The post People, Platforms & Imperfection: Why Modern B2B CMOs Are Rewriting the Playbook đŸ§© appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
In today’s social-first world, B2B marketing is undergoing a profound shift. A recent session featuring top CMOs—including leaders from Bain, SAP, and Dentsu—illuminated three transformative trends your team needs to know: turning companies into people, embracing authentic imperfection, and mastering platform algorithms.

Below, we unpack each insight and show how they fit into the strategic mindset we’ve cultivated here at EveryoneSocial.


1. People > Companies: It’s All About Real Connections

Erika Serow, CMO at Bain said it best:

“People don’t talk with companies, people talk with people.”

This reflects a fundamental change: as Erika explained, companies are just groups of individuals, and in the era of social media, B2B marketing means building real, human-to-human relationships at scale.

That philosophy echoes our approach on this blog—every post is crafted to empower employees to share authentic stories that resonate. When your people share your narrative, they don’t just distribute content—they drive network effects that amplify trust and extend reach  .


2. Imperfection Builds Trust: Let the Humans Tell Their Stories

Tim Hoppin, Chief Brand & Creative Officer at SAP emphasized the power of genuine storytelling:

“Let the HUMANS in the business tell their story.”

The message is clear: vulnerability matters. Budgets can be refined, campaigns planned—but it’s the real, unfiltered voices within your organization that cultivate trust.

Our content strategy encourages just that. Whether it’s through employee-generated content or third-party thought leadership, we’ve seen firsthand how authenticity drives engagement—and elevates both people and brand  .


3. Algorithms Aren’t Optional: Learn to Play, Or Be Left Behind

Rob Gold, President of Dentsu B2B issued a timely reminder:

“We live in the algorithmic era
 You need to be in native platforms with human beings, building trust.”

Content alone won’t cut it—understanding how platforms distribute content is crucial. It’s not about funnel metrics or MQL quotas. It’s about audiences, native experiences, and strategic distribution in environments where your people are already engaging.

This is the core of modern B2B creativity and strategy. When your employees share content natively (rather than via broadcast channels), engagement grows. Our clients routinely see employee shares outperform paid ads, driving pipeline at a fraction of the cost  .


Bringing It All Together: A Framework for 2025-Ready Marketing

Here’s what happens when human authenticity meets platform mastery:

Principle

What It Means

Your CMO Needs to Do

Humanize the Brand

Shift from corporate broadcasting to human storytelling

Empower employee-generated content; spotlight real voices

Embrace Imperfection

Ditch polished corporate veneers—people relate to real, imperfect stories

Train and support your people to share honestly

Understand Algorithms

Content only matters if it’s seen—so distribution rules everything

Invest in platform-native content strategies and measurement

What You Can Do Now

1. Activate your people — Create structured programs for employee advocacy and provide social media training

2. Encourage authentic storytelling — Spotlight cross-functional voices (sales, customer success, product teams) to deepen brand narrative.

3. Optimize for platforms — Build content and distribution strategies tailored for native environments (e.g. LinkedIn, X, TikTok). Capture data and refine based on reach and engagement metrics.


Looking Ahead: The Human Algorithm Advantage

We’re at a tipping point. The companies that win in 2025 and beyond will do more than tell stories—they’ll lift the voices behind them, empowering human-to-human connections at scale. That combination of authenticity + distribution mastery is what defines modern B2B brand leaders.

Need help bringing this playbook to life? Whether it’s kickstarting an employee advocacy initiative, running a storytelling workshop, or optimizing your platform strategy—we’re here to help your CMO make those insights actionable.

The post People, Platforms & Imperfection: Why Modern B2B CMOs Are Rewriting the Playbook đŸ§© appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/people-platforms-imperfection-why-modern-b2b-cmos-are-rewriting-the-playbook/feed/ 0
The ROI of Advocacy in 2025: Resources, Case Studies, Data https://everyonesocial.com/blog/the-roi-of-advocacy-in-2025-resources-case-studies-data/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-roi-of-advocacy-in-2025-resources-case-studies-data https://everyonesocial.com/blog/the-roi-of-advocacy-in-2025-resources-case-studies-data/#respond Fri, 16 May 2025 15:58:50 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=33952 I was recently visiting with some current and soon-to-be-customers in NYC and the topic of ROI came up. ROI is such a funny thing, especially when it comes to social/advocacy, and especially in 2025. Years ago people were serious about this question, because they didn’t know. Would an advocacy produce value? If so, what would...

The post The ROI of Advocacy in 2025: Resources, Case Studies, Data appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
I was recently visiting with some current and soon-to-be-customers in NYC and the topic of ROI came up. ROI is such a funny thing, especially when it comes to social/advocacy, and especially in 2025. Years ago people were serious about this question, because they didn’t know. Would an advocacy produce value? If so, what would it be, how would you show it? Nowadays everyone knows social and advocacy aren’t an option. But sometimes teams need a little boost, they need some ammunition to really hammer home why they need to invest in an advocacy program.

To help these folks out our team pulled together some of our recent greatest hits: data, case studies, stories, reports, etc. Resources that clearly paint the picture of the value of advocacy across marketing, sales, comms and recruiting. Advocacy can be applied to ANY person or team, and the beauty of it is that it directly impacts the things that are MOST important to any company: revenue and people. And fortunately, after more than a decade of supporting the world’s largest advocacy programs we have plenty of data and examples to share!

Sales: Driving Revenue

I’ve been an honorary salesperson all my life. You don’t have a choice when you’re a founder or CEO. And I’ve loved doing it. I love talking with prospects and customers. If I had to sum up what I’ve learned about sales over the last 20+ years it’s that being seen and heard, participating in the conversation and giving, contributing value is really the key. We buy from those we know, we like and we trust. It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about buying a pair of socks or some multi-million dollar technical solution, the equation is fundamentally the same. That’s why social is SO important for salespeople. And contrary to what some salespeople and leaders may think, it’s not complicated. Your buyers are on social. Salespeople need to be talking with those buyers, they need to be engaging with them. Period. As the saying goes, 80% of life (of sales) is simply showing up (on time, with something to contribute).

Sales use case resource: Case study and data on how the use of EveryoneSocial + Linkedin Sales Navigator by sales teams led to increased pipelines, win rates and deal sizes.

Marketing: This Is Word Of Mouth

Marketing is the bread an butter of the advocacy world. This is where it all started and it’s still a core pillar of how advocacy drives ROI. I mean look, it’s really simple, advocacy is word of mouth marketing! This was the idea that drove us to start EveryoneSocial so many years ago, the idea that all of us, the PEOPLE inside companies were connected with everyone we wanted to reach as a business: customers, prospects, partners, candidates, etc. There isn’t a CEO in the world who hasn’t asked his team to share good news with their networks. Advocacy is how you do that repeatably and at scale and it’s the reason why Ogilvy called out advocacy as the #1 influencer trend for 2025.

Marketing use case resource: Ogilvy report highlighting advocacy as the #1 influencer marketing trend for 2025 (featuring EveryoneSocial customers!).

Recruiting: Winning The Talent War

If you’ve talked with me before you know that recruiting and employer branding is one the strongest use cases for advocacy. Honestly I would say that if you could only choose one way to use advocacy, use it for this. Why? Everyone you will hire is on social media. All of your current employees are on social. Everyone who has been a member of your team is on social media. Further, people LOVE sharing about their work, what it’s like to work at your company, and open opportunities to join the team. Further, there are LOTS of people looking for their next opportunity (something like >50% of the global workforce is open to new opportunities). Just a single example for you: the average job post (a link, leading to your company’s career site) shared from EveryoneSocial generates 36 clicks. Advocacy for employer branding and recruiting just works and there is NOTHING more important, there is NOTHING your CEO cares about more than people. The people are the business.

Recruiting use case resource: Comprehensive guide and data on why advocacy + (employer branding + recruiting) are a match made in ROI heaven.

Comms: How You Activate Your C-Suite

I think comms plays a way more important role at most companies than maybe it gets credit for. This is coming from me and I’m not a comms professional, but we’ve had the opportunity to work with comms teams and leaders and this is why I say that: unlike marketing, comms is crenated on people. They’re not afraid of people. Their job is to get messages to employees and get messages to key audiences outside the company. That’s advocacy! Advocacy is just a tool for them. AND they hold the ace, which is they’re the ones that support the senior most executives, the C-suite. And in 2025 the C-suite are quite possibly the most important advocates you can activate at your company. This is really the #1 trend amongst our customers right now and it makes sense. Activating your C-suite is absolutely critical. They can grow their networks faster than anyone at your company and the content they share will reach a bigger audience than anyone else. Perhaps most importantly (and unlike in the past) your C-suite knows they need to be seen and heard on social. It’s a critical pillar of any advocacy strategy in 2025.

Executive comms use case resource: Data on how your C-suite (especially your CEO) positively impacts all areas of your business when they’re active on social media.

The post The ROI of Advocacy in 2025: Resources, Case Studies, Data appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/the-roi-of-advocacy-in-2025-resources-case-studies-data/feed/ 0
How AI Is Reshaping Buyer Decisions — And What It Means https://everyonesocial.com/blog/ai-reshaping-buyer-decisions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ai-reshaping-buyer-decisions https://everyonesocial.com/blog/ai-reshaping-buyer-decisions/#respond Mon, 03 Mar 2025 15:34:23 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=33283 There’s only one company that can compete with the major social networks in terms of users and engagement: OpenAI.  Are OpenAI and the major social networks headed for a collision? Who knows? (Meta sure isn’t going to take it lying down.) But it’s definitely worth thinking about — especially if you’re a marketer! I had...

The post How AI Is Reshaping Buyer Decisions — And What It Means appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
There’s only one company that can compete with the major social networks in terms of users and engagement: OpenAI. 

Are OpenAI and the major social networks headed for a collision? Who knows? (Meta sure isn’t going to take it lying down.) But it’s definitely worth thinking about — especially if you’re a marketer!

I had a chance to talk with Scrunch AI CEO Chris Andrew the other day about SEO, and he shared a dashboard with me highlighting the referral traffic EveryoneSocial receives from ChatGPT and other AI apps. While it’s nowhere near the traffic we see from Google, it’s headed in that direction. 

And it got me thinking about who these visitors were. What were they asking? 

Just the other day I used ChatGPT for a research project that led me to a service provider that I may spend a bunch of money with.

Search is totally different. You have to ask the questions and sift through the results. You’re clearly talking with a computer.

But ChatGPT is basically another person, and one thing we know is that people are FAR more likely to make purchasing decisions that are recommended by a trusted connection…

Because ChatGPT is friendly, helpful, smart, patient, and always there to answer your questions, does that make it a trusted companion? I think it does. It’s why my wife refers to ChatGPT as simply “Chat.”

This is why people like Yuval Harari worry about AI: Because it’ll soon be at a place where we can’t distinguish it from another human. And in many ways it’s better than another human because it’s more helpful, more patient, etc. (Have you ridden in a Waymo vehicle? Best driver I’ve ever had!)

As the CEO of a B2B software company, I’m very excited for ChatGPT (and maybe others) to be the primary starting point for “search.” No doubt content marketers will do their best to figure out how to exploit it like they did with search, but I think it’s going to be harder to do. I think starting a search with ChatGPT is going to be really beneficial for good businesses, those companies that customers love and that provide real value. And I think it’s going to be bad for poor businesses because I don’t think you’re going to be able to BS Chat. It’s all-knowing and has a strong BS meter! 

It can be very hard to tell the difference between a good and a bad vendor, especially in B2B. After all, buyers are constantly being marketed to, and the vendors they go with are often the ones with the best marketing — not necessarily the ones with the best offerings. In these cases, the buyers simply connected with the right people who said the right things and made the buyers feel special.

But if you have a super smart trusted connection like ChatGPT that’s weighing all the options and guiding you toward the best solution… Well, it’s hard to see marketing and sales winning the day in that world.

What does all this have to do with advocacy? Like I said earlier, people are far more likely to make purchasing decisions based on recommendations from trusted connections, and these days a lot of those connections and recommendations are found on social.

In fact, 71% of decision-makers say social is influential when considering or researching a new product for their company, so if people aren’t talking about your product on social — especially the people you employ — you’re missing out on a massive part of the market.

Want to increase your brand’s presence and influence in the place where it matters most? Book a demo.

The post How AI Is Reshaping Buyer Decisions — And What It Means appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/ai-reshaping-buyer-decisions/feed/ 0
10 of the Most Engaged Social Posts Shared in 2024 https://everyonesocial.com/blog/most-engaged-posts-2024/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=most-engaged-posts-2024 https://everyonesocial.com/blog/most-engaged-posts-2024/#respond Thu, 13 Feb 2025 16:34:46 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=33047 We recently took a look at the most engaged content that was shared from EveryoneSocial in 2024, and it’s proof that authentic, employee-generated content wins every time. Scroll down to see which posts took the top spots, see why they performed so well, and get some tips to create your own high-performing social content. 1....

The post 10 of the Most Engaged Social Posts Shared in 2024 appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
We recently took a look at the most engaged content that was shared from EveryoneSocial in 2024, and it’s proof that authentic, employee-generated content wins every time.

Scroll down to see which posts took the top spots, see why they performed so well, and get some tips to create your own high-performing social content.

1. Share a laugh.

This meme may be a deep cut, but it clearly has an audience, as this post from Daniel Abib, an Amazon Web Services senior specialist solutions architect, demonstrates.

In addition to more than 11,000 likes, this LinkedIn post also garnered 200+ comments and nearly 400 reposts.

Why? Because it involves a timely event with niche, humorous content that speaks directly to Abib’s audience.

2. Keep it short and sweet — and real.

One of the top-performing posts from EveryoneSocial last year is simply a 5-second video of the JLL Tampa office posted by an employee — and it amassed nearly 7,000 likes and more than 160 comments.

That’s more engagements than many posts by Fortune 500 CEOs receive! 😼

Haley Mott, a former associate at JLL, shared the video to LinkedIn in April, and she credits her post’s high engagement to the fact that it’s short, sweet, and 100% authentic. If this isn’t an example of the power of employee advocacy we don’t know what is.

3. Go behind the scenes with execs.

There’s a reason why United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has nearly 220,000 LinkedIn followers: He doesn’t just share company updates, but he also takes his followers behind the scenes of the company and shares personal updates.

Many of 2024’s most engaged social shares came from Kirby, which truly illustrates the power of activating execs.

4. Let a picture speak for itself.

It didn’t take a lot of words for Rubrik CEO Bipul Sinha to share the big news of his company completing its IPO in April.

Sometimes a great picture is all you need for a highly engaging social post.

5. Showcase events.

People love to see what employees at the world’s top companies are up to, so it’s no wonder that this short video from NVIDIA Principal Engineer Dustin Franklin amassed so many engagements.

Also, don’t underestimate the power of cute. There’s a reason why social posts featuring animals and children perform well — and apparently this includes adorable robots as well.

6. Give thanks.

Expressing gratitude is always appreciated. And doing so on social media is a great way to showcase authenticity and vulnerability, enabling followers to more easily make a human connection with the poster.

Capgemni CEO Anirban Bose also tags only people whom he knows personally and are likely to respond to his post, which is proven way to increase engagement on your posts and make the LinkedIn algorithm work for you.

7. Offer insights and ask questions.

Rouven Kramer LinkedIn post

People love to get a behind-the-scenes look at others’ lives, especially those at innovative companies like Coupa. It’s why day-in-the-life content like Rouven Kramer’s post above is some of the most engaged employee-shared posts.

Kramer’s post accrued more than 6,500 likes and more than 700 comments because he shares details about his daily life, states his opinion, and outright asks for others to weigh in. Simply asking questions like this is an effective way to jumpstart discussions that’ll further increase a post’s engagement.

8. Provide helpful information and guidance.

A study by The New York Times Consumer Insight Group reveals that one of the top reasons why we share on social media is to provide our audience with valuable informative. And that’s exactly why this post from Fred Hoskyns, an account engineer at Amazon Web Services performed os well.

He doesn’t only share big company news with his followers, but he also provides resources, invites people to sign up for updates, and asks others to share their certification study tips.

9. Say something positive.

Social media often isn’t the place we turn to for good news. After all, we see far many headlines about “doomscrolling” than we do “gleefreshing.”

But when it comes to what generates the most shares on social, news with a positive spin outperforms the negative. In fact, one study found that of the top 1,000 articles shared on social media, more than two-thirds had a positive tone.

So go on and share the good stuff you and your company are doing!

10. Share hiring updates.

Job-related posts are some of the top-performing content shared from EveryoneSocial, so it doesn’t surprise us that this LinkedIn post from Supriya Chandel, leadership recruiter at Meta, garnered so many likes and comments.

People want to be in the know about open positions and new opportunities, and the best place to finds those is often within your own network. It’s why 79% of job seekers use social media in their search.

Share Content that Gets Results

Hopefully these most engaged posts of 2024 gave you some ideas about the kind of content to share on your brand page and your own social accounts.

And, of course, shares like these are great examples of the kind of content that make high-performing Engage posts in EveryoneSocial.

Want to level up your content and social engagement? Book a demo — and maybe you’ll see your employees’ posts on our list next year.

The post 10 of the Most Engaged Social Posts Shared in 2024 appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/most-engaged-posts-2024/feed/ 0
Why the World’s Largest Advocacy Programs Run on EveryoneSocial https://everyonesocial.com/blog/largest-advocacy-programs/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=largest-advocacy-programs https://everyonesocial.com/blog/largest-advocacy-programs/#respond Tue, 04 Feb 2025 13:29:04 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=33029 Below is a message I received from a new connection last week. His team uses an advocacy tool that came bundled with their larger social media management stack. Many teams we meet with are in the same boat: They use an advocacy tool like Sprinklr or Sprout that comes bundled with a larger social media...

The post Why the World’s Largest Advocacy Programs Run on EveryoneSocial appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
Below is a message I received from a new connection last week. His team uses an advocacy tool that came bundled with their larger social media management stack.

Many teams we meet with are in the same boat: They use an advocacy tool like Sprinklr or Sprout that comes bundled with a larger social media marketing solution.

(Here’s why you shouldn’t do that.)

These teams typically assume there aren’t many differences between their bundled advocacy tool and EveryoneSocial, but what they come to learn after a single call with us is that the differences are MASSIVE.

The reason why is simple: Advocacy tools that come bundled with larger social media management solutions haven’t received any development or innovation for years.

The companies that sell them have never seen advocacy as a priority. It doesn’t make them as much money as their publishing and ads tools, so the advocacy sides of things doesn’t get any investment.

For us at EveryoneSocial, every minute of our time and every dollar we spend goes toward the improvement of our platform to ensure our customers have the most successful advocacy programs that generate incredible ROI.

Related: Get a custom report of the ROI you’ll generate with EveryoneSocial

That’s why the differences are massive and why the largest advocacy programs in the world — including Amazon’s, Meta’s, and NVIDIA’s — run on EveryoneSocial.

So if you’re using a bundled advocacy tool, we’d love to connect and show you what you’re missing out on.

You’ll see that it’s like going from The Flintstones to The Jetsons.

Ready to get started? Request your free Modern Advocacy Report!

The post Why the World’s Largest Advocacy Programs Run on EveryoneSocial appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/largest-advocacy-programs/feed/ 0
What I’m Most Excited About for Advocacy in 2025 https://everyonesocial.com/blog/advocacy-2025/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=advocacy-2025 https://everyonesocial.com/blog/advocacy-2025/#respond Wed, 22 Jan 2025 14:44:27 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=33012 What’s something that I’m really excited about for 2025 with EveryoneSocial and advocacy? Helping our customers CONNECT their social media efforts to the things their senior leaders care about most. In the past, most senior leaders didn’t believe that social media was important. The problem was they just weren’t early adopters — they assumed social...

The post What I’m Most Excited About for Advocacy in 2025 appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
What’s something that I’m really excited about for 2025 with EveryoneSocial and advocacy? Helping our customers CONNECT their social media efforts to the things their senior leaders care about most.

In the past, most senior leaders didn’t believe that social media was important. The problem was they just weren’t early adopters — they assumed social wasn’t important simply because they weren’t using it themselves! 🙃

Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. The majority of senior leaders ARE on social and we’re heading toward 100% in the next few years. Anecdotally, I’d guess we’re at around 85% adoption right now.

Having these senior leaders active on social is important for MANY reasons, one of which (maybe the biggest) is that it creates the opportunity to build a bridge between them and the teams that actually run social for their company.

This bridge is built with data. When the social team posts content to their brand pages  or to their execs’ profiles, it reaches critical audiences, chiefly customers, prospects, and employees.

Reaching these audiences and getting them to engage and take action is what POWERS every single company on Earth, from a new startup to an Amazon or an NVIDIA. It’s the reason why reaching and engaging these audiences is the PRIMARY responsibility of every senior leader at every company.

And the social team makes it happen.

So that’s one of the things I’m most excited about for 2025: helping our customers build those data bridges between their social teams and their senior leaders.

We spent a good part of 2024 doing this, and not only was it energizing and inspiring, but it also opened up many new and exciting opportunities.

When that bridge is built, so much more becomes possible. Execs develop a greater appreciation for the social team and its efforts, linkages and connections start getting built with other teams (data, comms, marketing, HR, etc.), the social team gains a deeper understanding of what makes the business run, and more.

It’s going to be an incredible year. Thanks to the EveryoneSocial team and our amazing customers for being on this journey together!

Want to see how your senior leaders are doing on social? Get a free executive data report!

The post What I’m Most Excited About for Advocacy in 2025 appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/advocacy-2025/feed/ 0
Essential Strategies to Improve Internal Employer Branding https://everyonesocial.com/blog/internal-employer-branding/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=internal-employer-branding https://everyonesocial.com/blog/internal-employer-branding/#respond Wed, 08 Jan 2025 14:02:16 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=32940 We often hear about the importance of external employer branding — creating a compelling image to attract top talent. But what about internal employer branding? Just as crucial, internal employer branding helps align employees with the company’s mission, values, and identity, creating a cohesive and motivated workforce. When executed effectively, it not only enhances employee...

The post Essential Strategies to Improve Internal Employer Branding appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
We often hear about the importance of external employer branding — creating a compelling image to attract top talent. But what about internal employer branding?

Just as crucial, internal employer branding helps align employees with the company’s mission, values, and identity, creating a cohesive and motivated workforce. When executed effectively, it not only enhances employee engagement, but also drives tangible business outcomes.

Despite its clear benefits though, many organizations fail to prioritize internal employer branding with the same rigor as their external efforts. This oversight can lead to a disconnect between a company’s public image and its internal reality, ultimately affecting performance, culture, and employee satisfaction.

Let’s take a look at how to develop a successful internal employer branding strategy, so you can turn your people into effective brand ambassadors.

What is Internal Employer Branding?

When we think of employer branding, it’s often in the context of how an organization presents itself externally; however, this is only half the story. Equally important, but often overlooked, is internal employer branding.

Internal employer branding uses the same principles as external branding but focuses entirely on the organization’s actual employees. Instead of marketing to potential and future hires, it’s about fostering a culture where the current workforce feels connected to and invested in the company’s success.

At its core, internal employer branding aligns employee values and behaviors with the company’s goals and identity. It ensures that employees understand the business’s mission and their role in achieving it. When employees have a clear sense of purpose and alignment with their organization’s vision, they’re more likely to be engaged, productive, and loyal.

The Difference Between External and Internal Employer Branding

Need a little more clarification? No problem.

The distinction between external and internal employer branding lies in the target audience and communication focus.

External branding aims to attract new talent and create a positive public perception of the company. In contrast, internal branding emphasizes engaging and retaining the existing workforce by fostering a shared sense of identity and purpose.

Related: 5 Employer Branding Activities to Improve Company Reputation

Benefits of strong internal employer branding

Today, internal employer branding is a strategic imperative that delivers significant benefits for both employees and the organization. Let’s take a look at just some of the ways it can help your business.

1. Enhanced employee retention

Internal employer branding creates alignment between employees and the company’s mission, fostering a sense of belonging. Employees who feel valued and part of a larger purpose are less likely to seek opportunities elsewhere.

In fact, organizations with highly engaged employees have been shown to reduce staff turnover by as much as 87%, saving time and resources while maintaining organizational continuity. And that pays off! 👇

2. Reduced turnover costs

Managing your internal employer brand effectively can lower company turnover by as much as 28% and reduce cost per hire by 50%.

How? Retaining skilled employees enables you to avoid the high costs of recruitment, onboarding, and training, while maintaining institutional knowledge and team cohesion.

On the other hand, organizations with a weak employer brand must offer a 10% pay increase to attract qualified candidates, according to Harvard Business Review.

3. Increased productivity

A strong internal employer brand fosters emotional connections, increasing job satisfaction and motivation. And engaged employees aren’t just happier, they’re also more productive.

Studies show that companies with highly engaged employees can boost operating income by 19.2% over just 12 months.

4. More effective employee advocates

Engaged employees naturally become advocates for your brand. In fact, 78% of engaged employees would recommend their company’s products and services, driving word-of-mouth marketing and organic growth.

Happy employees also promote their organization on social media, where nearly half of candidates say they searched for their most recent job. These engaged workers are the best advocates for their companies because they’re authentic, making them three times more trustworthy to prospective hires than external branding efforts alone.

5. Better customer experiences

When employees are aligned with your brand and mission, they’re better equipped to meet customer needs. Engaged employees — 70% of whom report a clear understanding of how to serve customers effectively — translate their enthusiasm into exceptional service, driving loyalty and repeat business.

8 Tips to Foster a Strong Internal Employer Brand

Building a strong internal employer brand takes strategy, communication, and a deep understanding of what motivates your employees. Here are practical and actionable tips to develop a cohesive and engaging internal brand:

1. Define and communicate your company’s values and its story.

Start by clarifying what your company stands for. Identify the core beliefs and values that define your organization and align them with your mission. Employees need to understand not just what your company does, but why it exists.

  • Share your company’s story, emphasizing its mission and the impact it seeks to make. Use clear, relatable language that resonates with employees.
  • Equip leaders with the tools to communicate this story passionately and consistently across teams.

Related: 7 Employer Branding Content Types for Employees to Share

2. Align internal and external branding.

Consistency between your internal and external branding is key to building trust and credibility. When employees see alignment between what you say to the world and how you treat them, they’re more likely to embrace your brand authentically.

  • Use the same colors, logos, tone of voice, and messaging internally as you do externally, but add a unique touch to make it distinct for employees.
  • For example, create a specific internal logo, intranet name, or visual theme that reflects your external branding while fostering a sense of ownership among employees.

3. Engage and empower employees.

Employee engagement begins with listening. After all, employees who feel heard and involved are more likely to support and champion your brand.

  • Gather feedback through surveys, focus groups, and open forums to understand how employees perceive the brand and their role within it.
  • Help employees create an emotional connection to the brand. For example, when multinational company KPMG launched its “Purpose Program,” it asked employees about what their jobs means to them. The result? More than 40,000 responses ranging from “I advance science” to “I help farms grow.” (The company went on to have its biggest year in its 100+-year history.)
  • Identify and support brand ambassadors, those employees who naturally champion your company’s culture. Provide them with resources and recognition to amplify their impact.

4. Embed internal employer branding into daily operations.

Your internal employer brand should be more than just a mission statement — it needs to be woven into every aspect of the employee experience.

  • Incorporate branding into onboarding processes to immerse new employees in your culture from the very beginning.
  • Use internal touchpoints such as intranet homepages, email signatures, and office decor to reinforce key messages.
  • Support initiatives that reflect your brand values, such as community events, charity partnerships, or employee recognition programs.

5. Cultivate a sense of community and belonging.

We spend about a third of our lives at work, so build a workplace where employees feel connected, supported, and able to thrive.

  • Create spaces for employees to share ideas, celebrate achievements, and connect on both work and personal topics.
  • Highlight individual employee stories and successes through newsletters, events, or digital platforms.
  • Form employee resource groups to foster collaboration among colleagues with shared interests or backgrounds.

6. Launch an employee advocacy program

Turn your employees into passionate advocates by giving them the tools and incentives to promote your brand, both internally and externally.

  • Provide training and resources to help employees confidently represent your brand.
  • Encourage employees to share their personal success stories and workplace experiences, whether through internal channels or social media.
  • Recognize and reward employees who go above and beyond to live out your company’s values.

See why the world’s top brands — including Amazon, Meta, and NVIDIA — trust EveryoneSocial to activate their people.

7. Invest in growth and development.

Showing a commitment to your employees’ professional growth demonstrates that you value them as individuals.

  • Offer training programs, mentorship opportunities, and clear career paths to help employees succeed.
  • Celebrate milestones like promotions, certifications, and work anniversaries to show appreciation for employees’ contributions.

8. Start small with your internal employer branding efforts.

Start with small, meaningful initiatives that align with your goals and build momentum from there.

  • Use key moments, such as a product launch or rebranding, to introduce internal branding initiatives.
  • Recognize early wins and build on them to create lasting change over time.

By focusing on these strategies, you can cultivate an internal employer brand that inspires your employees, strengthens your culture, and drives your business forward.

We’re Your Secret Weapon for Successful Employer Branding

A strong internal employer brand turns your workforce into advocates who embody your company’s values. And these are the people you want talking about your company on social media.

Here at EveryoneSocial, we’ve seen firsthand how both internal and external branding efforts can transform a company.

If you’re ready to prioritize your employer brand, we’d love to help.

Get started by requesting your free Modern Advocacy Report, which will identify your socially active employees and the companies engaging with their content.

 

The post Essential Strategies to Improve Internal Employer Branding appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/internal-employer-branding/feed/ 0
LinkedIn Steps Back From Advocacy Once Again https://everyonesocial.com/blog/linkedin-steps-back-from-advocacy-once-again/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=linkedin-steps-back-from-advocacy-once-again https://everyonesocial.com/blog/linkedin-steps-back-from-advocacy-once-again/#respond Tue, 29 Oct 2024 12:49:17 +0000 https://everyonesocial.com/?p=32894 LinkedIn recently announced that it’s discontinuing its My Company and Employee Advocacy tabs in November, and it’s not the first time that LinkedIn has stepped back from the advocacy space. Years ago, LinkedIn had its own employee advocacy product called LinkedIn Elevate, but ultimately the social network decided to discontinue that as well. (Actually, when...

The post LinkedIn Steps Back From Advocacy Once Again appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
LinkedIn recently announced that it’s discontinuing its My Company and Employee Advocacy tabs in November, and it’s not the first time that LinkedIn has stepped back from the advocacy space.

Years ago, LinkedIn had its own employee advocacy product called LinkedIn Elevate, but ultimately the social network decided to discontinue that as well.

(Actually, when LinkedIn did that, the company redirected traffic from Elevate to EveryoneSocial!)

Why is LinkedIn getting rid of these features? Because it’s not a business it should’ve been in in the first place. It’s tempting for these large platforms to want to build products and services in and around the core platform.

I get it. When I was on the team at Reddit, it was a constant discussion, right? You have all these users, you have all this traffic, so why shouldn’t we build this thing, or that thing, or this other thing?

And what you come to realize is that any effort spent outside of the core platform, the core user base, isn’t time well spent.

So at Reddit, we built a variety of things, but they almost all got shut down after a period of time.

The same fate was true for the LinkedIn Elevate product. And when they sunset it, I think it was kind of an attempt to do a soft landing. So they introduced this My Company tab and a couple of lightweight employee advocacy features.

In a few days, there will be no more My Company and Employee Advocacy tabs.

The message here, of course, is that if you’re serious about advocacy — if these features gave you a bit of a taste for it and you want to continue scaling your program — you need a purpose-built solution.

When you have a true advocacy solution in place like EveryoneSocial, a whole wide world of possibilities open up for your staff, your executives, and your organic brand content.

Want to see what’s possible? Request your free Modern Advocacy Report to see which of your employees are active on social, which companies engage with their content, and what kind of ROI your advocacy program could generate.

👉 Get your free report.

 

The post LinkedIn Steps Back From Advocacy Once Again appeared first on EveryoneSocial.

]]>
https://everyonesocial.com/blog/linkedin-steps-back-from-advocacy-once-again/feed/ 0