There is immense value in positioning your dedicated staff as online brand ambassadors.

Miliswa Sitshwele, head of social media at Flow Communications told the OFM Business Hour in this day and era on social media people want to read about ordinary people and hear them speak directly about where they work and what their company culture is like. This makes the case for online employee brand ambassador programmes. 

Sitshwele said social media is a pretty good way of showcasing company culture but also of advertising your organisation or business to the public in a manner that feels organic and not forced. So what are employee ambassadors and how do you identify them within your business? 

What are employee ambassadors?

She explained employee advocacy or brand ambassador programmes are where individual workers promote their organisation on their social media channels. As a result, positive word of mouth is spread more authentically than buttoned-up brand accounts ever could.”

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She added employee endorsements, affirmations, and organic content creation are often viewed as more reliable than conventional marketing and advertising methods. Employee brand ambassadors feel more organic than celebrities or influencers.

Who is the ideal employee brand ambassador?

An prospective employee brand ambassador is a member of staff who has an existing online following and is passionate about the organisation where he/she works.

Once you have identified such an individual, it becomes important to vet them, to avert any incidences of reputational damage to the organisation that may arise from a problematic social media post from the past. These can include previous prejudicial or insensitive posts made previously. 

Once done vetting, businesses need to provide social media guidelines for your brand ambassador to ensure that their posts whilst organic, do not stray far from the company ethos or culture.

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Companies that have used employees as ambassadors

TikTok: Dunkin’ Donuts

 Sitswhele said “Dunkin’ Donuts is excellent at showcasing employees’ experiences of working at Dunkin’ Donuts on TikTok. 

LinkedIn: Netflix

On LinkedIn, Netflix has effectively used the “Life” section on its company page to highlight the meaningful work that staff members are engaged in with videos and articles that give the audience a glimpse into the vibrant company culture”

How you can support your brand or organisation on social media: 

• Review them on Google: Give an honest review of what it’s like being an employee at your company. Your feedback helps others discover and trust the services of the brand but also gives some insight into the employee’s experiences.
• Write a review on Facebook: Similar to the Google review, you can write a few lines on the organisation’s Facebook page. Your insights can make a big difference to potential customers and future employees.
• Share company news and blogs on your LinkedIn account: Share company blogs on your personal LinkedIn platform. Add your unique perspective or comments to engage your network and spark discussions.
• Unboxing videos: Film the excitement of receiving a delivery from your organisation with an unboxing video. In winter, Flow sent warm blankets and some of the team tagged the agency while opening their gift.
• Recommend your company’s pages: Encourage your connections to like and follow the company’s social media pages. Your endorsement carries weight and can introduce the organisation to a wider audience
• Like, comment, and share: Shares and comments push content up higher on the news feed and allow the organisation to reach other audiences

OFM Business Hour