Incorporating employees into your social media strategy can bring fresh, authentic content to your social platforms and give them a stake in the company’s public image.
Employees Often Enjoy Sharing their Work – and the Content can be very Engaging
In today’s digital age, social media plays a pivotal role in shaping a company’s public image and engagement with its audience. An effective strategy to enhance this engagement is by involving employees in content creation. This approach not only diversifies the content but also instills a sense of pride and ownership among the staff.
The Power of Employee-Generated Content
Employees are the backbone of any company, witnessing and contributing to its daily operations. By encouraging them to capture these moments, companies can showcase authentic, behind-the-scenes glimpses into their work environment, products, and services. This not only enriches the content on social media platforms but also humanizes the brand, making it more relatable to the audience.
How It Works
The concept is simple: empower employees to take photos during their regular workday. These photos can then be submitted to a designated team member or directly to the boss. The company’s social media team can add suitable captions and share these images on various platforms. This process allows for a steady stream of fresh, engaging content that highlights different aspects of the company.
The Benefits
- Enhanced Engagement: Employee-generated content is often more relatable and engaging, leading to higher interaction rates on social media.
- Pride and Ownership: When employees contribute to the company’s social media presence, it fosters a sense of pride and ownership in their work and the company.
- Diverse Perspectives: Different employees will capture different aspects of the company, offering a broader, more diverse view of the company culture and operations.
- Authentic Insight: These photos provide an authentic insight into the company’s day-to-day activities, helping to build trust and transparency with the audience.
The key is to keep it very simple. Allow staff to have the autonomy to whip out their phones or other devices you agree upon, snap a quick photo or video of what they believe is interesting to share, and text or email it to a designated staff member for review. Easy!
Realistic Implementation
- Encourage, Don’t Mandate: Participation should be voluntary, not an added job responsibility. It’s about being part of a team, not additional work.
- Provide Guidelines: To maintain a consistent and professional image, provide basic guidelines on the type of content suitable for sharing.
- Recognize Contributions: Acknowledge and appreciate employees who contribute, perhaps through internal recognition or rewards.
Incorporating employees into your social media strategy is a win-win. It brings fresh, authentic content to your platforms and gives employees a voice and a stake in the company’s public image. This approach strengthens your social media presence and builds a stronger, more engaged company culture.