Nowadays, the majority of employees at many businesses are active on social media, making them obvious ambassadors to communicate the company’s philosophy and values to the outside world. While some employees may only post for their friends and families, others reach a significantly wider audience than the company itself with their online presence. Employees from HR, Marketing or Sales who report on company activities or the latest products and services on their private social media accounts can become valuable brand ambassadors for their employers. Career platforms such as LinkedIn and Xing clearly show where someone works, inevitably influencing behaviour and the company’s image. With this in mind, companies stand to benefit from using their own employees as corporate influencers and preparing them for this role.
However, the tasks of a corporate influencer aren’t always governed by clear, in-house specifications. On the contrary: lots of posts go largely unnoticed and are published by chance. Companies should instead adopt a structured approach when it comes to corporate influencer marketing and set up an in-house programme that establishes specific social media guidelines, provides employee training on how to use various media and increases awareness of potential liability risks. The brand and employer values to be communicated play a crucial role in this regard, along with a consistent mission statement. Specialists like Reachbird provide strategic advice and conceptual planning for these points. An external partner can also provide targeted training to give employees a wider understanding of the possibilities offered by social media.
