Why Employee Ambassador Programme is Essential to Your Business

There is a saying that satisfied customers are the best ambassadors for your brand. However, another group of people has just as much power to promote your business — your employees. 

Studies have shown that employee-generated content generates 8 times more engagement than content shared on brand channels. 

In addition, when you involve your employees in your brand-building initiatives, you can benefit from a word-of-mouth snowball effect that can expand your company’s influence, increase market share, and generate organic growth. 

This article will discuss how to implement a successful employee ambassador programme, best practices for achieving results and how your employees can be your biggest cheerleaders. 

What Is an Employee Ambassador Programme? 

Employees are your biggest raving fans

Employee ambassador programme, also known as “employee advocacy programme”, is a marketing strategy that helps you connect with your employees and encourages them to share their thoughts and experiences with their networks. 

A study on employee activism found that 50% of employees share their work updates and experiences on social media, and one-third do so without being asked. 

Now the question is: if your employees are already sharing work-related content on their social pages, wouldn’t it be in your company’s best interest to take advantage of this free publicity? 

Further, the employee ambassador programme is also a way to give employees a voice and a platform to address your customers and prospects — whether online, via social media or offline through word of mouth. 

Benefits of Employee Ambassador Programme 

Employee ambassador programmes can foster a culture of collaboration

Several benefits come with an employee ambassador programme. Here are some of the top reasons you should consider one for your company: 

• Humanising your brand 

Having employees as brand ambassadors is a great way to humanise your brand and make it more approachable. By building a community of ambassadors, you can connect with consumers on a personal level. 

• Increasing social presence 

Brand messages are reshared 24 times more frequently when distributed by employees through employee advocacy programmes. Employees who advocate for your brand have tremendous potential to amplify your brand messages with greater reach. 

• Generating more user-generated content (UGC)  

User-Generated Content

79% of people say UGC highly impacts their purchasing decisions. User-generated content (UGC) is more authentic and memorable than other media. They can also help you spread the word about your brand through social media and other channels. 

• Creating a brand community 

Employee ambassador programmes can also help you create a community around your brand. These communities comprise people who want to share their thoughts about your company and its products/services. 

• Receiving more feedback 

Organisations can use brand advocates to get feedback on the quality of products or services. This is important because it gives you insight into what works well and what needs improvement to make future adjustments. 

• Generate more sales 

Word-of-mouth marketing is perhaps one of the most authentic marketing forms because people trust others more than brands. 64% of marketers agree that word-of-mouth is the most effective form of marketing. 

A well-established employee ambassador programme can help your company drive more sales through increased brand awareness.

Recommended reading: How Ready Is Your Organisation For The Future of Work?

Steps to Launching a Successful Employee Ambassador Programme 

Employee ambassador programmes can foster a culture of collaboration

#1. Get internal support 

Before recruiting your employee ambassadors, you need to get internal buy-in from your company. This means that everyone in the company must agree on the importance of this initiative and know why it is necessary. It also means you need to make sure there is no ambiguity about what an employee ambassador does for your company and how they can benefit your company. 

#2. Establish your goals 

Set SMART employee ambassador goals

Once you have internal support, it is time to establish your employee ambassador goals. This will help you determine which type of ambassador programme to run, the employees to draft in, and the metrics to measure success against. 

Some important goals you should look out for include: 

• Increase brand awareness 
• Generate leads 
• Increase engagement on social media 
• Promote customer loyalty

#3. Choose the right advocates 

It is essential to select the right employees as brand advocates. Employee ambassadors are the face of your brand and will be responsible for promoting your brand in their way. 

To ensure you have strong brand advocates, look for employees who are passionate about their work and can talk about their experiences on social media or in face-to-face conversations with their networks. 

#4. Establish guidelines for employee ambassadors 

To ensure your employee ambassadors remain loyal to your brand and continue engaging with it, you must establish guidelines for them. This should include what they can and can not say about your product or service on social media. 

Establishing these policies and procedures can help create a structured employee ambassador programme. 

#5. Reward employee ambassadors 

Rewarding your employee ambassadors for their hard work and dedication is critical to their continued participation in your programme. You can do this by giving them gifts or cash rewards from time to time, depending on their level of effort. 

#6. Measure performance

You can not manage what you do not measure. Therefore, you must measure your performance against goals and benchmarks to analyse strengths and weaknesses. That way, you can adjust your strategy as needed and ensure you get the desired results. 

Final words 

An employee ambassador programme is an excellent strategy for expanding your company’s reach and social footprint by creating a solid network of advocates who can quickly and easily spread your company’s message. 

They can also help ensure your company adheres to your striving standards and improve employee engagement. 

However, branding programmes should be linked to your overall business goals, closely monitored and regularly reviewed to maximise long-term benefits and increase your bottom line.