3 Reasons Why Employee Advocacy Is a Must for 2024

What if I told you there was a way to increase your content’s reach and amplify results in 2024? 

Harnessing the power of your teams — namely, your employees — through an employee advocacy program has proven a most successful strategy for many companies. Those are the same companies that are now building a future-proof marketing strategy to keep their employees and their audience engaged.

Your teams are your most loyal supporters — they know your company and your product or service inside and out, and they have the authority to genuinely speak to your audience with words they will listen to, words that will resonate with said audience.

Employee voices are perceived as 3x more authentic and credible than the CEO’s, for example (source: LinkedIn Business), which is a key statistic if you think how much that credibility can impact your brand’s own credibility and help you build brand trust and loyalty. 

Employee advocacy isn’t just a fancy marketing term. It’s the key to turning your team into your brand’s most trusted ambassadors, willingly and enthusiastically spreading the word about your organization, its initiatives, products, and services.

Building brand trust and loyalty

Building brand trust and loyalty will become the number one priority for businesses in 2024. Besides being a conduit to long-lasting and profitable business relations, brand trust is the one thing that all consumers seek and most lack. 

Generating brand trust on the market is also one of the hardest things you will ever have to do: in the world of social media, billboards, and paid advertising, ‘trust’ is not a word most consumers would use to describe any company’s marketing campaigns or efforts. That’s why employee advocacy is such a game-changer in this space. 

They are real people with real lives and jobs and opinions – opinions that are supposedly less biased than a CEO’s and extremely more genuine than a faceless corporate voice. That’s the key behind advocacy: building trust is a matter of building relationships and connecting with the audience. And the only way for brands to do that is by relinquishing that control to their employees, the real USP behind any business.

Where skepticism is the default setting for many internet users, the personal endorsement of employees can lend much-needed authenticity and credibility to your brand. That’s why when your content is shared by someone they trust — someone they can instinctively feel like they can trust — they are more likely to engage with it and more likely to place their trust in your brand.

As consumers increasingly crave authenticity and transparency, employees, as the most authentic ambassadors of a company, will play a pivotal role in shaping its public image. Harnessing the power of employee advocacy fosters a genuine connection between the workforce and the brand, amplifying the reach and impact of marketing efforts. 

Attracting unique talent through genuine branding

The already prominent competition for top talent in the global workforce is only likely to escalate in 2024 and beyond as companies zoom in on the same talent and fight to claim it for themselves. 

Employee advocacy, through the genuine promotion of workplace culture and values, serves as a compelling magnet for potential hires, and businesses that actively encourage their workforce to share positive experiences become more attractive employers. 

Job seekers are increasingly relying on insights from current employees to gauge the authenticity of a company's commitment to employee well-being, diversity, and overall job satisfaction. Which is why advocacy-driven recruitment not only reduces acquisition costs but also ensures a higher caliber of talent aligning with the organization's values. 

Renewed urgency to focus on sustainability 

Last but not least, employee advocacy can play a big role in a company’s sustainable transformation and engagement. Today’s consumers want to take action and make an impact — they want to make sure that the brands they purchase from are sustainably engaged and invested in making the transition to a more sustainable economy and way of living. So much so that it’s projected that by next year, you can expect to see brands taking action to perform better in the market.  

This resolve brings together employees too: they too are consumers, and they too want to know that the company they work for is sustainably engaged. Employee advocacy is a way to engage your employees in that sustainable transformation, to make them a part of it while also building a culture of sustainability. At the same time, advocacy will allow you to spread the word about your existing initiatives and your commitment to sustainable objectives and habits by having your brand ambassadors promote them.

As we step closer and closer to 2024, the compelling case for employee advocacy becomes clearer than ever. The statistics and trends underscore the pivotal role that employees play in shaping a brand's narrative, driving trust, and expanding its reach. 

Embracing employee advocacy isn't just a trend; it's a strategic imperative for businesses looking to thrive in a competitive landscape. The authentic voice of your workforce can amplify your brand message, attract top talent, and significantly impact your bottom line through increased social and sustainable engagement. It's not just about having employees; it's about unleashing the full potential of a passionate and engaged team to take your brand into a successful future.