How do I use social media to engage with my employees?

In today’s digital age, social media is not just a tool for external marketing but also a potent platform for internal employee engagement. Here’s how you can harness social media to foster a more connected and engaged workforce:

Understanding Employee Engagement on Social Media

Employee engagement on social media can transform your employees into brand advocates, extending reach and building trust with your audience. The Edelman Trust Barometer reveals that people trust regular employees (54%) more than CEOs (47%), with even higher trust in technical experts (68%). By involving employees in your social strategy, you can leverage these trust levels to your advantage.

Crafting Your Strategy

  1. Conduct an Employee Survey: Start by understanding what your employees want. Surveys can reveal the types of content they are interested in sharing and how they wish to participate in your social media initiatives.
  2. Tailor Content for Different Teams: Different departments may resonate with different types of content. A content council can ensure a diverse range of relevant content is available for sharing across departments.
  3. Provide Ample Content: Aim to offer a variety of content for employees to share, starting with one post a day and gradually increasing as you gauge what resonates with your team.
  4. Incentivise Participation: Contests and incentives can motivate employees to share content. Prizes and recognition can be powerful motivators.
  5. Involve Employees in Product Launches: Employees can be eager to share news about new company innovations. Create shareable content for these occasions to amplify your reach.
  6. Distribute Company Swag: Branded items can encourage employees to showcase their workplace pride, both offline and online.

Expert Insights

Incorporate insights from successful case studies, like Sodexo’s executive team-led campaign, which reached 7.6 million people and secured a high-value contract. Their use of the #sodexoproud hashtag drove significant traffic to their website.

Summary and Call to Action

To recap, engaging with your employees via social media involves:

  • Understanding the value of employee trust.
  • Creating a tailored content strategy.
  • Providing a variety of content.
  • Motivating employees with incentives.
  • Involving employees in key company moments.
  • Utilising tools to streamline the process and measure success.

Start by surveying your employees to understand their preferences and create a content plan that caters to various teams. Remember, the goal is to make sharing as easy and rewarding as possible for your employees.

Now, take the first step towards engaging your employees on social media. Survey your team, set up your content council, and watch your employees become your most powerful brand advocates.