Now Hiring: Corporate Influencers

I came across an article on LinkedIn a few weeks ago discussing the idea of corporate influencers and ended up down a rabbit hole to learn more about this growing social marketing method.

What is a corporate influencer?

Employees that provide their POV of the company they work for and its brand on their personal social media channels by showcasing their expertise within the company, their daily work, and sharing key points of the company to provide transparency and authenticity.

According to MSLGroup, “brand messages were associated with 561% more reach when shared by employees than the same messages shared through the brand's official social channels”. Think about it, how much traction does your company’s social media posts receive compared to the traction they get when shared by an employee?

 

We’ve discussed the power of utilizing brand advocates in previous blogs, How To Improve Your Marketing and Social Media Trends For 2023, so why not look within your company for these advocates?

 

Why should you consider having corporate influencers?

Provides Authenticity
Sharing company values and demonstrating a genuine belief in what the brand stands for.
Demonstrating the real-world impact of the company's offering on their personal work and life.
Leveraging their professional knowledge and insights to provide valuable content.

“This not only humanizes the brand, but also extends its reach by tapping into the trust and authenticity of individual voices in an era of impersonal, easily created AI content.” (Chris Rechsteiner via LinkedIn)

Builds Community
Genuinely engage with their following, participate in discussions, show an interest in feedback.
Creating diverse content - videos, posts, lives, polls - to cater to various audience preferences.
Hosting or attending events online and offline to build stronger connections.

“You want for people to really trust you as a brand and the only way they can do that is by knowing who's behind the brand.” (Madelyn Macado via LinkedIn)

Contributes To Transparency
Sharing behind-the-scenes of their work life, team interactions, and company culture.
Working together with colleagues to highlight a broader range of experiences.
Disclosing their position within the company.

“One of the most important aspects of transparency is disclosing the relationship between your brand and the influencers. This is not only a legal obligation, but also a way to respect and inform the consumers.” (LinkedIn)

 

If you’re looking for a way to expand your company’s social reach, start a conversation with your employees to see who would be interested in becoming a corporate influencer. Make sure there is open communication between your marketing team and the influencers so everyone is in alignment with company goals and are able to share progress updates. You can also incentivize your employees with a bonus for taking on this additional work.