media update’s Jenna Cook takes a look at how employee-generated content can improve your marketing strategy on social media.
Employee-generated content (EGC) is content created by your employees – in the form of images, video, blogs, etc. – that expresses the values and benefits of your brand.
As a marketer, you have the voice that can encourage employees to become the creators. You also have the industry skills and knowledge to teach employees about content best practices.
Here are four simple reasons why EGC should be in your marketing tool-kit:
1. EGC can expand the brand’s creativity
Creating content may not be part of the job description for many of your brand’s employees. However, this doesn’t mean that they can’t – or shouldn’t – be encouraged to try.
By motivating employees, from all different departments within the brand, to give generating content a shot – you’ll be able to bring together a number of different voices and opinions.
Employees will also be pushed to think a little more creatively in order to find fresh ways of communicating by thinking outside of the box, analysing their skills, developing ideas and executing their solutions.
This push in creativity will not stop with generating content. It has the potential to filter into all other areas of work – allowing your employees to think a little differently about problems and how to tackle them.
It may also provide you with greater inspiration or deeper insights that can inform your social media strategy.
2. EGC develops employee advocacy
EGC tells a story that resonates with your employees. They are real-life testimonies of your brand’s values which is something you could include in your social media strategy.
When employees are allowed to positively contribute to the overall image and reputation of your brand by sharing their personal opinions, not only will they value it more, but they, too, will begin to feel more valued.
Encouraging employees to share their thoughts will give them the chance to become even more invested in the brand and in their work.
This has the potential to turn conversations into business strategies and – ultimately – employees into brand ambassadors.
3. EGC can increase consumer trust
Content is more appealing and relevant when people can associate it with an actual person. Therefore, consumers will be more likely to trust the content shared from an employee than from the brand itself.
You might be wondering why this is. Well, people trust posts from friends and family more often than the content coming directly from a logo.
EGC allows your employees to be the storytellers and build a line of trust directly with consumers – in collaboration with your original social media marketing strategy.
4. EGC can help you to expand overall content creation
Your employees spend more time on your brand than anyone else does. This means that they know more about the ins and outs of your brand.
They may be able to provide a fresh, out-the-box perspective that you – the marketer – might not have considered.
Employees are generally closer to your customers, which means that they may be able to give clearer insights on what consumers need.
Including EGC in your original social media strategy not only makes your content more authentic, but it also increases the amount of content that your brand has to share. And more content drives visibility on social media.
Shared media is said to be out doing paid, owned and earned digital advertising by up to 10 times. Find out why in our article, Three secrets shared media can tell you about consumers.
*Image courtesy of Vecteezy