Could Your Employees Be Your Biggest Brand Influencers?

Article written by Mischa Joslin, Managing Director at summer. 

You’ve heard of UGC (User Generated Content) and even CGC (Creator Generated Content) but what about EGC? That’s Employee Generated Content. Well, it could just be the buzzword that helps take your business to the next level. 

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, where consumer trust is paramount and authenticity is king, many brands are recognising the immense value their employees bring as brand influencers.  

While extensive marketing campaigns of course play an integral part in driving awareness and consideration, your own employees have the power to unlock a different kind of brand love by offering a genuine, relatable, and credible voice that deeply resonates with both current and future consumers.  

When we consider that employees were found to be 3 x more trustworthy than a brand speaking direct and an employee’s social media post tends to get a whopping 561% more engagement on a message than when a brand shares it, it’s clear that consumers want to hear from the people behind the brand, perhaps even more than from the business itself! 

Authentic Product Reviews  

Authenticity is the cornerstone of effective product endorsements. Employees provide a depth of insight and genuineness that external influencers simply can’t match. When employees share their real experiences with a product, it resonates more. They’re not just promoting a product for a paycheck; they’re speaking from personal experience.  

Check out Superdrug who have empowered their employees to get creative on TikTok, with sales associates from hero stores across the UK sharing their favourite products and deals on a weekly basis. From designer fragrance dupes to the best foundation, they’re tapped in. In many ways it’s a digital update on the typical store experience. Their playful TikTok’s even capture media attention, helping the brand land big splashes in national media titles, all off the back of staff members taking to social!  

Going Behind The Curtain  

Brands can sometimes feel faceless and creating a sense of community and warmth can be impossible when all you’re working with is product and a logo. In contrast, leveraging your employees as a part of your marketing can put a human face to the name that drives that all important connection. Employees provide a richer, more detailed picture of the company than any marketing material ever could. This transparency is appealing to customers who are increasingly looking for authenticity and honesty from the brands they support.  

A Chance To Break The Mould  

What’s great about EGC is that it’s non-discriminatory. Where marketing plans and traditional campaigns can be rigid, adhering to a defined look laid out by brand guidelines, when you allow the real people behind the brand to step forward, it can provide brands with a more accessible touch that really resonates.  

And you only need to look at Marks & Spencer to see how everyday staff members can suddenly become stars. When Longbridge M&S sales associate, Craig Field went viral for his enthusiastic TikTok clip about how to use self-scanning technology, garnering more than 1.3m views, he became so popular they installed a cardboard cut-out of him for days he wasn’t working to ensure fans were never disappointed. That kind of love is so hard to manufacture and the fact it can be generated simply by showing the reality of the team and the human side of the business is quite incredible.  

Recruitment Revamped  

Where once those seeking a role would have looked to job ads to find where they want to work, now, more than ever, candidates are turning to social media to assess whether a business aligns with their values. Leveraging your employees as influencers is a potent tool for recruitment. Potential candidates are more likely to be attracted to a company where current employees are openly enthusiastic about their workplace and signposting your culture can significantly enhance your efforts. From the simple and functional like Glassdoor reviews and LinkedIn posts, to the playful and silly moments on TikTok, using your workforce on all platforms can help to build a rounded picture that will help attract top talent who are not just looking for a job but for a workplace where they can thrive and feel valued.  

Want a great example? When Hobbycraft Wimbledon were on the hunt for a new Team Leader, their team set about creating a now viral TikTok to Little Mix’s banger, Salute. Smile inducing and full of energy, I deny anyone for not wanting to send their CV after seeing them have so much fun! 

But, with so many benefits to leveraging your employees where do you begin? For those eager to mobilise their team to shout about them on social, we have launched a new service – introducing Rally.  

Sitting within Summer. our influencer marketing agency, our Rally service is custom built for your business and provides the tools and training to empower key members of your team to shout about you on social in the right way and through the right platforms.  

From an initial, immersive training session to toolkits and coaching on everything from brand messaging, how to capture content and how to tap into trends, this service helps to turn employees into advocates in a way that makes both brand and team thrive.  

Of course, handing over your brand ‘voice’ to your employees can feel like a loss of control. However, with the risk adverse brand in mind, the Rally ensures clear guardrails are put in place to protect brand equity.  

Staff are an integral part of the brand experience, and your employees are the ultimate advocates – they live and breathe the business, so why not mobilise them to shout about you?  

For more information on ‘Rally’ drop us a note at mischa@thisissummer.co