July 11 Content Chat Recap: Marketing Your Content and Your Brand to Employees
#ContentChat regular Wayne Hendry aka @ideakid88 was in the hot seat this week, sharing his thoughts on how to best market your brand and your content to employees. Note: this recap was originally published by the now-defunct Storify platform so formatting is different than our current recaps.
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July 11 Content Chat Recap: Marketing Your Content and Your Brand to Employees
#ContentChat regular Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) shared his thoughts on how to best market your brand and your content to employees in this week’s chat.
- Q1: Why is it important to market to and engage employees? #ContentChat
- A1:#contentchat– employees are the backbone of a company. They can make or break a brand. Utilize them to great an advantage
- @complexkickz Very true. Unfortunately often not perceived that way. #ContentChat
- A1: Employees make great brand ambassadors. #contentchat
- @ResumeStratgsts They make the best ambassadors as they have a vested interest in making their company succeed. #ContentChat
- @SFerika A1: A happy, engaged employee is a more productive one. #Contentchat
- A1 Employees bring a level of authenticity and enthusiasm to their brand advocacy that helps connect w/potential customers. #ContentChat
- A1: All employees are members of your sales team. They sell your brand like any other marketing tool. #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752580336677105664 …
- A1: The challenge larger brands face is determining the proper level of engagement for employees. #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752580336677105664 …
- A1:#contentchat– employees bring human experiences and organic content. Engaging with them creates an open channel of communication
- @SFerika Q1: Employees are your front line of marketing, sales, and recruiting! #ContentChat
- A1: Employees are an essential element of any company. You want them to feel involved and part of the team. #ContentChat
- A1: Enthusiasm is contagious, and if you can engage your employees, your customers/prospects will take notice. #ContentChat
- A1) if your employees don’t care about your business, why would your customers? #contentchat
- @Trvshlvrd_RR Very true! Why should customers care if employees don’t? #contentchat
- A1: Employees make up the backbone of a company! At the end of the day their support and engagement is required to succeed. #contentchat
- A1: They are your advocates and have a lot of power. They have networks of their own that your business can use. #contentchat
- A1: So they now about the product that they are selling and can tell the customers more about it. #ContentChat
- A1: Employees know the brand on a greater scale than most people. They live it & they can help grow it. #Contentchat
- Q2: What are your tips for marketing your content and your brand to employees? #ContentChat
- A2: My go to tip here is to use everything you can lay you hands (real & digital) on! #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/JCZ81mB2VJ
- Yes! Treat your employees as human beings and make accessing the info UX friendly! #ContentChat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752583720578670592 …
- A2 @SFerika When should employees learn about their firm’s content? Before publication or only when they look for it? #Contentchat
- @Rogercparker I personally like to keep employees looped in as its published through an internal newsletter or intranet site. #ContentChat
- Great idea. Will build strong habit of engagement over time. #ContentChat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752585073031991296 …
- A2 as a gamer, I also love it if you can use a leaderboard or monthly social award to get some friendly competition going. 😉 #ContentChat
- Use friendly competition and rewards to get employees to engage in marketing the brand. #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752584704226791424 …
- A2 Make it easy for your employees to see what your brand is up to, and that they know what they’re allowed to do. #ContentChat
- @SFerika Agreed, their support can also help foster your brand locally, where your employees live. #contentchat
- @SFerika @ideakid88 A2: Authenticity. Always staying true to who we are and going against the grain. #ContentChat
- A2:#contentchat allocate time to discover what they want to learn about. What grabs their attention.
- A2: Give your employees the clear ability to participate, such as contributing their expertise on the blog, when applicable. #contentchat
- A2: pt2 – If you give your employees the knowledge, let them demonstrate it by giving them the power to market it too. #contentchat
- .@MktgInnovator Yes! employees become engaged in the process, and build their brand, too! #contentchat
- @MktgInnovator YES! As a brand, make sure you encourage that participation by giving them a byline & bio, not a generic post. #ContentChat
- @SFerika absolutely! They shouldn’t be some vague emoticon with no credit. They deserve it for their contributions. #contentchat
- @SFerika @ideakid88 A2: Share your employees content! Make them the focal point of some the companys content #ContentChat
- A2: Keep it honest and realistic! #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752582485406412801 …
- @Barnes_Phil Agreed. And trusting them to be able to authentically engage on behalf of the brand without scripting. #ContentChat
- A2: Have a level of transparency regarding your brands goals and how employees affect said goals. #ContentChat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752582485406412801 …
- A2: We believe your content and strategy should be both genuine & transparent. #contentchat
- A2: Make sure you remain authentic. Encourage employees to participate and get involved as well. #ContentChat
- A2: Make the content both engaging and informative to the employees. #contentchat
- @Rogercparker I’d add that they also each have their own unique audience you might not be able to otherwise reach. #ContentChat
- A2: One thing we’ve found helpful is promoting it in a weekly internal newsletter. Leads to more awareness & sharing of content #ContentChat
- Q3: Which channels do you view as the best channels to market to employees? #ContentChat
- @thesmoothfactor @SFerika @postbeyond I always bring it back to ROI: increased productivity, reduced costs, time saved etc. #ContentChat
- A3: The channels they’re already engaging on + are relevant to your brand goals/target customer. #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752585254980902913 …
- A3:#contentchat – channels only work if the communication is organic and effective. Having a strong channel of communication is key
- A3: You need to make the research effort & find the channels your people use. Don’t be afraid to ask! #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752585254980902913 …
- @Barnes_Phil So true. Every business—and employee team—communicates differently. Need to accommodate that. #ContentChat
- A3: You can’t focus on a single platform. You’ll have you branch out into several channels, both familiar and new #contentchat
- A3: All channels of communication at every level. Connect with your employees at every level. #contentchat
- A3: Mainly social media channels (Twitter and LinkedIn). Sometimes Facebook can be too personal of a platform for employees. #contentchat
- A3) Whatever your main communication hub is should suffice. We tend to use @SlackHQ & email – I’m usually pretty up to date! #contentchat
- @Trvshlvrd_RR Agreed. Using @SlackHQ + @salesforce + internal email are great ways to keep employees up-to-date on marketing. #ContentChat
- @Trvshlvrd_RR @SlackHQ Haha! Right? You want communication with your team to be fun and easy. #ContentChat
- A3) is social media really the right answer for this? Don’t most businesses have an internal communication system? #contentchat
- @Trvshlvrd_RR like what email? … slack ? I think those would be great ways to get the point across as well #contentchat
- Great Point! RT @vpm_nyc A1. Engaging your employees allows you to tap into their audience on their social platforms. #contentchat
- A3: Social channels such as LinkedIn and email marketing channels bring us best results #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752585254980902913 …
- A3: any software that allows for quick file sharing would help a lot with getting their involvement and staying organized. #contentchat
- In the past, I would email the staff to request they share our blog content and announcements with their networks… (pt1) #contentchat
- (pt2) it’s a way of getting them involved while also spreading the word further than just your account alone. #contentchat
- A3b: I also think if social media activity is important for your business, get employees access to share your content too. #contentchat
- @MktgInnovator Totally. If you don’t allow employees to access social media during work hours, less likely they’ll share. #ContentChat
- @SFerika @postbeyond How would you go about presenting the opps or idea of better use of social media to a major facility? #contentchat
- @thesmoothfactor @postbeyond I would start with a social audit of their performance and community versus competitors. #ContentChat
- @Rogercparker That is the key to having engaged employees and done properly it becomes a virtuous circle Roger. #ContentChat
- A3: Depending on the generation, if younger than use media and if older use stats and handouts. #contentchat
- A3: Email is one of the best channels (at least for us). It grabs attention and can be tracked easier than social. #ContentChat
- Q4: What are the pros and cons of marketing your content and your brand to your employees? #ContentChat
- A4: Do you want engaged, motivated, and passionate employees or this? #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/NfD9UozAt5
- Q4: pros- increased shares & reach, knowledge share within company, content is shared directly w/ prospects & customers #ContentChat
- Q4: cons- less control over messaging when shared across employee social #contentchat
- A4: Set realistic expectations, you won’t be able to implement all employee ideas from their feedback. Make that clear upfront. #contentchat
- A4: When your employees are your brand ambassadors – the sky is the limit, huge pro. It does involve giving up control. #contentchat
- A4 A big PRO to marketing your brand & content to employees is gaining more reach for your brand+messages. #ContentChat
- A4 a CON is if you provide canned content to employees and no one customizes, it can come across as spam. #ContentChat
- A4: Pros are that they might share it w/ their audience & become more engaged in the subject. Cons: It can get to be too much! #contentchat
- Q4 Pro: Build knowledge of the brand and HOW TO SPEAK about the brand. #contentchat
- @SFerika A4: Pro: we get to show our culture through a different medium, Con: employees are too busy to engage in social media #ContentChat
- A4: There’s the risk of miscommunication as well as misuse after an employee leaves the company, but maintaining control is key #contentchat
- @MktgInnovator Understanding of company culture goes a long way with both pros/cons here @YRNY @SFerika #contentchat
- @MktgInnovator @YRNY If you can find a way to work it into their quarterly goals that can help. Ex: write 1 blog post per Q. #ContentChat
- @MktgInnovator @YRNY @SFerika gosh if there were a time to cheap-plug @BambuBySprout this was it. Problem solved. #contentchat
- @MktgInnovator @YRNY @SFerika but platform aside, you need to figure out what’s in it for them? Recognition? Influence? $$? #contentchat
- @stephanhov @MktgInnovator @YRNY Agreed. there has to be some sort of WIIFM otherwise why do it? #ContentChat
- A4:
Pro – Better Understanding of Brand Strategy
Con – Feel Like They’re Being Spammed by Employer
#ContentChat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752587287561580544 … A4: Here is our personal experience:
Pros:
– Instant feedback
– Useful suggestions
– Word of mouthCons:
None so far- A4 One Con is that handing employees the keys to the car to help the company w/ marketing means less control for the company. #contentchat
- A4. Pros = Social amplification, employees as brand ambassadors, improving company culture with employee advocacy program. #contentchat
- A4. Cons = employees feeling tasked to do yet another thing; advocacy plan not well-thought out or implemented. #contentchat
- A4: Strong point, re: “advocacy plan, i.e., another thing:” Do you have any Best Practice suggestions? #contentchat https://twitter.com/AnhTNguyen/status/752590092976488448 …
- @Rogercparker @AnhTNguyen Too often the advocacy plan is just “get employees to share content”. #ContentChat
- @Rogercparker Identify employee advocates of the advocacy plan. LOL Ones who enjoy social; have them help craft the plan. #contentchat
- @Rogercparker Roll out the plan by dept/division, rather than all at once. Train employees who aren’t comfortable with social. #contentchat
- @Rogercparker Give suggested tweets/posts to copy, paste till they’re comfy sharing company’s info. #contentchat
- @Rogercparker Guidelines for what to post and what not to post. Be open to course correcting plan w/employee feedback. #contentchat
- A4:#contentchat in bad companies, employees might not have the optimal thing to says.
- A4: Pro: When employees receive internal content it helps them understand their brands voice when creating their own content #ContentChat
- A4 Con: If you don’t model how, information will be interpreted differently by different employees. #contentchat
- A4: Pros- building more organic links, brand awareness, increasing visibility #Contentchat
- A4: Your employees can help promote your content in a way that’s organic. #ContentChat
- @ExpWriters If it helps build employees’ personal brands, it’ll help build the corporate brand too. #ContentChat
- A4. They will be your first set of critics that can help you get on track as to how you want your brand to be portrayed. #contentchat
- A4: Like any open content, you’ll have to be prepared for negativity as much as positive feedback. #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752587287561580544 …
- A4 you’ll want to have a strong employee brand and an engaged base before starting an employee brand ambassador effort. #ContentChat
- @SFerika @AnhTNguyen emoyees should be your first and best customers, definitely ambassadors. #contentchat
- A4:#contentchat pros include, more engagements in the digital world and real world. Employees are more likely to be involved if they are.
- A4) a con is poor targeting. I’ve gotten sales pitch emails from an employer once. It was… awkward. #contentchat
- A4: And I know many are afraid of control and what/ifs when employees get involved – thus – you must build trust! #contentchat
- A4 If your content is truly helpful, employees may share it, which will give it greater reach than your corporate handles will. #ContentChat
- .@martinlieberman And with the shift in FB’s algorithm to feature friends/families, shares are even more critical now. #contentchat
- @pamelahughes EXACTLY! But this is true across social: People want to hear from people, not corp handles. #ContentChat
- .@SFerika Yes! We like to hear from real people because they *sound like* real people. #contentchat
- Q5: Do you ever ask employees what they want in terms of marketing and communications? #ContentChat
- A5: My mantra here is: Ask and you shall receive and maybe surprised! But don’t ask like this. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/XHW6rrPb2W
- A5 #contentchat getting your employees involved is a great way to discover what the issue is internally. This will help with communication
- Q5: Since we’re a growing startup, we often gather feedback on internal communications through 1-1 conversations #contentchat
- Q5: since we use email to market internally, we have great insight into opens and engagement, & we’ve made feedback accordingly #contentchat
- @springbot That is awesome but will become more challenging as you grow. So be ready to use other channels. #ContentChat
- @springbot I know this is often frowned upon, but … are you writing suggested posts to make it easy for them to share? #ContentChat
- @SFerika A5: Yes! We have a place on our intranet where we ask employees to post their ideas and thoughts. #ContentChat
- @YRNY I love that—a virtual suggestion box/ongoing feedback tool. #ContentChat
- @SFerika We get great ideas from it! #ContentChat
- @YRNY And I bet your employees feel great about being asked and having the opportunity to contribute. #ContentChat
- A5. I would LOVE to be asked these questions… lol 👀👀 #contentchat
- A5 – Another fun question, when looking at marketing segments/personas are your employees, stakeholders, etc one of them? #contentchat
- A5: Of course. You want to get to know your audience, including your employees. Figure out their interests and needs. #ContentChat
- A5: Absolutely, we gather all employee feedback we can get. We love various perspectives on our content #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752590172299010048 …
- A5: A morning marketing meeting helps with this dilemma #contentchat
- A5 I’m a big fan of audience surveying, including employees. Important to understand what they want via which channels. #ContentChat
- A5: Here’s a thought: In addition to employees think about your business partners, distributors, etc. #contentchat https://twitter.com/SFerika/status/752590172299010048 …
- @Barnes_Phil YES! At one start-up we did a version of our employee newsletter for our partners. They loved it. #ContentChat
- a5. if employees represent core demo, should be policy. better yet if open culture that encourages them to volunteer opinions. #contentchat
- @SFerika @MktgInnovator @YRNY most employees just want to know what’s going on. Look at #employeeadvocacy from a comms POV #contentchat
- @stephanhov @SFerika @MktgInnovator intranet is helpful for that so employees know what is happening throughout the agency #ContentChat
- A5: Depending whom you talk to – some of them may have ideas you can’t ignore! #contentchat
- @SFerika If the lines of communication are established as open ones – so many amazing ideas can come from them! #contentchat
- A5: Pick their brands, run focus groups with them, truly embrace them (as people) and they will share. #contentchat
- A5 Employees don’t want marketing/communications. They want things that will make them look good to friends. #ContentChat
- @SFerika A5: As a team we try to brainstorm together to come up with ideas. #contentchat
- A5) You definitely should. Otherwise your employees probably won’t care about it. #contentchat
- A5: We do ask – and we’ve heard “everything.” They want e-mails from the blog RSS, copied on all press releases, everything. #contentchat
- A5: They’d rather filter the information out themselves than not be informed. Which is wonderful. #contentchat
- A5: That said – if you don’t make it clear you are open to all ideas – you may not truly get creative ones. #contentchat
- Q6: How do you align the goals & bottom line of your organization/business with your marketing and communicating to employees? #ContentChat
- @AnhTNguyen Right – be clear. Don’t leave things “up for interpretation”. #contentchat
- @ideakid88 @martinlieberman @Trvshlvrd_RR Employees dont need to be marketed to & treating them that way is, frankly, insulting #contentchat
- @thesmoothfactor I think they’re great ones to include in regular employee surveys. #ContentChat
- @tonyxrandall @martinlieberman @Trvshlvrd_RR OK. The goal is to inform employees about the co. & their importance in it. #ContentChat
- A6:#contentchat keep all communication efforts in an open channel of multi-level communication.
- @martinlieberman @springbot you’ve gotta help them write it; experienced ones will personalize, rest will see how it’s done #contentchat
- @martinlieberman @SFerika yes to both. depends who’s advocating (sales? marketing? HR? line workers?) #contentchat
- @SFerika Yeah, but … I’d say it’s about helping employees help themselves. (Which ultimately helps the biz.) #ContentChat
- @martinlieberman That too. But so many don’t even know their company WANTS them to share. Have to start there. 🙂 #ContentChat
- @SFerika Fair point. But has to be organic. A big challenge is employees don’t want to market the company. #contentchat
- @martinlieberman Agreed. You also don’t want them spamming irrelevant content to their audiences. It’s a balance. #ContentChat
- @SFerika Right. They don’t have to share EVERYTHING. But when they do, it’s always appreciated. #ContentChat
- A6 By being transparent with employees about how employee advocacy can directly impact the business can drive activity. #ContentChat
- @stephanhov @SFerika @Rogercparker Absolutely….help them to be champions for your business. Most don’t know what’s expected. #contentchat
- @SFerika @AnhTNguyen @Rogercparker us too. Also, internal success stories help increase adoption (esp. in expansion efforts) #contentchat
- @springbot @martinlieberman the key is to use an employee-centric voice for suggested text so it comes off more like them. #contentchat
- Look at the 4 disciplines of execution http://bit.ly/1G6eeI6 there is a focus on goals and dashboards #contentchat https://twitter.com/dpillie/status/752592779105038336 …
- @springbot Definitely. I do that all the time. And then, like magic, I see them sharing for themselves. It’s about comfort. #contentchat
- @springbot @pamelahughes Sometimes, people need the training wheels. They legit don’t know what to say. #contentchat
Next week, we welcome Amy Higgins @amywhiggins to share her secrets for gaining executive buy-in for content marketing innovation.
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