Written by: Prima pagina  

 
The landscape of Public Relations has evolved significantly over the years due to the advent of digital media: a successful PR plan effectively integrates traditional PR and online PR strategies and the first step is to ensure consistency across all platforms, by developing comprehensive plans to manage communication activities in order to build and maintain a positive reputation, engage with your target audiences with the right tools and support the achievement of business objectives.
 

With the rapid spread of digital media, more and more companies have understood that their own social media channels can play fundamental role of their PR strategy. Social media have actually revolutionized the way individuals, organizations and brands communicate and engage with their target audiences and has become an important tool in modern PR strategies. It’s doesn’t matter if you are a B2B or a B2C brand: if you leverage your own social media channels you will be able to build a stronger relationship with your potential customers, manage your reputation more effectively and better achieve your communications goals.
 

In the era of social media, employees can play a crucial role in a company’s PR strategy. Encourage your employees to share their experience and company updates through their own social media channels amplifies your brand reach and increases trust and credibility of your organization. There are many examples about the value that a balanced and intelligent employee advocacy program brings to an organization: B2B companies are perhaps those who can get the most by exploiting the influential power of their employees, due to the fact that in many geographies there is lack of B2B influencers, as opposite to what happens in the B2C space.
 

Employees-generated content is usually perceived as more trustworthy and credible than corporate channels: when employees share company content or speak in a positive way about their company, it enhances the authenticity of the message and humanizes the brand.
 

Authenticity is only one of the many benefits that show the value of considering a network of social media employees as integral part of your PR strategy.
 

You may start with a small group of people, initially onboarding the colleagues that show an evident social media attitude.
 

There are few things you should do to kick off the programme. First of all, be clear on the objectives of the program, share with them concrete examples about results that the company can obtain thanks to their engagement and, above all, share with them a clear social media policy. Provide training sessions and support them throughout the whole journey, for example by creating a repository of shareable contents or topics they can focus on to create their own contents. Lastly, think about a reward programme that recognizes their dedication to support your PR strategy.
 

You will notice that, over time, you’ll experience the following benefits:
 

Increased Reach and Engagement: each employee has its own unique social network. When they share company content, it reaches a wider and more diverse audience. On the other hand, we know that contents shared by employees often receive higher engagement rates compared to content shared by the official company page, due to the personal connection and trust.
 

Enhanced Employer Branding: Employees sharing positive experiences and achievements at work can significantly enhance the company’s employer brand, making it an attractive place for potential new employees. This can help in attracting talents and retaining existing employees.
 

Content Diversity and Creativity: Employees can contribute different perspectives, stories, and content ideas, adding diversity and richness to the company’s social media presence. Your colleagues can also create highly engaging contents, such as behind-the-scenes posts on the company’s life, personal achievements, and other compelling contents that will add an even more personal touch to your social media presence.
 

Community Building and Brand Ambassadorship: Employees actively engaging with the online community can help build stronger relationships and foster a sense of community around the brand. They become brand ambassadors when they share company content, engage with their community and promote the company’s values and mission.
 
Crisis Management and Real-Time Communication: A coordinated social media effort involving employees ensures a quick, consistent and unified response during a crisis, which can help manage public perception more effectively.
 
Employee Recognition, engagement and motivation: Encouraging employees to share their achievements and contributions on social media can create a culture of recognition and appreciation, while social media involvement can increase engagement and motivation, making the employees feel more connected and instrumental to the company’s success.
 
Conclusion
 
Employee involvement in social media is a powerful asset for any PR strategy. It can enhance credibility, expand reach, strengthen employer branding, and create a positive and engaged community. By encouraging and supporting employees to actively participate in social media, companies can harness the full potential of their workforce as authentic and influential brand ambassadors.