Phase 3: Experimentation – First Steps in Employee Advocacy

Management plays a crucial role in promoting social media within the organization. By engaging in executive profiling, they showcase their commitment to the company’s goals, motivating employees and creating stronger support for social media efforts. This backing from management helps to embed employee advocacy within the company culture.

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Characteristics of the Experimentation Phase

• Management and employees as ambassadors: Both management and employees share content, creating a broader and more personal approach and fostering a strong company culture.
• Executive profiling: Management is encouraged to position themselves as thought leaders, strengthening brand identity and building audience trust.
• Content variety and experimentation: Companies explore different formats, like videos and stories, to find the best fit for their audience.
• First steps toward authentic content: Content shared by management and employees feels more personal, building credibility and trust in the brand.
• Increased interaction and engagement: The personal touch from management and employees often leads to higher engagement with the audience.

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What is Executive Profiling?

Executive profiling involves management positioning themselves as thought leaders in their field, sharing insights and expertise that reinforce brand identity and build trust with the audience. This approach benefits the company through increased brand credibility and employee engagement. It also shows that management views social media as a strategic tool tied to company goals, boosting employee motivation and involvement. For management, it’s an opportunity to strengthen their personal brand and visibility within the industry, benefiting both the organization and their own leadership role.

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Does This Sound Familiar?

Organizations in this phase often notice that the involvement of employees and management starts to shape a more relatable, engaging brand presence. Typical feedback includes, "Having our leaders involved adds credibility to our social media," or "The new content styles are helping us connect better with our audience."

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Why Move to the Next Phase in the Social Strategy Readiness Model?

Advancing to the Collaborate phase lets organizations significantly scale their social media efforts, engaging either a larger group of employees as ambassadors or local partners, such as retailers and franchisees. Management’s involvement here helps create solid support among employees, which is essential for a broader representation of the brand. Moving to the Collaborate phase offers:

• Wider and deeper reach: A larger part of the organization gets involved, expanding the reach and diversity of shared content, making the brand message relevant to various audiences.
• Enhanced credibility and trust: Engaging more employees and partners in authentic brand messaging gives the brand a more genuine and trustworthy appeal, strengthening stakeholder confidence.
• Structure and sustainability in advocacy strategy: This phase requires clear processes, creating a solid foundation for future social media activities and anchoring social media as a strategic, lasting part of the organization.