How to persuade your colleagues to become brand ambassadors

When you’re eager to start using a new tool, getting everyone on board can be challenging. Especially if they think it will result in more work for them. So how do you convince them to join your new ambassador program? The answer: choose an intuitive platform, tell them why it’s important and show them what’s in it for them.

Why do you need brand ambassadors?

For too long, employee advocacy has been a closely guarded process limited to the c-suite and communications team. However, companies are waking up to the fact that stories are more meaningful and inspiring when they’re told by staff in a variety of roles and at different levels. When you allow your colleagues to share authentic content on social media, it shows that you trust them to promote your company. It also increases your organic reach dramatically. So how do you persuade your employees to become brand ambassadors?

Employees and social media

Does this sound familiar to you? You excitedly share a piece of news to your colleagues to post. Wait. Then discover that only a few colleagues actually shared the story, and the moment has passed. The truth is, sometimes even colleagues who show initial enthusiasm fail to follow through. The reason is simple: they’re just too busy. That’s why you need to make it as easy as possible for them to share relevant content. 

Your employees as brand ambassadors

Once your company uses a dedicated platform for content sharing, such as Apostle, it becomes much easier to ask busy colleagues to participate. All of the content creation work is done for them. Colleagues receive suggestions for content to share and only need to choose which of their social media channels to post to. The good news? If your colleagues are already using social media to share personal news and communicate with friends and family, it’s not going to take much additional effort to convert them into brand ambassadors.

Getting started with your ambassador program

So how do you get started? First, all new ventures need champions to spread the word. You probably already know who is active on social media, and we suggest starting with this group. Try to include someone who is visible within the organization - a CEO or spokesperson. Ask them to record a video explaining why the ambassador program is important, and post it on a dedicated landing page. This way, influential people in your organization can encourage others to join in as brand ambassadors. 

Benefits for your employees

Another important tool in converting your employees to brand ambassadors is showing them what’s in it for them. For example, sharing their accomplishments can make your colleagues feel proud and appreciated by people in their network. They may also like to profile themselves as an expert in their field, which supports their personal branding. And if your colleagues feel like the brand ambassador program might take up too much of their time… the opposite is true. By sharing job openings and genuine stories about what it’s like to work at your organization, they support your recruitment processes. Having more colleagues actually results in lighter workloads!

Sharing and creating authentic content

Are your employees excited to get started as brand ambassadors? Great! When your ambassador program takes off, your colleagues may want to start creating their own content as well. Working with the Apostle platform enables them to share their inspiration, helping you to create the best content for your organization. 

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