Why employee advocacy is crucial for your sales

You may have noticed that awareness of employee advocacy is growing. A wealth of surveys and statistics are making the benefits of employee advocacy clearer than ever - benefits like greater engagement, improved brand visibility, and higher levels of trust between your company and its customers. Far from just a way to increase visibility online, employee advocacy can play a critical role in your organization's future performance. In this blog post, you’ll learn how employee advocacy benefits your sales.

Brand building

A recent study from San Diego State University reveals the power of word-of-mouth in terms of enhancing the attractiveness of an organization. This works similarly across social channels, “influencing consumers to switch brands and changing unfavorable or neutral attitudes into positive ones.” Viewed more favorably than advertising or personal selling, social media advocacy can play a key role in getting customers (potential or existing) to view your brand positively - making it more likely they’ll commit to a purchase. 

Finding new business

Employee advocacy can also provide monetary value. Hinge Research Institute found that 64% of organizations with formal employee advocacy programs in place believe that they have helped attract and develop new business. Customers acquired through employee endorsements also deliver higher margin contributions and have higher retention rates.  

Attract talent

Companies with employee advocacy programs are also 58% more likely to attract talent, with prospective workers viewing employee referrals as the most credible sources of information. If you can attract the brightest talent, your products (and the sales process) are likely to be of a higher quality.

Increased engagement

The high levels of trust and engagement facilitated through social networks make them ideal for the sales funnel. Social selling - engaging with prospects through social media - can deliver genuine results in terms of sales numbers. According to LinkedIn, individuals who excel at social selling create more opportunities and are 51% more likely to hit their sales targets. 

Unlock your sales potential with employee advocacy

Your employees understand your products and services better than anyone. If they are sharing positive stories about your brand, the wider online community will take notice. Organic and natural, social selling delivers concrete results.  

In terms of conversion, retention, and engagement, the potential of employee advocacy programs is huge. Advocacy is about much more than just visibility. Get in touch with Apostle today to find out how our brand advocacy platform can take your sales figures to new heights.

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