5 Employee Advocacy Lessons from 15 Successful Programs

Employees are a company’s most powerful brand ambassadors. When empowered to share their expertise and insights on social media, they can amplify a brand’s message, build trust with audiences, and drive measurable business outcomes.

But how do companies turn this potential into reality? 🤔

Today, we’re exploring the employee advocacy journeys of 15 organizations, spanning industries from consumer tech to recruitment and even a national postal service!

By examining these real-world successes, we’ve identified five actionable insights to help your organization engage and empower employees. This will help you create a thriving employee advocacy program that delivers results.

You’ll find out how companies like Huawei, AkzoNobel, and Swiss Post transformed their employees into powerful brand advocates and drove exceptional growth with DSMN8. Let’s get started!

When it comes to creating (and curating) content for employee advocates, you’ll want to avoid taking a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.

Your senior executives simply won’t want to share the same content as marketers or salespeople.

Taking a tailored approach encourages your team to get involved while resonating better with their networks on social media. It’s a win-win!

The three stories below reveal the significant impact that personalized content can have on your advocacy program results 👇

As a global coatings and paints giant, AkzoNobel used DSMN8 to provide employees with brand-approved, localized content to share on social media.

Tailored training and internal social media guidelines ensured employees felt confident representing the brand.

This trust-building approach turned employees into valuable advocates, helping to amplify the company’s voice across markets. AzkoNobel’s employee advocacy program generated $100,000 in earned media value and helped scale their LinkedIn audience to 6.7 million.

The takeaway? When running an employee advocacy program in a multinational company, segmenting users is essential. This way, you can provide localized content to employees in different business units, allowing them to connect with the right audience on social media.

Krauthammer’s sales consultants knew that building their personal brands on LinkedIn would support their careers and help drive business results. But salespeople are busy! They’re often reluctant to spend their limited time creating content.

Krauthammer solved this problem with DSMN8: features like auto-scheduling and boost post made it easy for employees to become active on social, with minimal effort required. To take it to the next level, they segmented users into groups and teams, creating personalized content for employees to share 👏

Social selling became a critical tool in driving new business for Krauthammer, with a 103% increase in sales leads and an 86% increase in website traffic.

The takeaway? Employees are aware of the benefits of advocacy for their own careers and their organization. Sometimes, they simply lack time or content creation expertise to make the most of the opportunity.

Greyp Bikes recognized the need to build their employer brand on social media to attract top talent. While the marketing team were already active and generating results, they knew that employees in other areas of the business would need a solution to make this activity easy and less time-consuming.

With DSMN8, Greyp Bikes empowered their employees to share professional, high-quality content effortlessly, thanks to automation and user segmentation features. This not only elevated Greyp’s digital presence but also positioned employees as thought leaders within their networks.

The results were remarkable. In just one month, Greyp achieved a full return on investment. Over five months, their employee advocacy program generated more than $23,490 in earned media value, all with only 55 employees involved.

The takeaway? Employee advocacy produces measurable value quickly when done strategically. Understanding the needs of your employees is essential for finding the right tool.

Employees often know that building a personal brand on LinkedIn will benefit their careers while supporting their organization.

But they resist sharing content due to one simple constraint: time ⏰

The three savvy companies below understood this and decided to leverage DSMN8’s user-friendly platform and automation features to make advocacy easy:

Awin faced a common challenge: motivating employees to share company content on social media. The solution? A streamlined employee advocacy program powered by DSMN8.

With DSMN8, Awin made content sharing effortless. Employees could select the content they wanted to share, while the platform’s automation ensured posts were shared at optimal times. This hassle-free approach encouraged participation and engagement.

The results were impressive. 40% of Awin employees now actively use the platform, driving over 4,000 clicks per month and significantly boosting brand visibility.

The takeaway? Simplicity drives success. By removing barriers and automating key tasks, you can turn employees into enthusiastic advocates who consistently deliver measurable results.

Arlo Technologies, as a newly independent company, faced the challenge of enhancing product knowledge across its teams while engaging employees in social selling.

With DSMN8, Arlo equipped employees with curated, brand-approved content for sharing on LinkedIn and X. The platform’s auto-scheduling feature made it easy for employees to post at the right times with minimal effort, ensuring consistency and maximum impact.

The results spoke volumes. A staggering 98% of employees reported improved product knowledge, and 35% of the workforce became active users of DSMN8, spreading the company’s message further than ever before.

The takeaway? Knowledge and engagement go hand in hand. When employees are informed and equipped with the right tools, they naturally become powerful advocates for your brand. Don’t skip the training!

Grünenthal, a global leader in pain management, wanted to unify its advocacy efforts across diverse departments while keeping employees focused on their core roles. The challenge was finding a solution that balanced efficiency with engagement.

With DSMN8, Grünenthal streamlined its advocacy program by segmenting content and automating post scheduling. This allowed employees to easily share relevant content without disrupting their day-to-day responsibilities.

The results were remarkable. Automation drove widespread adoption, with 84% of invited employees actively using the platform, amplifying Grünenthal’s voice across multiple social media channels.

The takeaway? Automation is a game-changer. When employees can engage effortlessly, advocacy programs flourish and deliver consistent results.

What’s the best way to keep employees engaged in your program?

Make it part of your company culture.

These next two case studies show that a positive culture with a supportive environment makes all the difference for user adoption. Let’s jump into their stories:

Swiss Post aimed to boost internal engagement and foster a collaborative culture, but employees weren’t consistently sharing content to support this vision.

By implementing DSMN8, Swiss Post streamlined content sharing while reinforcing company values. Clear guidelines and educational support empowered employees to participate confidently, ensuring widespread adoption of the program.

The impact was profound. Employees embraced the initiative, leading to increased engagement, trust, and consistency in social media messaging. This strengthened Swiss Post’s position as an innovative industry leader 👏

The takeaway? Empowerment builds momentum. When employees are equipped with the right tools and support, they become champions of your brand and values.

Philip Morris International (PMI), a global leader in the tobacco industry, faced unique challenges when it came to employee advocacy. Operating in a tightly regulated industry, employee hesitancy and outdated tools had previously hindered their efforts to empower employees to share content.

With DSMN8, PMI reimagined their employee advocacy program, transforming it into an initiative they called “InsideOut.” This refreshed program focused on empowering employees to build their personal brands by sharing pre-approved, engaging content. Starting with departments like science and sustainability, the program gained early traction through targeted onboarding and gamified elements.

The results were astounding. In just 10 months:

• 3,812 posts were shared by employees.
• 11.5 million impressions were generated on LinkedIn, amplifying PMI’s reach far beyond its corporate social media following of 1 million.
• Each employee share averaged 3 clicks.

DSMN8’s user-friendly platform and PMI’s creative internal promotions, such as QR codes, branded merchandise, and high-visibility office displays, fostered a sense of pride and community among employees. With over 850 active users, InsideOut became more than just a platform—it became a movement, helping employees feel confident and empowered to share their stories.

The takeaway? Even in regulated industries, employee advocacy can thrive when supported by intuitive tools, thoughtful strategy, and a focus on building positive internal buzz.

Unit4 wanted to empower its employees to become passionate advocates on social media, but barriers to content sharing stood in the way.

Through DSMN8, Unit4 created a supportive environment where employees received personalized, brand-approved content alongside clear, easy-to-follow instructions. This approach boosted confidence and transformed employees into enthusiastic brand ambassadors.

The program drove increased employee involvement and sparked positive interactions on social media, strengthening both company culture and external perception of the brand.

The takeaway? When employees feel supported and equipped, they’ll confidently amplify your brand while fostering a vibrant workplace culture.

Gamification, rewards, and recognition are all helpful tactics for employee advocacy program managers to boost engagement.

While we recommend avoiding your program becoming too transactional, adding gamifying elements like DSMN8’s leaderboards creates friendly competition amongst colleagues.

Periodically adding incentives such as claimable rewards or prizes for top performers helps drive a boost in program activity. Find out how three DSMN8 clients leaned into the competitive nature of their teams 👇

Huawei faced a significant challenge: getting employees to share company content on social media. Before implementing DSMN8, only 1% of employees were actively engaged in advocacy efforts.

To tackle this, Huawei introduced DSMN8’s gamification features, including leaderboards and rewards, to spark motivation. Incentives like Huawei smartphones and gift cards fueled participation, transforming the initiative into a fun and rewarding experience.

The results were extraordinary. Employee participation skyrocketed, generating 75 million content impressions and driving a notable boost in employee engagement.

The takeaway? By combining incentives with a user-friendly platform, you can turn social sharing into a rewarding habit that delivers exceptional results.

COSMO Consult sought to enhance internal communication and boost brand visibility but struggled with low employee participation in advocacy efforts.

To overcome this, COSMO Consult leveraged DSMN8’s gamification and rewards features, creating a fun and engaging way to motivate employees. Personalized, easy-to-share content further streamlined the process, making advocacy simple and accessible.

Employee engagement soared, and the company achieved greater brand awareness across social media platforms, extending their reach and influence.

The takeaway? Combine gamification with tailored content to inspire employees to get involved!

Outfront Media, a leader in out-of-home advertising, wanted to boost employee participation in social media advocacy. Their solution? Gamified leaderboards and rewards that made the process fun, engaging, and competitive.

The results were astounding. In just the first three months, Outfront Media achieved:

• A 400% increase in employees sharing company content,
• A 23% increase in LinkedIn followers, and
• A 69% rise in overall social media engagement.

By making advocacy enjoyable, Outfront Media not only strengthened employee involvement but also achieved remarkable reach for its campaigns.

The takeaway? When advocacy is fun and competitive, it inspires employees to champion your brand with enthusiasm and consistency.

Employee advocacy isn’t all about marketing. The impact of social selling on business results has been proven time and time again, and these DSMN8 clients are no exception.

Actively sharing content on LinkedIn helps salespeople position themselves as knowledgeable and helpful individuals or even thought leaders. This helps them reach the right people and ensures that they’re front of mind when a prospect is ready to buy.

Kreston Reeves aimed to position its employees as industry experts while expanding the reach of their marketing content. The challenge? Finding a way to empower employees to share content effectively and confidently.

With DSMN8, Kreston Reeves provided employees with a platform to share informative, brand-approved content, helping them establish themselves as trusted advisors within their networks.

The program enhanced employee credibility, strengthened client relationships, and drove an increase in inbound leads. Advocacy quickly became a vital part of their growth strategy.

The takeaway? Empowered employees build trust, which leads to sales. By equipping your team with the right tools, you can amplify your marketing reach and foster stronger connections with your audience.

Mercuri Urval sought to engage employees and strengthen their social media presence as part of a strategy to drive business growth.

With DSMN8, Mercuri Urval encouraged employees to share insightful content on leadership and talent management. This not only enhanced their personal brands but also established the company as a leader in its field.

The results were clear. Employee engagement surged as the team worked together to create greater awareness of Mercuri Urval’s services and offerings across key audiences on social media.

The takeaway? Thought leadership starts from within. By empowering employees to share their expertise, you can elevate your brand and support business growth simultaneously.

Frank Recruitment Group, a global leader in tech recruitment, sought to empower their recruiters with tools to build personal brands and become social sellers.

By implementing DSMN8, Frank Recruitment Group provided recruiters with shareable, brand-approved content and powerful tools for social selling. This enabled employees to establish strong personal brands on LinkedIn, fostering new client relationships and generating valuable leads.

The results were impressive. 56%percent of employees actively used the platform, achieving a cost-per-click of just £0.19. The program also drove significant growth in online visibility and client engagement.

The takeaway? Social selling pays off. When recruiters are equipped with the right tools and content, they can amplify their impact, build relationships, and drive measurable business results.

Let’s summarize and go over the key learnings from these success stories.

Here are a few essential employee advocacy lessons for companies looking to launch (or improve) their programs.

Tools like DSMN8 make it easy for employees to share content with minimal effort, enabling scalable and personalized content distribution.

Executive buy-in is critical to ensuring the success of an employee advocacy program. Leading by example and offering clear guidance increases adoption.

Gamification, rewards, and internal recognition can play a big role in motivating employees to get involved, as seen in companies like Huawei.

Successful programs align with a company’s values and are introduced with proper training and support.

From increased website traffic to higher sales leads, keep an eye on program performance to understand what content resonates best with employee audiences.

More employee advocacy examples & case studies 👇

• DSMN8 Success Stories
• 7 Best Employee Advocacy Examples
• 8 Powerful Social Media Advocacy Examples
• The Porthole Effect: How the Biggest Brands Showcase Company Culture

Ready to explore the platform behind the employee advocacy success of the companies featured above?

Book a demo with DSMN8.