[Episode Seventy-One of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
Unlock the secrets to building a thriving employee advocacy program that drives real B2B social media success! In this episode, Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley sit down with Adrienne Konecsnik to discuss how she cultivates leadership influence and confidence among employees, proving tangible value to leadership, and creating an impactful global LinkedIn strategy.
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Adrienne shares her invaluable experience leading a global social media strategy at a major engineering consultancy. You’ll learn how they developed a robust framework for employee social selling, emphasizing the crucial role of a dedicated community manager. This discussion provides a practical roadmap for senior marketers, employer brand leads, and social media managers looking to scale their initiatives, balance global and regional needs, and genuinely measure success beyond vanity metrics.
Key Takeaways:
- Confidence is Key: How tailored training and active listening help employees overcome social media hesitancy.
- Community First: The indispensable role of a dedicated Community Manager in fostering engagement and ownership.
- Scaling Smart: Strategies for expanding advocacy programs from hundreds to thousands of employees.
- Global-Regional Balance: Navigating diverse needs with a centralized support system and localized content.
- Measure What Matters: Shifting focus from impressions to tangible clicks and community retention to prove ROI.
Building Employee Confidence is the Foundation of Advocacy
A major theme from Adrienne’s discussion was the importance of building confidence before expecting employees to become strong advocates. Many people are hesitant to share professional content because they fear making a mistake or don’t feel their voice carries authority. Adrienne explained how training sessions, one-to-one coaching, and clear guardrails help ease those concerns, giving employees the confidence to represent both themselves and their organization online. Once confidence is established, employees begin to share more authentically, which in turn drives stronger engagement and trust with external audiences.
Training Approaches Must Fit Different Employee Groups
Adrienne stressed that a “one size fits all” approach to training simply doesn’t work. She identified two distinct groups within the organization: digital natives who know how to use platforms but struggle with what to post, and subject matter experts who are highly knowledgeable but less comfortable with digital channels. To unlock advocacy at scale, training must be tailored, whether that means walking through platform basics for one group or helping others feel empowered to share their personal take on industry issues. This tailored approach not only builds adoption but also ensures advocacy content feels varied and genuine.
Community Management is a Game-Changer
A standout element of the organization’s program was the introduction of a dedicated community manager. Adrienne explained how this role acted as the friendly, approachable face of advocacy that employees could go to with questions, feedback, or concerns. Beyond answering queries, the community manager kept employees engaged with newsletters, informal updates, and even emoji-filled reminders that advocacy should be fun. This regular touchpoint created a sense of community rather than obligation, helping the program feel more human and less like a corporate directive.
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Learn More About Employee Advocacy:
Selina Sher Gill
Selina has a Master's Degree in Marketing and Brand Management, and is DSMN8's Digital Marketing Executive. She's a pro at creating and editing video content, using these skills to create short-form social media videos and edit the Employee Advocacy and Influence podcast.
