[Episode Seventy-Eight of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
Discover how Erik Frølund, Employer Brand Lead at 3Shape, built a powerful grassroots employee advocacy program from the ground up. Learn his proven strategies for identifying key advocates, fostering authenticity, and securing crucial leadership buy-in in social media marketing. This episode offers essential insights for senior marketers and employer brand leads looking to scale their social strategy.
In this episode of The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast, Erik shares 3Shape’s fascinating 5-year journey from an ‘invisible’ brand to activating employee voices. He discusses the initial challenges of attracting R&D talent, selecting early adopters, and the vital role of senior leadership. Erik also tackles the balance between providing content and empowering employees to maintain authenticity on platforms like LinkedIn. This episode offers invaluable lessons for senior marketers and employer brand leads looking to scale their social
media strategy and build genuine influence.
Key Takeaways:
- Grassroots Power: You don’t need expensive tools to start; a simple mailing list and a focused group can create a significant impact.
- Target Early Adopters: Focus on the 15-18% who are intrinsically motivated rather than the skeptical majority for initial program success.
- Cultivate Authenticity: Guide employees to connect company messages with their personal stories.
- Leadership is Key: Secure senior leader buy-in from day one; they set the tone and offer strategic visibility for employer branding.
- Measure Demand, Not Just Metrics: Look for indicators like internal requests to join, showing true organic interest in your employee advocacy program.
Identifying Your Early Adopters First
Erik applied Simon Sinek’s “Law of Diffusion of Innovations” to identify ideal employee advocates at 3Shape. Instead of targeting the skeptical majority who ask, “What’s in it for me?” focus on the initial 15-18%, the innovators and early adopters. These individuals are intrinsically motivated, willing to try new initiatives that align with their beliefs and values, even investing their own time and resources. Erik highlights for marketers and brand leaders that this means strategically selecting senior leaders and key individuals who are already passionate about the company, rather than launching a broad, unfocused campaign. This approach ensures initial buy-in and sets the foundation for organic growth.
Authenticity is Your Advocacy Superpower
A major hurdle in employee advocacy is maintaining authenticity, especially on LinkedIn, which often encourages corporate language that can alienate skeptical audiences, particularly technical talent like 3Shape’s R&D professionals. Erik highlights that breaking away from comfortable, generic phrasing requires vulnerability, showing a little piece of who you are. Marketers and social media professionals must understand this challenge: people naturally gravitate to safe corporate speak. The key is to acknowledge this difficulty and actively encourage employees to infuse their unique personality into posts, making content resonate more genuinely than polished, impersonal corporate messaging.
Involve Senior Management From Day One
Erik shares that involving senior leaders from the very beginning is not just about “walking the talk”; it’s a strategic imperative for employee advocacy and employer branding. Erik found that leaders, by nature, should be early adopters and often have the greatest reach into target networks. Beyond immediate advocacy, engaging senior leaders provides significant internal visibility for the employer branding function itself, acting as a powerful conversation starter and demonstrating the value of supporting their personal brand growth. This top-down endorsement, as discussed by the hosts, is key to building credibility and momentum, paving the way for broader adoption and sustained success.
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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.
