[Episode Ninety of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
In this episode, Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley are joined by Tolulope Aribisala-Tijani, Marketing and Social Media Manager at Hatch. Tolulope shares the play-by-play of how she launched a pilot program with engineers, a demographic typically hesitant to use social media, and turned them into high-performing advocates. You will learn how to navigate IT and legal approvals, and why the shift from general content to campaign-specific goals is the key to scaling.
Key Takeaways:
- How to secure leadership backing and navigate rigorous IT security and legal checks for a successful launch.
- Strategies for training non-social employees by highlighting what’s in it for them, such as personal branding and speaking invites.
- Moving from hard metrics like reach to anecdotal success, where social media becomes an ingrained habit across the workforce.
- The transition from a generalist approach to a predictable model, where advocacy sits alongside PR and experiential marketing.
Shift From Passive Sharing to Campaign-Aligned Employee Advocacy
Employee advocacy is most effective when it moves beyond a generalist approach to become a dedicated, campaign-aligned marketing channel. Tolulope discovered that tying advocacy directly to active campaigns created a massive boost in overall campaign numbers compared to brand-only posts. By equipping specific groups with personalized content, thought leadership pieces, and event highlights, the results felt more organic and resonated more deeply with the audience. As a result, this strategy allows employees to treat advocacy as a core pillar of marketing. Ultimately, this shift transforms employee advocacy from a nice-to-have add-on into a predictable and scalable model for driving website traffic and asset engagement.
Overcome Non-Social Resistance by Highlighting Personal Value
Activating employees in technical industries requires a shift in messaging that emphasizes personal branding over corporate requirements. Tolulope noted that engineers are often not keen on social media because it’s not part of their day-to-day role. To bridge this gap, Tolulope focused on what’s in it for them, demonstrating how social activity leads to speaking invitations at conferences and increased professional traction. By framing the program as a way to boost their own expertise rather than just Hatch’s visibility, she moved participants to become engaged advocates.
Leverage Leadership to Drive Advocacy Participation
Executive buy-in is what transforms an employee advocacy pilot into a company-wide movement. At Hatch, the support of the Global Marketing and Communications Director was instrumental in aligning leadership and keeping subject matter experts engaged. Tolulope found that the most active participants were often the leaders themselves, whose presence encouraged others to see social media as a serious business strategy. This top-down participation helps sustain the program’s value throughout the organization, making it easier to recruit new advocates. When leadership views advocacy as a key tool for shaping marketing efforts, it signals to the rest of the company that social influence is a priority.
Ready to start your own employee advocacy program?
Whether you’re exploring employee advocacy or considering DSMN8 as your platform, we can help you get started with confidence.
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.
