[Episode Seventy-Five of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
Ever wondered why your employees hesitate to post on LinkedIn, even with a strong employee advocacy program? Lewis Gray unpacks the psychology behind common posting barriers and reveals practical, real-world strategies to empower your team to share on social platforms confidently. Learn how to transform reluctant colleagues into enthusiastic brand advocates and elevate your social strategy.
In this insightful episode, Lewis dives deep into the core reasons employees hold back from posting on LinkedIn, from not seeing personal value to fear of missteps and perceived lack of time. Drawing on DSMN8’s experience supporting advocates, Lewis shares actionable tactics to dismantle these psychological hurdles. Discover how tailoring your internal communications, crafting clear social media policies, providing effective training, and leveraging powerful employee advocacy tools can make LinkedIn posting effortless and exciting for everyone, driving significant marketing and employer brand results. This episode is essential for senior marketers, employer brand leads, and social media managers looking to scale employee influence and trust in marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- Personal value is key: Shift your message from company benefits to individual career growth and personal brand impact to drive genuine employee motivation.
- Clarity & reassurance: Implement a clear, empowering social media policy to overcome the fear of “doing something wrong.”
- Essential training: Equip employees with the “how-to” of LinkedIn posting, from content creation basics to algorithm insights.
- Time-saving solutions: Leverage dedicated employee advocacy tools to deliver ready-to-share content, unique posts, and even auto-scheduling, making posting effortless.
- Confidence, clarity, culture: The pillars of a successful employee advocacy program that fosters authentic influence and social media engagement.
Showcase Personal Value for Employee Social Media
Lewis highlights a critical oversight when asking employees to post on social media: organizations often fail to communicate the personal benefits of participating. Instead of emphasizing company goals, leaders must clearly articulate “what’s in it for them” and how a strong LinkedIn presence boosts personal brand, career growth, and visibility. The Employee Advocacy Benchmark Report 2025 reveals that 96% of professionals found social media positively impacted their careers, a powerful stat to share internally. Marketers and brand leaders should tailor their message to demonstrate how sharing helps individuals, such as salespeople, generate leads or connect with industry leaders. This shift from corporate benefit to individual gain is paramount for fostering genuine employee motivation.
Empower Employees with Clear Social Media Guidelines
A significant barrier to employee posting is the fear of missteps or compliance issues, a major hurdle Lewis identifies. He underscores the necessity of a clear social media policy that empowers rather than restricts. These policies should be concise, ideally two to three pages, stripped of legal jargon, and easily accessible to all employees, reassuring them they won’t inadvertently “say the wrong thing.” By providing this clarity and making policies understandable, brands mitigate fear, fostering a safer environment where employees feel confident and comfortable engaging on professional platforms.
Equip Employees with Practical Social Media Training
Beyond just policies, employees often lack the practical skills and knowledge to perform effectively. Lewis points out that many don’t know how to write a post, share, or even understand how LinkedIn’s algorithm works. Providing accessible training, from one-on-one sessions to quick tips on internal channels, is crucial for skill development. Maike Jansen from Dentsu Benelux illustrated this by describing roadshows, a brand portal offering guidelines and media libraries, and even integrating social media into mandatory and onboarding trainings. Addressing niche concerns, such as not sharing security passes on social media, helps demystify perceived risks and builds confidence through clear, actionable instructions.
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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.
