[Episode Sixty-Three of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
In this episode, Lewis and Elliot sit down with Chris Sheen, Director of Social at Celonis, to dive deep into the evolution of Celonis’ employee advocacy program. Chris reveals how they’ve gone from a small-scale initiative to a company-wide engine that drives more reach and conversions than their brand channels. From leadership buy-in to scaling personalization at speed, this conversation is a must-listen for any marketer looking to modernize their social strategy.
What You’ll Learn:
- How Celonis tracks and reports advocacy ROI
- The lightbulb moment when advocacy overtook corporate reach
- Strategies to activate and retain 1,000+ advocates
- Why personalization beats AI in a noisy LinkedIn feed
- How advocacy became central to their social media reporting
Employee Advocacy: Your Secret Weapon for Increased Reach
Chris Sheen’s insights reveal a stunning truth: your employees are your most powerful social media asset. While Celonis’s corporate channels boast around 375,000 followers, their employee advocate network has achieved a mind-blowing 1.8 million followers. This isn’t just a slight improvement; it’s a four to five times greater reach than what their paid or branded channels could ever deliver alone.
This “aha” moment fundamentally shifted leadership’s perspective, proving that advocacy isn’t just a nice-to-have, but a crucial, cost-effective, and authentic pathway to visibility in a pay-to-play social media landscape. For anyone looking to expand their employer brand, this episode underscores that employee advocacy isn’t just a tactic, but a key strategic growth channel.
Focus on Engagement, Not Just Enrolment
It’s easy to get caught up in big enrolment numbers, but Chris makes it clear: engagement is the true north star. At Celonis, while 1,000 employees are signed up for advocacy, the real focus is on the 500+ who are actively posting each month. This active contributor count is the metric that truly drives impact and is reported most closely.
Celonis approaches this with a smart funnel model: attract many, then nurture a core group into consistent contributors, with a bold goal of 1,000 active monthly posters. This strategy acknowledges that not everyone will post weekly, and that’s perfectly fine. It’s about building sustainable habits, not enforcing strict quotas. If you’re leading an advocacy program, this insight is critical: it’s not just about getting people signed up but about fostering continuous value and maintaining relevance through consistent activity.
AI as Your Co-Pilot: Enhancing Creativity, Not Replacing Humanity
Chris Sheen is an advocate for using generative AI, but with a crucial point: AI is a co-pilot, not the creator. At Celonis, AI is embedded in their social workflow, assisting with everything from scripting and caption ideas to rewrites and tone guidance. It’s even trained to ensure content avoids the typical B2B jargon.
However, a non-negotiable step is the human review and refinement of every single AI-generated piece of content. This editorial oversight is essential for maintaining authenticity. In an era where AI-written content can often sound generic, this episode offers a timely reminder: genuine connection comes from people, not perfectly polished, “thrilled to announce” clichés. If you’re planning to leverage AI to scale your social output, Chris’s model offers a blueprint: let AI boost your efficiency and creativity, but ensure a human is always in control.
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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.
