[Episode Sixty-Four of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
In this episode of The Employee Advocacy & Influence Podcast, hosts Lewis Gray and Elliot Elsley sit down with Heather Wiita, Senior Brand and Social Media Manager at Salesloft. Heather takes us inside the strategy and structure behind one of the most impressive employee advocacy programs we’ve seen, with over 200 active participants and C-suite champions.
Discover how Salesloft secured top-level buy-in, rolled out the platform department by department, and used value-first content to keep employees engaged. Heather also shares lessons from the journey, such as what it takes to get busy teams contributing consistently and why executive involvement matters more than you think.
What you’ll learn:
- Why Salesloft launched its advocacy program and how it paid off
- How executive sponsorship was key to fast adoption
- Why leading with personal value drives long-term engagement
- Which content formats (like text-only posts) perform best
- How Salesloft integrated DSMN8 with Slack for real-time boosts
C-Suite Buy-In Drives Real Momentum
According to Heather, what really accelerated Salesloft’s success was having the full backing of the C-suite from the very beginning. Their CMO didn’t just approve the idea; he joined the pilot group. Executives helped draft and send onboarding emails, attended team rollouts, and even spoke about advocacy in meetings. This sent a powerful message that advocacy wasn’t just “a marketing thing.” Instead, it became a shared priority across the business. When employees see leaders practicing what they preach, sharing content, commenting on team posts, or celebrating wins, it legitimizes the program and inspires participation across all levels of the company.
Value First: Why Employees Keep Sharing
One of Heather’s most powerful insights is that employee advocacy only works when people see what’s in it for them. She’s clear: “Nobody will post just because you asked them to.” Rather than pushing branded content, Heather’s strategy is about empowering employees to build their online presence. That means offering timely, relevant content that helps them educate their network, express opinions, or share their unique experiences. When advocates see their posts gaining traction, including likes, comments, and messages, it builds confidence. The brand benefit becomes a natural by-product of personal success.
Integrations Keep Advocacy Front-of-Mind
Employee advocacy adoption often stalls if it’s not integrated into existing employee routines. To solve this, Salesloft employed a clever tactic: integrating with Slack. A dedicated advocacy Slack channel notifies employees when new content is live or when a colleague’s post needs boosting. It’s a simple, high-impact move that meets employees where they already are inside a tool they check dozens of times a day. As Heather puts it, “The last thing people want is another tab.” By making content discovery effortless, they consistently maintained high engagement levels without relying on constant manual reminders.
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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.
