[Episode Seventy-Four of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
Unlock the power of authentic employee advocacy and drive real B2B influence with global employer brand strategist Benjamin Gredeson. In this episode, Benjamin shares his proven strategies for gaining senior leadership buy-in, fostering a culture of sharing, and creating impactful content that cuts through the noise. Discover how to transform your B2B social strategy and empower your employees to become your most trusted advocates.
Benjamin, a seasoned global employer brand and culture strategist, offers unparalleled insights from leading employee advocacy programs across diverse industries. He emphasizes that successful B2B marketing and social strategy hinge on human connection, not just polished corporate messaging. Learn why overcoming leaders’ fear of social media can unlock immense momentum and how to build a thriving advocacy culture that goes beyond traditional incentives.
This episode is a must-listen for senior marketers, employer brand leaders, and social media managers seeking to amplify their influence and harness the authentic voices within their organizations.
Key Takeaways:
- Senior Leadership Buy-in: Overcome leaders’ social media hesitancy with one-on-one coaching and demonstrating professional gains.
- Authentic Content Wins: Discover why imperfect, real employee-generated content fosters trust and engagement more than polished corporate messages.
- Peer-to-Peer Influence: Leverage new hires and internal champions to create a cascading effect of social adoption and activity.
- Culture Over Rewards: Build lasting advocacy through a sense of belonging and pride, using incentives like exclusive events and merch, not just bonuses.
- Strategic Localization: Tailor content and channel selection to cultural nuances for maximum regional impact, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all global approach.
Overcoming Senior Leaders' Fear of Social Media
Benjamin highlighted that getting senior leaders involved in social media often requires addressing their inherent fear of not being good at something. He emphasized that leaders are just normal people who benefit from one-to-one coaching, demonstrating how social media directly benefits their professional standing. Elliot reinforced this and highlights strategies, including personalized guidance, initial cosplaying of their accounts to help define their online persona, and focusing on consistency to train algorithms rather than immediate viral success. This approach is critical for marketers to unlock top-down advocacy momentum and lend credibility to their programs.
Imperfect, Authentic Content Boosts Engagement and Trust
Benjamin strongly advocated for real, authentic content over overly polished corporate messaging. He explained that people connect more readily with content they perceive they could create themselves, lowering the barrier to participation and fostering broader engagement. Authentic stories are best told by those who have directly experienced them within the organization. Elliot Elsley supported this with data, noting that even a small amount of personalization (a 1% tweak) can lead to 3-4 times more engagement, as it introduces an employee’s unique personality.
Build a Culture of Pride, Not Just Incentives
Lewis emphasized that employee advocacy cannot be bought; it requires building a culture of sharing. Benjamin shared his experience with incentives beyond monetary bonuses, focusing instead on fostering a sense of belonging and pride. Examples included exclusive merchandise, unique events for ambassadors, inter-team content sharing, and public recognition for their contributions. Elliot shared his opinions against frequent gamification, suggesting it be rare (e.g., once or twice a year) to maintain genuine excitement, as constant rewards can lead to complacency. Benjamin emphasized the importance of individuals wanting to participate for authentic reasons, ensuring the program attracts the right people for the right reasons.
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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.
