[Episode Seventy-Two of ‘The Employee Advocacy and Influence Podcast] 🎧
Dive deep into B2B social strategy and employee advocacy with Barney O’Kelly. In this episode, we explore why true influence on LinkedIn surpasses mere content amplification, building real conversations and genuine connections.
Barney O’Kelly challenges the obsession with metrics, emphasizing the vital human element in B2B marketing and influence. He shares invaluable perspectives on how professional services firms can foster genuine influence, overcome the common fear of posting online, and develop authentic personal brands at scale. We cover everything from the psychology of sharing and the pitfalls of AI-generated content to the undeniable power of a consistent, value-driven LinkedIn strategy for building long-term career investment and trust in marketing.
Key Takeaways:
- Influence vs. Amplification: Why starting conversations and engaging with your network matters more than just broadcasting content.
- Psychology of Sharing: Understanding what holds professionals back from posting and why confidence plays a crucial role in B2B social.
- Authenticity at Scale: How to help your team find their distinct voice without it feeling forced, amidst AI-generated noise.
- Beyond Data Obsession: Why focusing solely on metrics can miss the “magic” of human connection and commercial influence.
- Personal Branding as Investment: The long-term value of consistent, intentional presence on LinkedIn for career growth and retention.
Own Your Voice: Rejecting AI-Generated "Slop"
In an age saturated with automated content, Barney offers a refreshing perspective on authenticity. He candidly refers to AI as “industrialized mediocrity” and challenges the idea of outsourcing one’s personality to AI tools like ChatGPT. Barney advocates for human originality and expression, even in its imperfections, stating that humanity exists in the flaws. His point, echoed by Lewis and Elliot, is that the aim is connection, not perfection. This takeaway is crucial for marketers seeking to help employees stand out: encourage genuine voices and unique perspectives over generic, AI-polished content to forge deeper, more memorable connections.
Embrace Marketing's Magic: Look Beyond Basic Data
Barney makes a compelling case against an over-reliance on easily trackable marketing data, arguing that even the most reliable data requires some degree of context and interpretation. He emphasizes the magic of marketing that extends beyond likes and comments, pointing to invaluable, yet hard-to-measure outcomes, such as direct messages, in-person mentions, and long-term brand building. Elliot agrees that marketers often care more about their own metrics than senior sales or consulting teams. This insight prompts marketers to trust in the broader influence of consistent, human-centric activity, even when direct attribution is elusive, focusing on commercial events influenced rather than just click-through rates.
Find Your Niche: Avoid Becoming a Digital Billboard
Both Barney and Elliot caution against the pitfalls of amplification programs that turn employees into digital billboards. Elliot warns against simply pushing out generic company content, while Barney notes that splurging stuff out into the world isn’t going to give people reassurance that you’re the right person to help them. Instead, the advice is to pick a niche, stay focused, and be intentional about the content you share. This focused approach enables professionals to develop in-depth expertise and credibility, attracting the right audience and fostering more meaningful conversations, rather than diluting their impact by being a generalist.
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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.
