The importance of empowering employees and brand advocates

Businesses are constantly looking for new ways to reach and communicate with customers. However, even some strong marketing and advertising plans have the potential to plateau once they've tapped the relevant customer bases. Luckily, creative and comprehensive branading practices that begin internally can be a viable solution to stagnant marketing campaigns.

Many companies are looking toward social media as a perfect outlet to improve exposure. The popular media sources allow a brand to become an engaging entity, which can help attract consumers and create a sense of loyalty. Simply developing a company Facebook or Twitter won't effectively initiate an engaging online presence.

Typically an organization would greatly benefit from enlisting its employees as brand ambassadors and asking them to spread the word and message through their social media platforms. If employees are aligned with the business' message, the delivery of the brand promise is fulfilled, which leads to optimal customer experiences and creates new opportunities for a company to differentiate itself from competitors.

However, allowing employees to actively represent a company on a social media outlet can be detrimental to its image if a user policy is not outlined and effectively communicated to the staff. Informing workers of consequences to violating the policy and misrepresenting a brand through irresponsible posts can help lay the ground rules for an effective social media reputation.

Employee brand advocacy does not happen overnight. Business managers need to be prepared to lead by example and work in direct partnership with every employee in order to create a marketing campaign that reaches consumers in a personal way.

It's important to note that not every associate is a brand advocate. Taking time to evaluate the staff and categorize associates as advocates, followers and believers can help form a chain of reciprocity.

Senior marketers need to create personal connections between employees and the brand. Failing to do so will prevent associates from understanding the brand promise and their roles in promoting it. Establishing a team of advocates that lead by example can help employees who understand the brand, but not how to promote it, follow suit. Brand advocates have the knowledge to create effective Tweets that engage consumers, while followers reTweet the posts and the believers improve the company morale. Once every member has become a vital part of the brand image, consumers will start to think that the message isn't just a sales slogan, but truthfully the entire corporation's passion.