Employee Advocacy: the statistics you need to know in 2023

For several years now, more and more marketing and communication specialists have chosen to deploy an Employee Advocacy programme within their organisation. It is therefore with sufficient hindsight that we can analyse the results obtained, and thus understand whether this is just a marketing buzz or a real underlying trend.

We give you all the statistics and trends to know in 2023!

Reminder: definition and objective of Employee Advocacy

Employee Advocacy is a communication strategy that a company decides to adopt to promote its brand and expertise on social networks through its employees.

How did Employee Advocacy emerge?

Employee advocacy programmes are much older than most people think! They have been around for centuries, dating back to ancient Rome where gladiators encouraged freeborn Roman citizens to participate in gladiatorial games (source).

The term “Employee Advocacy” was first used in 2010 by Matthew Brown of Forrester Research, who published an article entitled “Employee Advocacy Emerges from an Empowered Workforce” (source). Brown said the study allowed Forrester Research to begin analysing the impact of technology on the advocacy process. The analyst concluded that “Advocacy correlates with attitudes and behaviours around workplace technology”.

As a result, many tools have been developed. This is the case of Limber, a French startup, created in 2015 after 2 years of research and development, which offers a unique platform dedicated to companies to deploy their Employer Brand, Social Selling and Employee Advocacy strategies.

Employee Advocacy trends today

Employee Advocacy is a growing trend in the world of marketing and branding. With the rise of social media, employees can now easily share company content and messages with their personal networks, amplifying the reach and impact of the brand.

As internet users are more likely to trust posts shared by a company’s employees than traditional advertising, this has led many organisations to invest in employee ambassador programmes to leverage their employees’ social networks as a content delivery channel. In B2B or B2C, Employee Advocacy is beneficial for any type of business that wants to boost the sense of belonging to an organisation.

The results obtained by companies that have tested such a programme are often remarkable. This strategy ultimately benefits the entire company: from marketing and sales to recruitment and talent retention.

Do you want to know how and why this approach is becoming a marketing and communication staple?

Let’s take a closer look at the statistics 👇

The Employee Advocacy in 2023 📈

According to a study by Gartner, “90% of social network marketing strategies will incorporate large-scale employee advocacy programmes” by 2023.

In recent years, companies have increasingly turned to social networks to reach and engage their target audience. Here are some social media trends related to employee ambassador programmes:

👉 How many people actually use social networks?

At the beginning of 2023, there are more than 4.76 billion active users on social networks worldwide. According to Datareportal, this represents about 59.3% of the total world population. A study by Statistica estimates that this number will rise to over 4.4 billion by 2025!

Taking into account the fact that users log on for an average of 170 minutes or 2.8 hours per day, this makes social networks a real hotspot.

👉 A greater focus on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the most popular social networking platform for B2B companies, with more than 875 million members in 2023 from 200 countries and regions around the world. Companies are increasingly using LinkedIn to connect with potential customers, recruit, share quality content and build relationships with industry influencers.

💡 One third of company engagement on LinkedIn comes from employees
Companies post content to generate interest in their company on LinkedIn. However, 30% of readers who like, share and comment on content are employees of the company. In addition, employees are 14 times more likely to share a company’s content than other content they see on the platform (source)

👉 A greater emphasis on video content

Video content is becoming increasingly popular on social networks, and B2B or B2C companies are taking note. Video content can be used to showcase products and services, share company news, quality content and create meaningful experiences for potential customers and future candidates.

👉 Increased use of advertising on social networks

Companies are increasingly using social media advertising to reach their target audience. Platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook offer sophisticated targeting options, allowing companies to reach specific industries, job titles and other key demographics.

The 3 main strategies of Employee Advocacy in 2023

1. The employer branding

In 2023, developing a strong employer brand is essential for companies to attract, engage and retain top talent.

Employer branding is about creating a unique position for a brand in the employment market by focusing on putting people first, taking care of the company culture and communicating employee recognition.

Companies also need to focus on optimizing their employee experience strategy and employer brand to stand out in an increasingly competitive labour market.

👉 Find out how to develop your employer brand in 2023 in this article on employer branding.

2. The social selling

With Social Selling having been on the rise for a number of years, it continues to be an important strategy in 2023 in an Employee Advocacy approach.

With the importance of social networks and digital channels in the sales process, Employee Advocacy has become an essential way for companies to leverage the social accounts of their sales team to reach and engage with potential customers and, in turn, drive sales for the company.

By encouraging employees to share information about their company’s products or services on social networks, they can extend the reach of the company’s marketing efforts and position themselves as thought leaders and subject matter experts in their industry.

On the employee side, they will need to focus on personalized messages and quality content that addresses the specific needs and interests of their audience and target audience in order to stand out in a crowded social media environment. This will require a deep understanding of the preferences and behaviour of prospects, customers, and the ability to use data and analytics to guide social selling strategies.

3. The content marketing

Content marketing is a key strategy in an employee ambassador programme, and will continue to be important in 2023 and beyond. Providing a means to create and distribute content that employees can share with their networks, it is the cornerstone of an employee advocacy approach.

Here are 5 reasons why content marketing is important in Employee Advocacy in 2023:

Building opinion leadership

Content marketing allows companies to position themselves as thought leaders in their industry by providing valuable information and knowledge to their audience. This then positions employees as subject matter experts and builds trust with potential customers.

Increase brand awareness

By creating and sharing content on social networks, employees can help increase the reach and visibility of the brand. This can help attract new customers and build brand awareness.

Increases website traffic

A content marketing strategy is an effective way to drive traffic to a company’s website, where potential customers can learn more about the brand and its offerings. By including calls to action in their content, companies can encourage visitors to take action and move through the sales funnel.

Strengthens commitment

High quality content can be a powerful way to engage with potential customers and build relationships. By encouraging employees to share and comment on content, companies can create a two-way conversation that helps build trust and connect with audiences.

Provides a competitive advantage

In the digital age, content marketing has become an essential part of the marketing mix. By adopting a content marketing strategy, companies can differentiate themselves from their competitors and create a competitive advantage.

4. The personal branding

By enabling employees to create their own personal branding and share their unique perspectives and experiences, companies can leverage the power of their people to build trust, credibility and business results.

In 2023, personal branding is an important part of an employee advocacy strategy. As employees are seen as individuals with their own unique perspectives, ideas, opinions and experiences, this can help to humanise the brand and build trust with the public.

By developing their personal brand, employees can define themselves as experts in their field and gain credibility with their audience. This, in turn, can help position the brand as a reliable and knowledgeable source of information.

It is an effective way to increase engagement with their audience by creating a sense of connection and authenticity. When employees share content that matches their personal brand and values, it can help create a deeper emotional connection with the audience and increase engagement.

Like social selling, it also helps to generate leads, build relationships and drive sales for the company.

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Limber has been designed to deploy your Leader / Employee Advocacy, Employer Brand and Social Selling strategies with ease. By encouraging your employees to share your content on their social networks, you can increase the size of your organic audience by up to 10 times and get up to 8 times the engagement rate.

Ready to get started?

💡 Discover the 5 key steps that will allow you to prepare, set up and optimise your Ambassador Collaborator programme over time.

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