Dealing with Employees During and After Covid
As COVID-19 continues to rain havoc around the world, the need for businesses to maintain their customer bases is even more evident. Businesses are closing down left right and center, and if your customers don’t hear from you for a long time, they might assume that you are not operating. One way to ensure that customers keep hearing from you is by strengthening your online presence. And what better way to do that is than to partner with a web development company that offers both creative and marketing services. This will also inspire your employees to further advocate for the company.
You see, the context of the message has to change considering that we are living in a period of uncertainty. You don’t want to appear promotional when your customers are focused on the pandemic. Your employees can help you send your brand message without appearing too pushy. In addition, your employees have a more personal relationship with their audience. They are more likely to be a trusted source of truth about your brand.
Here are 5 tips on how you can encourage your employees to become your brand ambassadors during the pandemic period.
1. Make them feel a part of the company goals
One secret about turning employees into brand advocates is not to push them. The need to share about the organization should come from within them and not something HR orders them to do. The only way they are going to be compelled to talk about you is if they feel like a part of the bigger picture.
Now that your employees are probably working away from each other, a constant reminder of how their roles align with the company’s goals can go a long way in cementing their position in the company. This will keep them engaged and committed to the organization, projecting their brand ambassadorship naturally.
2. Keep them updated
With teams working away from each other, constant communication is what glues everyone together. It is even more important when it comes to turning employees to become brand ambassadors. To start with, employees can’t share information that they don’t have.
It is therefore very important to ensure that you are keeping them in the loop of what is going on in the organization. If you have offers coming up, new advertising campaigns, or anything new going on, ensure that you keep them updated. This will not only show transparency, but it will also create a sense of trust between you and them.
3. Provide sharable content
Many people would be willing to share about their employers, but the thought of finding the information to share or writing a full blog post appears to be too much work for them. You can make their work easier by providing curated content for them to share. Think of relevant videos, blog posts, case studies, and industry news. Encourage them to share that with their personal perspective of the same.
Of course, the process involves handling and sending large files. You need a solution that can help you ensure efficiency.
4. Offer personal development incentives
When employees hear about brand advocacy, it is easy to think about what is in it for them. If they don’t see anything to gain from it, most will be likely to back out. It is important that you approach the whole thing as beneficial for both you and the employee.
Think of an incentive that will keep your employees engaged in the process for a long time. For instance, you can equip them to become influencers in their line of work. They can showcase their expertise in their fields while tying the message with your brand message. This way, their career gets a lift and your business benefits.
5. Offer rewards
Besides offering incentives, rewards for good work are known to keep employees engaged in their roles. It can do the same when it comes to brand advocacy. Keep employees interested in sharing your brand message out there by offering frequent giveaways for the people that surpass expectations. You can also create fun social media contests that they can share on their pages and award the winners.
Conclusion
Employee advocacy is the new trend in online employer branding. It is successful in that employees are able to bring out the brand message in a loyal and genuine way. People out there can tell between a paid promotion and a genuine message, and using employees makes all the difference.
COVID-19 has affected operations on so many fronts, yet the need to be heard is now more relevant than ever. Your employees provide a cheaper way to do so in this hard time.
If you would like to see how it works and what you can achieve, give me a call or set up a time to talk by clicking here. I look forward to a productive conversation. Stay safe and healthy!
Give us a call at 617-308-3017 or reach out – at asteinmetz@inwardconsulting.com.
Allan Steinmetz CEO