Employee advocacy has become essential for organizations aiming to enhance their brand visibility and build trust in the digital age. However, encouraging employees to share and champion the company message isn’t always straightforward.
Robert Cialdini’s six principles of influence—reciprocity, commitment and consistency, social proof, authority, liking, and scarcity—offer a proven and effective framework for motivating people (in this case, employees). Let’s explore how to use these principles to make your employee advocacy efforts with Ambassify more successful.
The principle of reciprocity is simple: when you give something valuable, people feel compelled to give something back. To establish and nurture employee advocacy, start by providing your employees with valuable tools and resources. These could include:
When you show that you’re invested in their growth and success, employees will naturally be inclined to return the favor by advocating for the company.
Example of an appreciation email from Swiss Life Global Solutions
People like to stay consistent with their commitments, and the easiest way to encourage your employees to do that is by setting realistic and achievable goals. Encourage employees to take small, manageable actions at first, such as liking a post, sharing a company update, or writing a brief testimonial about their experience working with the organization.
Once they’ve taken those initial steps and they see the results of those efforts mirrored in the advocacy program results, they’ll be more likely to commit to bigger tasks. That’s when you can start raising the stakes and suggest campaigns such as creating original content or participating in branding efforts.
For example, you can create a like or comment campaign on Ambassify to ask your employees to engage with existing social media posts. It’s a small ask, but it can help you to make your employees feel more comfortable with social media.
Example of a ‘Like campaign’ from the Ambassify community
We’re more likely to follow the actions of others, especially our peers: for example, you can highlight examples of employees who are excelling in their advocacy efforts or involve C-level executives to lead by example in the first place.
Share their success stories in internal newsletters or during team meetings, showcasing how their contributions have benefited both the company and their personal brand. When employees see others’ efforts being celebrated and yielding results, they’ll feel inspired to join in, too.
Example of showcasing a successful ambassador in an internal campaign by Nipro
Employees are more likely to engage in advocacy when they trust the company’s leadership and believe in its expertise. To demonstrate the organization’s authority in its field, share content such as thought leadership articles, case studies, or industry reports with your employees.
Leaders play a role here, too, and actively participate in advocacy efforts. When employees see leadership walking the talk, they’re more likely to follow suit. By providing specific campaigns and tailored posts for them, you make it easier for leaders to engage with their audiences without spending much time creating content from scratch. With Ambassify’s auto-share feature, leaders can smart share pre-approved posts automatically.
An example of a campaign tailored to one specific profile from the Ambassify community is
Ambassify can also help you encourage employees to become more active on social media with in-app training. Our content Catalog can help you with this, offering best practices and tips on how to become better advocates.
Ambassify’s Content Catalog
People are more likely to say “yes” to those who they like. Which is why it’s important to foster a workplace culture that emphasizes relationships, recognition, and genuine connection.
For example, you can encourage teams to collaborate and celebrate each other’s successes. When employees feel valued and connected to their peers, they’ll be more willing to advocate for the company because they genuinely like the people they work with and the organization they represent.
In this example, the welcome campaign has been featured in the community to always show at the very top, welcome new ambassadors, and reiterate what they can expect from the program. Everyone is also encouraged to use the comment section below, thus immediately stimulating community engagement.
The scarcity principle suggests that people value things more when they perceive them as rare or exclusive. To leverage this principle, think about framing employee advocacy as a unique opportunity to contribute to the company’s success and for employees to showcase their unique skills.
Highlight exclusive benefits, such as early access to content, invitations to special events, or unique incentives for participating in advocacy programs. This exclusivity creates a sense of urgency and value, motivating employees to get involved.
With the community, you can go beyond just social sharing. Community building is crucial in strengthening advocacy, adoption, activation, and engagement. It’s about more than just pushing content via the platform; it's about combining different kinds of campaigns, building engagement, and collaborating with your ambassadors.
It’s essential to show your employees that you are available when they have any questions, that you value their opinions and feedback, and that you want them to become your collaborators.
By applying Cialdini’s principles of influence to your employee advocacy initiatives, you can create a program that feels natural, rewarding, and engaging for your team. Remember that successful advocacy starts with trust, support, and a genuine commitment to your employees’ growth and success.
At Ambassify, we specialize in helping companies build effective and sustainable employee advocacy programs. By leveraging proven psychological principles and cutting-edge technology, we make it easy for your team to amplify your brand and build lasting connections with your audience.