In today’s digital landscape, people trust people more than they trust brands. For Australian small businesses, your employees are your most powerful marketing asset; their authentic voices can reach networks your business page simply can't touch. An employee advocacy program empowers your team to share company news, industry insights, and behind-the-scenes content, significantly boosting your brand's visibility and credibility.
Why Employee Advocacy Matters
When an employee shares a post, it typically sees 8x more engagement than the same post shared by a brand channel. For a Brisbane-based business, this means local networking happens organically. Whether you’re a boutique law firm in the CBD or a construction company in Chermside, having your staff share their expertise builds a layer of trust that paid advertising often lacks.---
Prerequisites: What You’ll Need
Before you start, ensure you have the following ready:- Active Social Media Pages: Specifically LinkedIn and Facebook.
- A Clear Social Media Policy: A document outlining what is and isn't okay to share.
- Internal Communication Tool: Such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or a simple email distribution list.
- A Content Hub: A place where staff can easily find approved images and links.
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Step 1: Define Your Goals and KPIs
Don't launch without a target. Ask yourself what you want to achieve. Are you looking for more recruitment leads, increased website traffic, or better brand awareness within the South East Queensland market? Common KPIs include:- Total reach of employee posts.
- Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares).
- Referral traffic to your website via social links.
Step 2: Identify Your 'Pilot' Group
Don’t try to force every staff member to participate on day one. Start with a small group of 'digitally active' employees—those who already use LinkedIn or Instagram. These internal champions will help prove the concept and encourage others to join later.Step 3: Create a Social Media Policy
This is crucial for Australian businesses to ensure compliance with Fair Work and brand standards. Your policy should be encouraging, not restrictive. What to include:- Guidelines on tone of voice.
- Disclaimers (e.g., "Views are my own").
- Confidentiality reminders (don't share client ABNs or private project details).
- Copyright rules for images.
Step 4: Audit Your Team's Profiles
Before they start sharing, ensure your team's "shop front" looks professional.- Screenshot Description: You should see the employee's LinkedIn profile page. Focus on the 'Headline' and 'Experience' sections.
- Action: Encourage staff to update their profile pictures to a professional headshot and ensure their current role at your company is listed correctly with a link to the official Business Page.
Step 5: Choose Your Content Pillars
Give your team a variety of things to talk about. Not everything should be a sales pitch. We recommend the 4-1-1 rule:- 4 pieces of educational/curated content: Industry news or helpful tips.
- 1 piece of 'culture' content: Behind-the-scenes, office birthdays, or community events.
- 1 piece of 'hard' promotional content: A specific service offer or job opening.
Step 6: Set Up a Content Distribution System
Make it as easy as possible for your team. Use a dedicated Slack channel (e.g., #social-sharing) or a weekly email. Pro Tip: Provide 'Swipe File' captions. Write 2-3 variations of a caption that the employee can copy, paste, and tweak. This removes the 'blank page' anxiety that stops people from posting.Step 7: Conduct a Kick-off Workshop
Gather your pilot group (in person or via Zoom). Explain the 'WIIFM' (What’s In It For Me). Focus on how this builds their personal brand and professional authority in the Brisbane market, not just how it helps the company.Step 8: Gamify and Incentivise
While sharing should be voluntary, a little healthy competition doesn't hurt. Offer a monthly prize for the person who generates the most engagement or the best original post. Reward ideas: A voucher for a local café, an early finish on Friday, or a LinkedIn Premium subscription.Step 9: Launch and Support
Start your first week with a 'big win' post, such as a company anniversary or a new local project launch. Monitor the posts and have the company page (and other team members) engage with the comments to build momentum.Step 10: Review and Optimise
At the end of the first month, look at your data. Which posts performed best? Did the 'culture' posts get more likes than the 'technical' posts? Share these wins with the team to show them the impact of their efforts.---
Pro Tips for Success
- Authenticity Wins: Encourage staff to use their own voice. If everyone posts the exact same caption, LinkedIn’s algorithm will mark it as spam.
- Tagging Matters: Teach your team how to tag the business and relevant local partners to increase local reach.
- Visuals are Key: Provide high-quality photos of the team at work. Genuine photos of people always outperform stock imagery in Australia.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Making it Mandatory: If you force people to post, it will feel robotic and disingenuous. Advocacy must be authentic.
- Ignoring Comments: If an employee's friend asks a question on their post, the employee (or your social manager) needs to respond promptly.
- Over-sharing: Posting 5 times a day will annoy their personal network. Aim for 1-2 quality posts per week.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Issue: "My staff are worried about privacy." Solution: Remind them they don't have to share personal life updates. They can keep their profile professional and only share industry-related content. Issue: "Nobody is engaging with the posts." Solution: Check the timing. Are they posting at 11 PM on a Saturday? For Brisbane businesses, Tuesday to Thursday between 8 AM and 10 AM usually sees the highest LinkedIn engagement. Issue: "The content feels too corporate." Solution: Ask your team to take 'candid' photos on their phones. Real-life office shots usually have much higher engagement than polished marketing graphics.---
Next Steps
- Draft your social media policy this week.
- Identify 3-5 'champions' in your office to start the pilot.
- If you need help creating a content strategy that your team will actually want to share, contact the experts at Local Marketing Group. We specialise in helping Brisbane businesses amplify their local presence.