
Corporate influencers are just a marketing strategy for large corporations? Not at all! Employees as brand ambassadors have huge potential for all companies. This is how it works.
Large corporations such as Otto or Ikea have long relied on corporate influencers, i.e. employees who act as brand ambassadors, especially on social networks. A perfect advertising strategy – because no one is as authentic, approachable and on an equal footing with potential customers and applicants as the company’s employees.
Larger companies are establishing their own corporate influencer programs in which some of the employees receive training and support for their work as company ambassadors. But there is also a less complex way: How you can use corporate influencer marketing for your company and increase your reach to attract customers and potential employees.?
Corporate Influencer Definition: What is a Corporate Influencer?
Not everyone who posts about their working life on social media channels is a corporate influencer. By definition, corporate influencers are employees who, in consultation with the company, voluntarily establish a media presence in their specialist area.
In return, they receive all the important information about the company and the greatest possible support from their employer. Further training may also be provided. The company must also provide working time for content creation. Employees usually use social media channels such as LinkedIn, Instagram or YouTube for this, but blog posts are also possible.
Julia Reuter, owner of the agency “Herzblutdigital”, emphasizes that the employee’s own motivation is important. From her point of view, corporate influencers have an ambassadorial role: they convey company content outward out of conviction, which is why users do not perceive it as classic advertising. For Reuter, a suitable synonym is therefore brand ambassador.
Klaus Eck, a communications consultant specializing in corporate influencers and author of the book “The New Power of Corporate Influencers,” speaks of topic ambassadors because they are specialists in their field: “They then really communicate their expertise to the outside world.”
What are the specific reasons for corporate influencing?
Four reasons why you should use corporate influencers for your company:
1. Digital yet approachable communication
The type of communication is increasingly digital. If companies want to be visible, they have to have an online presence. However, people are reluctant to follow company accounts, says agency owner Reuter: “Classic communication bores most people, they want to connect with people and talk to them” and specifies: “Through the role of corporate influencer, I have the opportunity to create digital visibility, but also proximity to customers.”
2. Authentic type of advertising
No one could speak more credibly, honestly and emotionally about their own work, corporate culture or product than their own employees. Corporate influencing is therefore considered a very authentic and therefore effective form of advertising.
3. Credible and cost-effective recruiting
If companies use likeable and credible internal company ambassadors, it helps them with recruiting. “I can save money on advertising costs if I get individual employees to write in depth about their work and also to address the job that is available,” says corporate influencer consultant Klaus Eck in a pragmatic way.
4. Win customers with expertise
If employees are confident in their specialist areas, position themselves in the digital environment and become visible, potential customers gain trust. Julia Reuter explains: “Perhaps this person will also be a contact for customers later on. And then it is nice for them to meet this person again.” Reuter sees this as a great opportunity, especially for small companies: “They have the expertise to position themselves in their specialist area and turn that into content.”
Corporate influencer strategy: what is important?
As with any project, a clear strategy is required. According to Julia Reuter, the following questions help to define goals, target groups and measures:
“What are the goals, what do we expect from them? How do we ultimately want to make this measurable, perhaps later on? Who do we want to address with this and who are the people in the company who can make it all happen?”
In addition, there are questions of content:
- Which digital format is the right one, one that the corporate influencer feels comfortable with, but which also fits the company and its objectives? Which social media channel does the company want to use? Should the corporate influencer use LinkedIn as a classic business network or Instagram or TikTok? Should it be a blog? Should it be text posts or videos?
- What topics should be covered? Corporate influencer consultant Eck emphasizes that there should not be a strict template from the company, but rather just “content inspiration.”
Which employees are suitable as brand ambassadors?
If you want to turn employees into brand ambassadors, you should make sure that they have the following qualities and Skills:
- Love the company: They genuinely enjoy working for the company and embody the company’s values.
- Know the brand: They have a good understanding of the company and its products or services.
- Are credible: Ordinary employees are often more credible than executives.
- Are loyal: Their loyalty as employees motivates them to promote the brand.
Here are some skills that are important for brand ambassadors:
- Communication – Brand ambassadors need to be able to communicate effectively in person and online to reach their target audience.
- Interpersonal skills – Brand ambassadors use verbal and non-verbal skills to interact with people, including listening, communicating, and conflict resolution. They also need to be able to initiate conversations with strangers.
- Cultural sensitivity – Brand ambassadors interact with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
- Positive attitude – Brand ambassadors should have a warm, friendly, helpful, positive, and approachable demeanor.
- Authenticity – Brand ambassadors should have a genuine interest in the product or service they are promoting.
- Social media savvy – Brand ambassadors should have a strong social media presence and be able to promote the brand online.
What measures are important to establish corporate influencing?
To work well with your corporate ambassadors, you should be clear about two things:
- You have to trust the company ambassadors and give them as much freedom as possible. Ultimately, it’s about conveying creative and authentic content that users like to see.
- You need to value the work of the corporate influencer and let him or her know that the work is important to the company.
This mixture of trust and appreciation is the basis for successful cooperation between employers and corporate influencers, says Klaus Eck. Especially because employees go beyond their area of responsibility and usually do not receive any extra compensation.
Entrepreneurs should also consider the following points in order to establish a corporate influencer strategy:
Clarify expectations on both sides
Before things can get started, the boss and the employee must clarify what they expect from each other. “A good conversation and a few clear rules in the form of a guideline are often enough,” says Klaus Eck. It is important to enter into dialogue to explain the corporate influencer strategy and to find out what support the employees expect.
Fixed times for content creation
In order for corporate ambassadors to be able to create posts regularly and with joy, it is important that they can complete this task during their working hours. Communications consultant Klaus Eck advises when time is tight: “One hour a week is enough. That’s four hours a month that the corporate influencers can use to create one or two posts a month.”
Agency boss Julia Reuter also emphasizes: “Good content takes time.” Only a well-maintained account can achieve visibility. After all, it’s not just about creating text posts, but also about interacting with other users via likes and comments.
Regular exchange
Corporate influencer expert Eck recommends that owners and company ambassadors exchange information once a month. “The point here is to clarify what is particularly important in the company at the moment and which postings have gone particularly well,” says Eck.
Building a digital presence as an owner
It is particularly effective when the owners themselves act as corporate influencers. No one else knows the company so well, is so enthusiastic and can speak so committedly and honestly. After all, the founder’s story is also exciting: “Why does the person do what they do? That’s what interests people,” explains digital expert Reuter. Reuter also sees the owner as a role model. If the owner is digitally visible, that can also motivate the team to do the same.
According to Reuter, if the owner himself becomes a brand ambassador, potential risks can also be minimized. If you only rely on employees, you have to face the question of succession planning for the role of corporate influencer when they leave the company. The owners, on the other hand, are tied to the company.