You have an award-winning U.S. crime drama to thank for this week's column; reruns of The Shield have been airing here in Britain, and to settle a family dispute after watching a recent episode, I googled screenwriter Shawn Ryan, the series' creator. The original argument (which I lost) has no bearing on advocacy, but one of the search results resonated with me.
I read a quote by Ryan that leads me back to a subject I covered in an early Beyond Engagement article - authenticity. Here's what he said:
"I think the bar is higher these days in terms of audience expectations of authenticity."
Clearly, Ryan was talking about TV and movie audiences, but his words are equally applicable to social media, and in particular to advocacy. It's a topic that won't go away, and one which I also discovered inextricably entwined in a recent discussion thread on LinkedIn. With nearly 50 comments, the debate featured wildly opposing points of view, many of which deserve a wider audience.
"How Do You Feel About Employee Advocacy On Social Media?"
This was the question posed in the Marketing Communication group by Valerie Levin, Marketing Manager at B2B social-media specialist Oktopost. What ensured my participation was that commenters focused largely on the ethics of asking employees to post on social media - and the risks surrounding a lack of authenticity if employers get it wrong.
It's clear that many in the business community still draw a line between employees' personal use of their social-media accounts and any business-related activities. This, from Bill Corbin, President of micro-marketing company Enfront, is typical: "If a social channel was created for non-commercial reasons, its inherent value is diluted to whatever extent commerce intrudes."
For me, the key word there is "intrudes;" Corbin is right - if it's intrusive, it's not authentic. Others warn against the risk of misusing social media as a channel for "ultra-low-cost advertising," since "the majority see through it and detest it." Quite right too - if all you expect from employee advocacy is a full-blown marketing channel with no regard for the opinions of the people involved, then you're wasting your time.
So Is It Worth the Effort to Get It Right?
Since, as several contributors recognized, the distinction between professional and personal use of social media is increasingly blurred - if indeed it still exists - organizational leaders and brands can't afford to ignore the issue. "There can be big wins with social advocacy [but] this kind of messaging needs as much care and craft as any other channel strategy," says Nonprofit Administrator Morgan Davis.
I particularly identified with Contract CMO David R. Frick's point of view; bosses, he opines, have a vital role to play in getting it right: "One role of leadership is to create an environment that employees WANT to positively post things in social media about the projects, products, and culture at work."
I have long been of the opinion that you only create that type of environment by engaging with your people continually. Involve them in discussion about things that matter to them - things that affect their day-to-day work; seek their opinions when it's appropriate; keep them in the picture when you're developing strategy.
One of my clients - a man with an unshakeable belief in the power of social media - was recently appointed CEO of a major British company. Busy though he is, he finds time every week to write a personal letter to employees; every person in the business receives his weekly communication. He tells people about his week; how he hopes to make a difference to the company and how that aligns with his personal beliefs.
Does he engage with his people? Absolutely. Will they advocate for the business? Maybe, maybe not ... but they certainly don't feel excluded. It's a valuable investment of his time.
Has Your Organization Raised the Bar?
If you're doing the right things, advocacy will be the outcome; it's not - and never should be - an objective. Nor is it a social-media phenomenon; modern technology is just an enabler. As Jeff Moser of APC puts it, "Social channels can remain marketing free, but still readily promote good will through honest, authentic interactions - anyone remember PR before the Internet?" Amen to that.
Have you created "an environment that employees love to be in? [If so,] it will naturally spill over into their own networks and that's a great thing. It paints a really positive image in the head of anyone your staff reaches because its honest and organic- and people can tell in a second if something is honest or not." Isaac Kohen, CEO at Teramind, sums it up beautifully. Does your organization measure up?
I return to Shawn Ryan's thoughts on the subject of authenticity. Social media undoubtedly leaves users expecting real-time reaction, instant feedback and demonstrable engagement. But authenticity? Is that a given or, in business, do you still expect your people to preach the gospel exactly as you wrote it? If that's you, then you're almost certainly not getting your message across.
Do You Know What Your Audience Expects?
If you encourage advocacy in your organization, how much leeway do you leave your people to express themselves? Does your program simply channel business-speak through the social-media funnel that is your employees' social networks? Take a look at the Marketing Communication discussion and add your thoughts - either on LinkedIn or by commenting here. We're always interested to find out how advocacy manifests itself in the real world - do let us know.
Beyond Engagement is an exclusive Social Media Today column published every other Thursday.
Image credits:
Column logo by Marie Otsuka
Authenticity by Beth Dunn