...to pretty much every question about social and business, then there's new data from Dynamic Signal and Mindshare to back this up. The release about the study can be found here, but the key takeaways from a respondent base of 800 employees are:
"Allow your workforce to be brand advocates by rethinking communications both internally and externally. Help employees be more informed and engaged with digital-age communications via social platforms and mobile apps that digital natives already use in their personal lives. "
The key word in this key takeaway is "help" - whatever the program, when it is approached as a way of helping, not managing employees, it will be more successful. Your employees (according to this research, 59% of them) stand ready, willing and able to share the things about your company that are relevant to them. That means that you need a content strategy for your own workforce, not just for your customers and prospects. To quote Wendi Smith, Managing Director, Agency Communications & Content, Mindshare: "It's important for brands to understand that the same kind of rigor and creativity should be applied internally as well - your best brand advocates are your own people."
So get going on Employee Advocacy if you haven't already. Here's the release and some more ammunition.