The most important question?
If you want to engage and motivate users, prospects or even employees, you need to put one key question at the heart of your approach.
I recently interviewed employee advocacy (EA) expert Andrew Seel for the Curious Business podcast. He explained how organisations can encourage employees to post about them on social media. In a world where authority and attention are essential, there are sound reasons for gaining this type of exposure.
We had a very engaging chat, and Andrew highlighted how his career had led to this role. Starting as a Travel Editor at AOL before starting web and social media agencies, his passion has always been humanising the internet and building communities.
The penny drops
Among the many lessons and insights in the interview is a great, big obvious doozy. You can hear my response when the penny drops about 11 minutes in. Andrew has learned that if you want to encourage your employees to talk about your business and, ultimately, start business conversations and create opportunities, you need to focus on what's in it for them. To that end, Andrew's agency – Togethr – effectively trains and supports employees so they feel comfortable posting and can do it better. It gives them a skill and helps them in their career, raising their own profile while, of course, raising that of their employer.
Whether we call it empathy, emotional intelligence or just good positioning, it's crucial to consider that your audience will want an answer one the key question:
What’s in it for me?
Andrew highlights that, firstly, rewards and incentives tend not to work, especially in the longer term. They often encourage the wrong behaviour and reduce the authenticity of activity, even encouraging people to set up fake profiles and so forth. Secondly, he recommends that you don't try to get everyone in the organisation to participate. Instead, focus on those already active and those who just need a push. These people don't need incentives to motivate them; they value support and professional growth.
Finding the motivation
This approach creates a win-win situation where the employee's growth aligns with the company's. Homing in on those people and structuring an employee advocacy programme in this way puts the focus on authenticity and meaning. It helps organisations create genuine engagement. Focusing on what people want from their participation is a crucial step. It's the same reason I obsess over putting the problems that prospects are wrestling with at the heart of marketing and content (rather than just presenting them with a menu of products or services).
In the podcast, Andrew also shares his insights and experiences of…
How EA benefits marketing, sales, recruitment *and* employees
The best ways to encourage, motivate and help people participate
Togethr's step-by-step guide to establishing employee advocacy and their ten-level advocacy scale
Some of the unexpected benefits of writing and posting on LinkedIn.
Listen to the full interview at podcast.curiousbusiness.co.uk (or search for “Curious Business” wherever you get your podcasts).
Find out more about Togethr at www.wearetogethr.io.
