What is Employee Advocacy and How Can This Help Build My Brand?

Here’s how an effective employee advocacy strategy can build loyalty in your organization and amplify your social media messaging.

What is Employee Advocacy? This may not be a term you’re familiar with, but it’s undoubtedly one that is impacting your business and your bottom line.  A study from Weber Shandwick found that 50% of the U.S. workforce is voluntarily sharing about their employer via social media—that’s 60 million people talking about their place of employment. With that kind of exposure, ask yourself: What message are my employees sending out about my company?

Sales representatives using social media outsell 78% of their peers.

This is where an Employee Advocacy Plan comes into play. Studies indicate that when specific employees talk about your brand on various social media platforms, brand awareness can increase by 14x. [Check out these statistics!] This is because your employees are already on social media, and the average employee has 10x more followers than a corporate network. Not only that, but 90% of their audience is new to your brand. If that isn’t enough to convince you that your employees may hold the key to your next big marketing push, consider this: Only 15% of people trust recommendations from a brand. But, if that same recommendation comes from a person they know, that number jumps up to 84% (WeRSM).

How is a social media policy different from employee advocacy?

If you have a social media policy in place, that’s great—but it’s not the same as an Employee Advocacy plan. Your policy tells your employees how they can act on social media channels. Or, in most situations, they should NOT be participating in social media activity while at work. It’s the best way to stave off legal or security problems, but it doesn’t guarantee that your employees will post anything positive about your brand.

This is the big difference between social media policies and advocacy plans: One sets boundaries for your employees, while the other tells specific employees how they can advocate for your brand within those bounds. Of course, you don’t want every employee speaking on behalf of your company!

Who makes a good advocate?

Why not use every employee as an advocate? After all, the more employees you use, the more exposure your brand receives, right?

Wrong. This is NOT what we’re talking about.

Do you want every employee in your organization sharing posts on behalf of your company and adding their own ‘unedited’ comments? Absolutely not. There is a time and place for strategies that invite all employees to participate (I’ll touch on that later), but you should be selective about who is acting as your brand ambassador. Good advocates are employees who directly connect to your customers and prospective buyers and have already received training on communicating your message. They are individuals you know will use good judgment in what they “like”, “share,” and “comment on”. Potential candidates include management (specifically sales and marketing), field sales representatives, and perhaps customer service representatives.

5 Tips on Creating Your Employee Advocacy Plan:

1. Make the benefits clear. No employee wants to spam their social network. Participation should be voluntary since it relies on employees using their social media channels. What do they get from blurring the lines between work and personal life? Create a competition and offer an incentive to the advocate who generates the highest number of leads. Of course, you need to define the measurement up front and keep it simple.

2. Invest up front. If you’re considering attaching your advocate’s social media profile directly to the company (e.g., your head marketer has a secondary X (Twitter) account linked to the company), hire a photographer to take professional headshots. Consider holding a special training on how they should interact on behalf of your brand: Is your company’s voice fun and youthful? Serious and professional? Please make sure they can be both themselves and consistent with the brand.

3. Choose the right social platforms. The days of feeling obligated to have a presence on every social media channel are over. Based on your industry and target market, choose the social media channel(s) best suited to build your brand and deepen your relationship with existing customers. Did you know that 80% of those who participate on LinkedIn do not engage on any other social media channels? LinkedIn is the top B2B lead-generating social platform for reaching professionals and key decision-makers. Here are some statistics for you. Another underestimated social channel is Pinterest. Building product manufacturers, architects, designers…there is so much more B2B activity on Pinterest than expected. Need a project or product showcase? Pinterest makes it easy!

4. Communicate and monitor. Ensure you communicate the difference between your social media policy and your employee advocacy plan. Designate someone on your marketing team to be responsible for monitoring your social media activity to ensure everyone is complying—at least until you are comfortable.

5. Focus on the benefits. Be cautious, but don’t overthink the potential negatives because the employees you choose to be advocates for your brand already are, right? They are on the front line for you daily, talking with customers and prospects. All you are doing is asking them to “tune in” to what your marketing team is posting on social media to “like” and “share” with their connections and followers—many of whom are customers and influencers.

Look at the number of social media connections on your company page. Now, look at the number of connections some of your key sales representatives have. People connect with people, not as much with company pages. The company page is more of a repository—a place to share information that should be shared exponentially by its employee advocates and external influencers.

Ultimately, your Employee Advocacy Plan needs to reflect your company. What works for one company won’t work for another. It’s up to you to know your employees, product or service, and customer base well enough to marry the three into a successful plan. If you’re unsure where to start or how to create a plan that works for you, we’re here to help. Take action with our marketing team, and let’s get your Employee Advocacy Plan off the ground.

The Value of a Professional Headshot

HOW A PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT CAN IMPROVE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND RECOGNITION

If you’re going to be part of a professional business, having a professional headshot is crucial in putting your best face forward. Although it may seem unimportant in the grand scheme of running or working for a business, it’s very beneficial for communicating your brand. Your brand is what sells your business and putting effort toward formulating a certain brand will guarantee good sales. Make sure to choose someone who specializes in professional business photography.

The definition of a headshot is simple: A headshot is a portrait of yourself you can use for your website, social media, brochures, or any other method you use in order to promote your business. It helps clients or other collaborators remember who you are and remember what sort of business you are promoting. A professional headshot is one among many small details that can make a big difference for you and your business, whether you are a manufacturer, distributor architect, interior designer, you name it. Of course, your professional “headshot” should not be limited to just that. Get creative. Have fun. But, stay true to who you are,  the business you represent and make sure your images speak to your primary target audience.

FIVE KEY CONSIDERATIONS TO USING A PROFESSIONAL HEADSHOT TO CULTIVATE YOUR BRAND:

1. Personalization of your business. Of course, every business is made up of people. However, being able to show off the specific team of people that make up your business helps to personalize the company. Personalization of your business is important as it helps collaborators to trust your business as an organization made up of trustworthy, competent people. A trustworthy and competent brand is beneficial for any business, and in turn will make your company an easier sell. 

2. Professional Headshot → Professional Perception. Whether we want it to or not, first impressions can be everything. A headshot serves as your first impression to people who may be collaborating with your business. Since you get to decide what you want your headshot to convey, you can formulate the first impression you want to make. Having a professionally taken headshot puts forth a professional appearance. An initial impression of professionalism will make you and your business stand out. Click here to read more tips on how to create a professional-looking headshot.

3. Communicate with style. Just as the professionalism of the headshot quality communicates a certain message, so will your outfit and style. The clothing you choose for your headshot will contribute immensely to your brand statement. Certain outfits can communicate a very specific message about your company. Whether you want to appear professional, or more laid-back and casual, the clothing employees choose for their headshots will be a tremendous aid in showcasing what the general feel of your company is. Learn more  about how to choose your headshot outfit. 

4. Makes you recognizable to business contacts. A headshot is very practical, as it provides a face to look for when meeting up with people outside of your business. This makes outsiders feel more comfortable visiting your business, as they have already been able to put a face to whomever they’ve been communicating with up to that point. If collaborators can quickly associate people with the business, this already surrounds your brand with a feeling of trust and familiarity for the client.

5. Confidence. Having a headshot that portrays you as a professional, trustworthy, and competent employee will help you feel just the same. A business comprised of confident employees is more functional, and thus makes the appearance of functionality authentic. No matter what your brand is, confidence will be crucial in selling it.

Although a headshot may seem relatively unimportant compared to everything else you need to run an effective business, a good headshot can do a surprising amount of work regarding the development of your personal brand. A professional headshot is an excellent investment for your business and in branding yourself as someone people can trust to get the job done. 

Are you curious about what it means to have a personal brand and how it can benefit your business? No matter what your line of work is, Division 08 Marketing wants to help you to get the answers you need. Schedule your free, 30-minute consultation today to discuss branding your business the way you want it to be.

What is Programmatic Advertising?

Is this a good fit for your business?

The world of advertising is ever-changing. Technology continues to evolve and, in turn, changes the way that customers seek out information and the way they are exposed to brands and companies. It can be confusing and overwhelming to determine the best way to reach customers when there is such a vast world of information at their fingertips. The construction industry is no exception when it comes to the need for improved digital advertising, but it can be difficult to know where to start. This is where programmatic advertising comes in.

Programmatic Advertising Defined

Simply put, programmatic advertising is using software to buy digital ad spaces. This can simplify advertising because it automates the ad-buying process based on the target audience of a brand or company. The traditional advertising process involves humans deciding where and when certain advertisements should be available. This approach does leave a lot up to human judgement, which can be a great thing or can decrease your brand’s chances of being seen by the right audience. Programmatic advertising takes the guesswork out of choosing where to advertise and puts your message in front of the right folks at the right time. The algorithms within the programmatic software determine the people who are most likely to be interested in your brand or company and targets your ads towards them. For a more in-depth look at programmatic advertising, click here.

Once you understand how programmatic advertising works, the next step is determining if it’s a good fit for your business.

Here are four key points to think about when deciding whether to use programmatic advertising to reach your customers.

1. Who is your target audience? If you know who needs to see your brand, then programmatic advertising may be right for you. The precise targeting process helps to eliminate ‘wasteful’ advertising. Only specific people will see your advertising, so you will end up spending less than if you were mass advertising.

2. Due to advancements in algorithms, programmatic advertising has become even more efficient and reliable than humans in determining where to place ads. As technology continues to advance, it will only become more skilled at targeting specific audiences for your business. There are many different factors that an algorithm considers when deciding where, when and who will see your ad, which help to pinpoint those who will most likely be your customers.

3. Programmatic advertising allows for real-time measurements of ad performance. This allows you to adapt your advertising quickly, when you know which ads are performing better than others. This is very beneficial to your business, because it increases your chances to bring in potential customers through improved advertising to your target audience.

4. The last point to consider is cost. First, you need to determine how much you want to spend on advertising, and then make sure that your budget lines up with your needs. Programmatic advertising can save you money in the long run, because of the targeted approach to reaching clients. At Division 08 Marketing, we can work with a variety of budgets to optimize your advertising presence.

Advertising is an imperative component to growing your brand and business. As technology continues to evolve and shape our daily lives, using smart, online advertising becomes increasingly important to companies. Click here to see how programmatic advertising could impact you and your business as we enter 2019.

Division 08 Marketing is here to partner with you as you navigate this ever-changing advertising climate, so that you can advertise to the customers who need to see your products or services. Schedule your free, 30-minute consultation today and begin the process of reaching more customers through targeted, programmatic advertising.

How to Create a Website that Keeps Viewers Coming Back

Do you have a website because you feel obligated—but, you really don’t think it’s critical to your success? Likely, you are in need of some serious updates.

Or, maybe you’ve grown your business without a website, and now find yourself believing that you are exempt from needing one? If so, congratulations on your success! But, don’t rest on your laurels for too long because the ways in which people interact with businesses has changed tremendously. No matter the industry, B2C or B2B, what worked before is not likely to work now. We must adapt. Take a look at Digital in 2018 to view statistics on the growth of internet use.

More than 4 billion worldwide internet users are searching the web. As it relates to the building products, design and construction industry, the internet is used daily to:

• search for a supplier

• research building products

• source technical data

• view project work

• download specifications

• access continuing education

• request a quotation

• place an order

• read reviews

• obtain contact information

• view warranties

While not having a website leaves your business virtually invisible, having one that is outdated can result in losing customers—or potential business. Architects and designers most likely will opt out of a site that appears to be outdated or lacking in quality and content relevant to their specific needs. Neither of these outcomes is desirable, which means that creating a quality website is the only solution. Additionally, if you currently have a website and it looks as if it was created back in the days of dial-up internet, if it is text heavy or filled with grainy images—it is time to give your website a face lift. Use quality content and keep it fresh, which also helps with  search engine optimization (SEO). Remember, your company website is one of the most valuable assets when it comes to establishing credibility and building customer loyalty.  

What Content Should You Use?

Once you’ve decided that you need a website, the hard work is only beginning. Now, you must decide what content should fill your pages. Who will develop this content? Your website is where potential customers will learn more about your company, and likely the biggest driver guiding their decision to do business.

Think of your website as your virtual storefront. By visiting your website, the user should get a sense of what your business is, your company culture, how you can meet their current needs, and why they should choose you. Your content should answer those questions in a clear and concise manner, especially since users only spend an average of 5.59 seconds looking at a website’s written content.

Here are 6 things to be sure to include on your website

1. Simple Web Address: This isn’t content-related, but it is very important. Make sure your web address (domain name) makes sense and is easy to remember.

2. Clear Description of Who You Are: A user visits your website to learn about your business. Don’t make them search. Be clear and concise, making it easy to know who you are and what you do—right away!

3. Quality Content: Provide informative, well-written content. This includes writing about your services, where you work, customer testimonials, etc. And, make sure to include high quality and appropriately sized images that positively portray your products and services. A project gallery is a must!

4. Call-to-Action: When viewing websites, users like to be told what to do. Take advantage of your captive audience and include a clear call-to-action. A proper call-to-action may be an invitation to schedule a free consultation, or to book a service. Include links to social media channels and encourage users to follow you on social media. Whatever it is, make it obvious and clear.

5. Make Contact Us Information Easy to Find: Your website is important as a first point of contact, but eventually, in order to move visitors through your sales pipeline, they must be able to contact you in other ways. Include multiple methods of contact including a phone number, email address, and a form to help qualify prospects. If you have a physical business address, include that as well.

6. Minimize Clicks: Quality content is key, but equally important is the ease of access. Don’t bury valuable information with titles that are not sufficiently intuitive, or that result in too many clicks to access. Do not make the viewer work too hard to find the information they need. It can cause them to exit your website prematurely because they can’t find what they are looking for, or they become frustrated with the amount of effort it takes.

How to Get Started on Building a Website?

Your website can either attract new customers or scare them away. If it looks unprofessional, unclear, or outdated, viewers may think it reflects the business as well. Think about how people view a website and create visual content that intrigues the viewer to want to learn more. Click here for some interesting tips to make your website more appealing.

As you plan your new website, or your next upgrade, ask yourself how you can create the most value for your customers and prospective buyers. Make sure to incorporate the information, tools and resources that matter to your direct buyer and to those who influence the specification of your products and/or services. Provide them with confidence that you are the right fit for them.

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression: Your website is often the first impression you leave with your audience. One study found that when visiting a website, users form an opinion within 50 milliseconds. With these things considered, it becomes obvious that it is very important that your website is visually appealing, contains quality content and professional.

Most of us are not web developers, graphic art designers or copywriters, so stay focused on what you do best and hire a professional to create a website that you are proud to display. Choose a marketing professional with industry experience that truly understands your business and who can take charge—managing the process of developing quality content combined with a user-friendly experience to effectively meet the needs of your customers and key influencers.

If you would like some help in ensuring that your website will leave a lasting impression, schedule your FREE 30 Minute Consultation today to learn how we can help.