Wait a second, that’s not the latest quadruple-figure-fee influencer bringing authenticity to PHA’s Instagram page… that’s me!
In today’s digital-first world, the way brands connect with their audiences has evolved significantly. But while brands have traditionally focused on polished and corporate messages, there has been a growing trend towards more authentic and relatable content. Employee-generated content (EGC) is the latest powerful tool in this shift, offering businesses a fresh, genuine voice to engage with their audience.
What is Employee-Generated Content?
Employee-generated content refers to any content — whether it’s images, videos, blogs, or social posts — created by a company’s workforce rather than its marketing team. This type of content can vary from showcasing daily office life, sharing personal insights, or highlighting accomplishments and experiences within the organisation.
The appeal of employee-generated content lies in its authenticity. Consumers are increasingly savvy and discerning, often tuning out traditional corporate messaging. By tapping into the voice of employees, brands can share stories that feel more personal, genuine, and relatable. This, in turn, helps build a deeper connection with their audience.
It also allows for more flexibility. If a trend is spiking this second, or you have something happening your office that day that you want to showcase, employees are ready to take the spotlight, with no need for a briefing.
When Waitrose launched a new remix with S Club to celebrate the return of their ‘No. 1’ range, stores across the country jumped on the trend – in ways not originally envisioned. Amazing!
How to implement appropriately in your Business Day-to-Day
When social media was younger, brands had simple, blanket bans, not allowing staff to post anything negative, or whilst on the job. Following the ‘TikTok phenomenon’, these guidelines have relaxed, as they should! However, there are still simple actions which can assure smoothness, particularly with businesses who have thousands of employees:
Create a Social Media policy
To ensure consistency and protect your brand, it’s crucial to have a clear social media policy that provides guidance to employees. This policy should cover best practices, do’s and don’ts, and examples of appropriate content.
Empower employees with the right tools
Make it easy for employees to contribute by providing them with the tools they need, such as access to social media platforms, training on how to create engaging content, and guidelines on tone and brand voice.
Recognise and reward employees
Recognise employees who actively contribute to your social media efforts. This can be done through shout-outs on the company’s social media channels or internal rewards programs.
Encourage participation, don’t mandate it
It’s important to keep Employee-Generated Content voluntary. Employees who want to participate will create authentic and passionate content, while mandatory participation can feel forced and inauthentic.
Whilst employees may be in house, at The PHA Group we work with brands to galvanise them into creating social-first content, which might not come naturally when everyone is already busy with their own jobs. Here’s an example from our office rental client, MetSpace:
To find out more about how we could help you create employee-generated content at your business, get in touch with our Digital team today.