Understandably, regulated industries such as banking and healthcare are typically characterized by strict policies and regulations that standardize external communication.
As such, regulated industries often shy away from using employees as brand ambassadors because of consequences that follow as a result of violating the strict communicating guidelines that have been established.
However, as social media continues to take a commonplace in society, it has now become increasingly difficult to ignore the social and tech savvy employees. In fact, they’re central to any contemporary company’s advocacy marketing efforts. Today, more than half the workforce is under 35 and incorporating an employee advocacy program is vital even with the endless restrictions.
The trouble is that these regulated companies want to be careful and protective of their brands; at the same time, they also want to empower their employees and engage with them, which leads to a collision of regulations with target markets.
The benefits of employee branding and advocacy for regulated industries
Regulated industries can benefit heavily from employee branding by creating posts on the company business page. The posts should go beyond industry jargon to focus on what a brand can do to increase value and promote a customer’s well-being and success. The content created must fit within the confines of the industry to solve real and important problems, regardless of the restricting policies that govern the industry.
The benefits of employee advocacy for regulated industries include:
• Enhanced trust:
Social media audiences trust the employees of a company, therefore improving trust.
• Improved influence:
Employees are influential over target demographics, which increases brand awareness.
• Increased engagement:
The right social media posts can increase engagement by as much as 500%.
• Increased conversations:
Leads that are generated through employee branding are more likely to convert.
How to make employee advocacy work in a regulated industry
Apps are your friend
It is easy for regulated industries to locate viable and innovative marketing solutions for a business. There is an abundance of apps, social media platforms, content types and new activities in the market to try. Regulated industries should select those strategies that will benefit a business’ bottom line.
Posting content
Content that is shared by employees can increase engagement and reach. A company’s content strategy should focus on enabling growth, business success, and prosperity. Curated content can engage employees from different departments and help them exhibit their knowledge of vital industry trends.
By working across departments
The various departments in a business can benefit from employee advocacy, particularly the HR, Sales, and Marketing departments. Although the different departments may have differing goals and content requirements, they must work together to ensure that the message leads to increased brand awareness and enhanced familiarity with a brand.
