How to Turn You Employees into Brand Evangelists

When it comes to marketing your business, unless you are a running a one-person show for the entire world to see and hear, you are going to need to rely on your employees to help spread the word.

That being the case, it is important that your workers feel confident in talking about and promoting your brand.

While some employees are natural when it comes to customer service and even public speaking opportunities, others prove not so much. For those in the latter group, how can you encourage them to be a little more vocal and out-going with the public that is without forcing them into uncomfortable situations?

One of the ways to go about this is by having everyone in the company promoting the brand in one form or another.

Whether it is via doing public appearances at community events such as Chamber of Commerce get-togethers, trade shows, webinars, podcasts, social media, the list is literally endless.

With that in mind, you sometimes might not be able to fully get across to your employees how important it is for them to do their part for brand promotion. If that is the case, having leading authorities in the field of business (especially when it comes to brand promotions and public relations) speak to them on occasion is great.

For those employees maybe lacking a little self-confidence to get out there and mingle with consumers, an expert in this area can talk to them, giving them some sound advice in the process.

So, are you ready to give your employees some good advice?

 

Turning to Experts in the Workplace

In order for your company to get the most out of its employees when it comes to brand promotions, it is important that you search for good examples of individuals and companies, both of which are informing the public about their respective products and services.

Leaders in the business world such as Matthew Dowd are a perfect example.

Dowd and others like him can provide your team with expert analysis of not only what is currently going on in the business world, but also how your company can maximize its ability to seize the moment.

Simply put, how can your brand separate itself from the competition, making it the go-to brand that consumers want to deal with?

Some of the ways to do separate your brand from others out there would include:

  • Customer service – Having stellar customer service goes a long way in today’s business world. Make sure your customers (and those you hope to make customers) know how much more you can offer them than the competition can. This means going above and beyond what is considered “normal” customer service. From sending thank you notices for one’s business with you to simple follow-up calls or emails/texts to see if they were happy with their encounter with your company, it is the little things that so oftentimes matter;

  • Community involvement – While some companies tend to shy away from the communities within where they work, others are heavily involved. Your goal should always be to help your local community as much as possible. This could include simple things like being a sponsor for a Little League team, taking donations to help the area homeless, sending some employees (see more below) into the schools and working with students studying business administration/advertising/sales/marketing etc. When local consumers see your business is invested in the community, they in turn are much more likely to invest in you. If there is a natural disaster or other tragic event in your community, doing your part to help locals heal is also important;

  • Local events – If the local Chamber of Commerce or high school wants some of your employees to come by from time to time and speak to their audiences, take them up on the opportunity. This is a great means of marketing your business, essentially providing you with free brand promotion. When the opportunities do present themselves, don’t make the speech or Q&A all about your brand, essentially giving the audience an advertorial. While it is certainly fine to promote your brand, make it about helping your audience be better at what they do. For example, if you are at a chamber meeting or school session with students to discuss the importance of social media in today’s world, provide examples of how your company uses social networking to engage with consumers etc.

When you reach out to experts in the business world to bring you and your staff all the knowledge they have to offer your brand will be all the better for it.