Employee Generated Content

Employee Generated Content is content created and shared by employees. Think of experiences, expertise, or insights. This can vary from posts about daily tasks or company outings to in-depth blogs and videos. The idea behind this is that employees, as insiders, can paint an authentic and credible picture of the organization.

EGC might sound familiar to you. We already know this principle from the B2C market as User Generated Content (UGC), where consumers share their experiences online through product reviews and social media posts. Consumers are more likely to trust the opinions of other consumers than brand messaging. This same principle is applicable to the B2B market.

• Authenticity – People trust people. Content shared by employees is done on a voluntary basis. Therefore, it comes across as more sincere than corporate communication.
• Greater reach – Employees have their own networks on various platforms. As a result, the message reaches further than the company’s corporate channels.
• Thought leadership and expertise – By sharing knowledge and insights, employees work not only on their personal brand but also on your corporate brand.
• Engagement – Employees feel more involved with the company when they are given a voice.
• Employer branding – It provides a genuine peek behind the scenes. Potential new employees get a realistic view of the corporate culture and work environment, which can help in attracting talent.

If you want your company to benefit from EGC, it is important to have a strategy. Here are some tips:

• Encourage your employees – Give them the freedom to use their own voice. It doesn’t have to follow your brand book perfectly.
• Provide support and guidelines – It can sometimes be quite awkward at first. Not everyone feels comfortable creating content. Provide tips and guidelines, or host a drop-in session—that’s what we do.
• Create a content channel – Collect engaging content and best practices that employees can use as examples.
• Show appreciation – Put active employees in the spotlight or offer small incentives. Gamification, such as "LinkedIn Bingo," can also work!
• Make it easy – AI tools can help with the writing process. It doesn’t all have to be time-consuming.

EGC is a powerful way to enhance your brand's visibility, credibility, and appeal. However, it is by no means a replacement for your broader marketing efforts.

So, apologies to the marketing team: we didn't mean to offend you! You are incredibly valuable. It’s just that by leveraging your employees, you reach a slightly different audience and often come across as more authentic. The combination of both is, therefore, the ideal approach.