Anyone who’s ever run a successful programme, whether it’s an ERG, an alumni network, or a community initiative, knows it takes a village.
The planning, effort, and time needed to create something that sticks is no small feat. And building an employee advocacy programme is no different.
It’s not just about asking employees to post on LinkedIn; it’s about inspiring real, authentic storytelling that builds employer brand awareness, strengthens culture, and attracts talent.
Here’s how to recruit the right brand ambassadors, avoid burnout, and overcome fear when creating an advocacy programme that feels human, not forced.
Let's get into it...
Choosing your champions
Your ambassadors are the heartbeat of your employee advocacy strategy. These are the people who’ll carry your brand message to their own networks — through posts, stories, and authentic moments that resonate.
Some employees are naturally more influential. Sales teams, client-facing colleagues, or employees active on LinkedIn often have networks that amplify reach. Start with them, then expand to other departments to ensure your employee-generated content represents every part of the business. When inviting people to join, make it voluntary. People are far more likely to commit if they feel ownership over their participation. Create a simple application form and encourage those who are enthusiastic about your brand to apply.
For anyone you’d love to involve, send a friendly invite explaining why you value their voice — a little recognition goes a long way. And remember: enthusiasm beats seniority. A junior employee with genuine passion will be a stronger advocate than a senior leader with no time to post.
Before launch, share a one-pager explaining what the programme involves, time expectations, and how they’ll be supported. Setting clear expectations helps ensure your advocates stay consistent.
The people on your employee advocacy programme will make or break it; don’t fall at the first hurdle.
How to prevent burnout in your Advocacy Programme
Building and running these programmes is no mean feat.
It requires planning, dedication, resources, strategy, time, and the list goes on. And there’s a bittersweet catch-22 - the more committed your ambassadors are, the more work there is to keep them engaged.
Doing it at all is a challenge, but doing it alone is a recipe for burnout. The likelihood is that you’re running the programme alongside your day-to-day role, so who can blame you for finding it tough?
You have one of two options to help you build support and structure:
Divide and conquer
If there are others ready to come on the advocacy journey with you, brilliant! Teamwork makes the dream work isn’t just an expression; it’s the cold hard truth.
Decide who is going to be responsible for what and stick to those roles like glue. Elect someone to drive each of the main areas that make up a successful programme: someone to run your advocacy workshops, someone to foster the community and write comms, however it works best for your setup.
2. Pass the baton
Don’t have time, expertise, or capacity to run the programme yourself, but still want to jump on the employee advocacy bandwagon? Great news - there are agencies who can do it for you.
Let them take everything off your hands and only weigh in on strategic decisions as and when you need to. They can track progress being made and give you that all-important data to prove ROI. Then, when senior leadership comes knocking, you’re the one who looks like the star.
Building confidence in posting
The last thing you want is your people walking on eggshells, so terrified of saying the wrong thing that it puts them off posting altogether.
We usually tend to see this in more corporate spaces where there may be internal policies and red tape to consider, but don’t let this deter you. The best way forward is to work with these teams to ensure everyone is aligned on what they’re allowed to share.
Create clear guidelines
When you kick off the programme, give your brand champions a ‘Dos and Don’ts’ of posting that aligns with your company’s social media policies. This will give them a concrete example of what you do and don’t want them posting, and can also act as a guide for them to refer back to as they progress through their employee advocacy journey.
2. Invest in a community manager
Still worried about what content you’ll see popping up from your people? We hear you. That’s why having a community manager keeping tabs on their posts could be the move for you.
Think of your community manager as your right-hand person - they know your brand guidelines, they know your employee value proposition, and they know your goals for the programme.
They’ll keep your advocates motivated, review content before it goes live, and ensure every post aligns with your EVP (Employee Value Proposition) and brand goals.
They act as a mentor, not a monitor, empowering advocates to share content that feels personal and on-brand
Measuring success
To prove the impact of your employee advocacy programme, track data that matters:
Social media reach and engagement
Click-throughs to your career site or job pages
Employee participation rates
Referrals and hires driven by advocacy posts
And there you have it, folks!
A strong employee advocacy programme isn’t built overnight: it’s built through trust, enthusiasm, and consistency.
If you’re struggling to get traction, start small. Choose a handful of passionate employees, build confidence with clear guidance, and grow from there.
And if you’d like expert support designing or scaling your programme, we’re here to help.
