To create a successful social media presence, businesses need to have engaged employees who are willing to participate in and advocate for the company. This can be a challenge, especially if employees aren’t recognized or incented for their social media engagement. They have other priorities that take up most of their time and attention. This is where employee advocacy with gamification can come into play (yes, pun intended).
Gamification is the process of using game mechanics and game-thinking in non-game contexts to engage users and solve problems. When it comes to social media, gamification can take the form of contests, recognition and leaderboards. By incorporating gamification into your social media strategy, you can make participating in and advocating for your company more fun for your employees. Here are some tips on how to gamify your employee advocacy program.
Offer Rewards for Employee Advocacy Adoption
To ramp up adoption of your employee advocacy program, conduct an onboarding campaign. Reward employees who’ve signed on to the platform (or, in Please Share’s case, authenticated their social media accounts) with a small reward such as a $5 or $10 gift card.
Launch a Contest Around an Important Initiative
When you have a major product announcement to promote, want to generate votes for a business competition, need to get responses to a survey or have to get the word out on any other marketing initiative with a set start and end date, hold an employee advocacy contest with prizes.
Run a top performer contest by giving prizes to employees who have shared and engaged with the most content during the contest period or who have generated the most social media value. Or you can select three random winners among those who have qualified for the contest by sharing content at least five times.
Reinvigorate Employee Engagement
We get it. Employees are busy with other priorities and their attention around employee advocacy may wane over time. Refresh your employee advocacy program periodically by saying "thanks" to employee advocates with a micro reward of $2, for example, every time an employee shares company content. The micro reward program can run until your budget for the program is spent.
Recognize Your Best Advocates
According to one study, 92% of employees are more likely to repeat a specific action after receiving recognition for it. Have your senior execs share the social media accomplishments of your employees and see a boost in employee advocacy. By using leaderboards and reporting in company communications, companies can recognize top advocates, show employees the impact of employee advocacy and motivate them to regularly share company content.
Final Thoughts on Employee Advocacy with Gamification
There are many ways to increase employee engagement on social media, but one of the most effective is through employee advocacy with gamification. By incorporating games into your social media strategy, you can make participating in and advocating for your company more fun for your employees. Try using some of the tips above to get started!