The vast majority of your employees are registered on social media, yet only 3% of them share content related to your company's news. This presents great opportunities to engage your employees on social media.

Engaging employees on social media is not always an easy task. In this article, we will look at the main challenges of this strategy, as well as best practices for involving your teams in your communication strategy.

Engaging employees on social media: 5 best practices

Social media on the workstation

Some companies still block access to social media on work computers. This practice is easily circumvented, thanks to the widespread use of smartphones. Companies are therefore seeing less and less value in maintaining this block. What's more, they better understand the benefits of social media for engaging employees in their communications.

The editorial charter for employee engagement

Generally speaking, the way employees are expected to express themselves on social media is a hindrance. Most employees don't know what tone to use or whether it will be well received by their superiors. Some are simply unaware of their company's current practices. Which social media platforms does it use to communicate? What types of content does it share?

Thus, creating a charter for social media will help remove this obstacle. It must be clear, simple, and accessible to all employees. Its purpose is to outline best practices and uses for social media. Each employee will then know how to express themselves and what types of content to share. Thanks to this editorial policy, employees will feel more comfortable producing and sharing quality content.

Managers must lead by example to engage their teams.

Supervisors who don't play along can also be a deterrent. Employees see no point in sharing company news if their supervisors don't do the same. Supervisors must lead by example by taking the initiative to share content regularly. They are the first ambassadors on social media. This will encourage employees to do the same.

Content curation to engage employees on social media

The lack of content choices is another obstacle that employees face. Even for a motivated and committed employee, content options can sometimes be limited. Regularly providing content to your employees can therefore be very effective. This is especially true with targeted and relevant content. This content does not necessarily have to be solely about company news. It is also possible to focus on topics related to the industry. This type of content is generally more successful and generates higher engagement rates. You can encourage employees to share news using a simple and intuitive tool.

Recognizing employee commitment

The lack of recognition also discourages employees from communicating and engaging on social media.

Rewarding the efforts of employees who are most active on social media is a policy that can quickly bear fruit. What's more, it can have a ripple effect across all teams, making them feel valued. One example is to designate a "social media employee of the month." This form of recognition can be highlighted internally and externally, on the website for example.

The benefits of engaging employees on social media

Once these best practices are in place, employees will be in a more conducive environment to engage in corporate communications. This offers numerous advantages.

• The reach of your communication will be multiplied thanks to your employees' networks.
• Your communication will reach on average 10 times more people than with the company's institutional account.
• Content is considered eight times more reliable when it is relayed and shared by an employee rather than by the company itself.
• From a human resources perspective, this will be a golden opportunity to multiply the impact of a recruitment campaign through employee referrals. A job offer shared on social media by employees generates more trust, reaches a much wider audience, and can attract qualified applicants.
• Improved image and brand awareness: engaged employees who share your communications will boost your visibility and brand awareness.
• Institutional communication will appear more authentic when relayed by employees rather than by the company's institutional page.

Be careful, however, of backlash. By encouraging your employees to share your communications, you also expose yourself to the possibility that they may express their personal opinions, whether positive or negative. Corporate communications must therefore be consistent and in line with the internal reality of the company.