Mastering Employee Advocacy: Insights From Expert Simone Bonnett

Employee advocacy is a growing pillar of modern marketing strategies, transforming how businesses connect with audiences, utilizing employees.

To share insight on this topic, we interviewed Simone Bonnett, an expert in employee advocacy with a background in design and marketing. 

In this blog, she shares insights, tips, and trends shaping the future of employee advocacy, focusing on strategies businesses can adopt today.

What Is Employee Advocacy, and Why Does It Matter?

According to Simone, employee advocacy is “the ability to amplify your business by taking your team along for the journey in such a way that they're excited to cheerlead for it.”

This approach not only boosts visibility but fosters a positive workplace culture, making advocacy a win-win for businesses and employees.

Today’s consumers value authenticity, and employee advocacy taps into that by showcasing real voices from within the organization. This strategy builds trust, enhances employer branding, and drives organic traffic—all while engaging your team in a meaningful way.

Overcoming Employee Advocacy Challenges

Implementing an employee advocacy strategy isn’t without challenges. Simone notes that education about social media—particularly LinkedIn—is often the first stumbling block.

“A robust employee training program and collaborative workshops are the key to allaying fears and getting everyone social media literate,” she says.

Investing in training ensures that employees feel confident and supported, laying the groundwork for an effective program.

How Vulse Simplifies Employee Advocacy

Platforms play a pivotal role in enabling successful advocacy programs, and Simone highlights Vulse as a standout option.

“Vulse is an intuitive and user-friendly way to run an employee advocacy program. The barrier to entry is really low compared to other platforms which require much more training,” she explains.

With its easy-to-use interface and emphasis on collaboration, Vulse empowers businesses to launch and sustain impactful advocacy initiatives without extensive onboarding.

Metrics That Matter

To gauge the success of an employee advocacy program, Simone advises focusing on metrics such as:
 

• Engagement on social media platforms.
   
• Organic website traffic driven by shared content.
   
• Click-through rates (CTR) to assess content effectiveness.
   

Tracking these indicators helps businesses refine their strategies and demonstrate ROI.

The Role of LinkedIn in Advocacy Strategies

Simone emphasizes LinkedIn as the go-to platform for professional networking and advocacy:
 

“LinkedIn is THE professional social media platform. Its tools, like linking your employment to your employer and content recommendation features, make it ideal for employee advocacy.”

By leveraging LinkedIn, businesses can align their professional branding with individual employee profiles, creating a seamless advocacy framework.

Encouraging Employee Participation

One of the biggest misconceptions about employee advocacy is that it’s a simple copy-paste exercise. Simone argues that true advocacy is much more collaborative and rewarding when done right.

To encourage participation without it feeling forced:
 

• Offer training and emphasize the personal benefits for employees.
   
• Use incentives to recognize contributions.
   
• Make advocacy collaborative and authentic, ensuring employees feel ownership of their role.

Trends Shaping the Future of Employee Advocacy

Looking ahead, Simone predicts several key trends that will shape employee advocacy in the next 5–10 years:
 

1. Personal Branding: Employees will become more proactive about developing their personal brands, integrating advocacy into their efforts.
    
2. Organic Social Strategies: Advocacy will become a vital component of any successful organic social media strategy.
    
3. Authenticity: Companies will increasingly showcase their teams in genuine, authentic ways, strengthening trust and connection with their audience.

Simone insights underscore the transformative power of employee advocacy for businesses of all sizes. By prioritizing training, embracing collaborative platforms like Vulse, and measuring the right metrics, businesses can harness advocacy to enhance visibility, drive traffic, and build a thriving workplace culture.
 

As employee advocacy continues to evolve, one thing is clear: the businesses that empower their teams to become authentic brand ambassadors will lead the way in the social media age.