As marketers, we spend countless hours refining messaging, perfecting campaigns, and crafting narratives that resonate. But the reality? The most powerful stories aren’t the ones we script, they’re the ones our employees tell in their own voices.
A 2024 Stackla study found that 90% of consumers say authenticity is critical in deciding which brands they support. That’s an overwhelming majority demanding realness. They don’t want polished ads. They want raw, human, relatable content.
And who better to deliver that than the people who live and breathe our brand every day? Employees aren’t just workers; they are the brand’s heartbeat. Their stories carry a weight that no paid media campaign can replicate.
But here’s the catch: we can’t force authenticity – we can only nurture it.
💡Read: Why trust in marketing is declining (and what to do about it)
Where advocacy goes wrong
Some companies treat employee advocacy like a corporate megaphone: handing out pre-written posts, expecting employees to parrot the brand’s message, and then wondering why engagement is nonexistent.
The result? A feed full of robotic LinkedIn updates, forced enthusiasm, and employees who either tune out or feel like they’re just another cog in the marketing machine.
Over-scripting sucks the life out of advocacy. Employees don’t want to sound like walking press releases, and audiences don’t want to read them. When people feel like they’re being micromanaged, they stop participating altogether. Tools like Haiilo work best when they inspire, not control.
The goal isn’t to turn employees into brand mouthpieces. It’s to help them find their own voice and naturally align with the brand.
Imperfect stories build trust
You know when someone’s trying too hard? So do your customers. They can sniff out over-polished, corporate-friendly content in an instant – and they scroll right past it. That’s why the best employee advocacy comes from real, unscripted moments.
The brands that get this right embrace the messy, unfiltered reality of work-life. That means encouraging:
- Product hiccups – A behind-the-scenes story about how an employee fixed a glitch or solved a problem? That’s not a failure, it’s proof that your company is adaptable and innovative.
- Personal wins – When an employee shares excitement about a promotion, a great team moment, or a project they’re proud of, they’re not just celebrating – they’re showing that your company is worth investing in.
- Industry real talk – No one trusts a brand that pretends everything is perfect. Employees discussing market challenges, trends, or lessons learned? That’s thought leadership in action.
People relate to honest, imperfect stories. That’s what builds trust – not another picture perfect company announcement.
How to actually get employees to share
Want employees to naturally amplify your brand? Make it effortless, safe, and valuable for them. Here’s how:
✅ Set the tone from the top – If leadership and marketing teams post real, unscripted content, employees feel comfortable doing the same. Nobody wants to be first to test the waters.
✅ Ditch the script, keep the guide – Give employees freedom to post in their own way, but provide a content playbook with ideas, best practices, and simple ways to stay on-brand.
✅ Make content share-worthy – People share what excites them. That means marketing should create engaging behind-the-scenes moments – not just marketing-approved soundbites.
✅ Lower the effort – Not everyone has the time (or confidence) to write a perfect LinkedIn post. Provide quick prompts, easy-to-use templates, or even a Slack thread where they can drop their thoughts for marketing to polish.
✅ Recognize & reshare – The fastest way to encourage more sharing? Celebrate it! Highlight employee posts in newsletters, shout them out in meetings, and feature their content on brand channels.
✅ Make it worth their while – Advocacy isn’t just about the brand. Show employees how sharing their insights helps build their personal brand, expand their network, and open up career opportunities.
The bottom line: let employees own the story
Authenticity isn’t something marketing can package up and push out. It happens when employees feel trusted to share what work really looks like, in their own voice. When advocacy feels optional, personal, and genuinely useful to them, employees stop feeling like part of a campaign and start feeling like part of the brand’s story.
It’s not about building a perfect message. It’s about building a culture where people want to talk about where they work – because it’s worth talking about.
💡Read: The rise of micro-influencers and what it means for employee advocacy
How can Haiilo help?
Haiilo Advocacy makes it easy for employees to share authentic insights and experiences – the kind that today’s audiences actually believe.
What Haiilo does for you
- Gives employees content they want to share – not corporate scripts
- Makes sharing fast, fun, and natural (no marketing degree required)
- Keeps everyone on-brand with simple, clear guardrails
- Tracks the real impact – not just clicks, but trust and influence
The result?
✅ More credible voices in the market
✅ More trust with your audience
✅ More engaged employees
Marketing is more believable when it comes from your people.
Haiilo helps you turn employee voices into your most valuable marketing channel.
Your people are the solution to marketing’s credibility crisis. Our report shows you how to activate them.
