How Can Social Media Be Used for Employee Engagement?
In the quest to boost employee engagement through innovative social media strategies, we’ve gathered insights from eight leading professionals, including a Vice President of Marketing and a Director. From implementing work-based social platforms to encouraging creative employee content sharing, discover a spectrum of creative tactics that can transform your company’s internal engagement.
- Implement Work-Based Social Platforms
- Cultivate Learning via LinkedIn
- Create Exclusive Employee Platforms
- Promote a Company Hashtag
- Publicly Recognize Top Performers
- Launch a Social Media Ambassador Program
- Host Social Media Challenges
- Encourage Creative Employee Content Sharing
Implement Work-Based Social Platforms
Many companies frown on traditional social media usage at work but still want employees to connect and be engaged. Many companies solve this with a tool like Motivosity, which includes spaces for interest groups and ERGs, allows employees to share professional and personal highlights, and manages all the engaging efforts HR is responsible for. Used the right way, work-based social media platforms can help team members feel connected and seen, which helps skyrocket engagement.
Logan Mallory
Vice President of Marketing, Motivosity
Cultivate Learning via LinkedIn
When a new team member joins our company, we have them follow our three owners on LinkedIn. As business owners, the three of us are active daily on LinkedIn, sharing advice on our areas of expertise: SEO, digital marketing, and entrepreneurship.
Why? A value in our company culture is “ongoing learning,” and most people that apply to work with us want to grow their knowledge in SEO and digital marketing. We have them follow us on LinkedIn so that they get new information, processes, and thoughts from us on a daily basis. They can take those learnings and apply them to their work within the company or reach out if they want more information and advice on a specific topic.
The results: We’ve found that it creates a collaborative company culture where people want to learn and feel comfortable coming to us as the owners of the business to ask questions and share ideas. We’ve also seen it help new team members grow faster in their role and within the company, which, of course, is a win-win situation—for them and for us as a business.
Connor Gillivan
Entrepreneur, Owner & CMO, TrioSEO
Create Exclusive Employee Platforms
One effective strategy for boosting employee engagement using social media involves establishing an exclusive online platform solely for employees. This digital space serves as a virtual hub where team members can interact, collaborate, and enjoy a sense of community. By organizing engaging contests, challenges, and activities, we encourage active participation and foster a culture of teamwork and camaraderie. Recognizing and celebrating employee achievements within this platform not only boosts morale but also reinforces a positive work culture.
Moreover, the platform serves as a valuable resource for continuous learning and knowledge sharing, with employees exchanging ideas, participating in workshops, and contributing expertise. Additionally, providing avenues for casual conversations and feedback cultivates open communication and empowers employees to voice their opinions. Overall, leveraging social media for employee engagement creates a dynamic and inclusive work environment where individuals feel valued, connected, and motivated to contribute their best.
Andre Oentoro
Founder/CEO, Breadnbeyond
Promote a Company Hashtag
An innovative way to use social media for employee engagement is by creating a dedicated company hashtag where employees can share their daily work experiences or highlight team successes. This approach turns social media into a dynamic platform where employees celebrate milestones, share insights, or even post about team outings and volunteer activities.
It fosters a sense of community and pride among team members, while also showcasing the company culture to the external world. This strategy not only boosts engagement internally but also enhances the company’s image as a great place to work externally.
Ana Alipat
Recruitment Team Lead, Dayjob Recruitment
Publicly Recognize Top Performers
I like to use social media as a way to recognize and reward exceptional individuals. Usually, this is something that we would do internally on the intranet or internal social media network, but there is a good argument to be made for recognizing your top performers on LinkedIn as well. It is a big boost to morale, shows a culture that values performance and meets it with appropriate rewards, and is a good way to showcase what your company works on and values to potential customers.
Kate Kandefer
CEO, SEOwind
Launch a Social Media Ambassador Program
We’ve successfully implemented a “Social Media Ambassador” program at Stallion Express, which uses social media to increase employee engagement. Every month, different employees manage our corporate social accounts and share stories from their day-to-day work and interactions with the team. This gives our digital presence a personal touch and gives our team a voice and a sense of community.
Our internal surveys show employee satisfaction with workplace involvement has increased by 40% since the program’s launch. This initiative promotes transparency and creates a dynamic, interactive environment where employees are acknowledged for their efforts.
It also helps bridge the gap between departments as employees often share information about their individual roles, resulting in a better appreciation and understanding of each other’s work throughout the organization.
Not only does this work for the well-being of our employees, but it also increases the credibility of our brand because authentic stories from authentic people resonate well with our customers.
Jen Seran
Director of Operations, Stallion Express
Host Social Media Challenges
Innovatively, at Rowlen Boiler Services, we employ social-media challenges tailored to our team’s interests. Whether it’s a photo contest showcasing our workplace culture or a themed meme competition, these activities foster camaraderie and boost morale. By encouraging active participation and recognizing employees’ creativity, we create a fun and inclusive environment. This approach not only strengthens team bonds but also amplifies our brand presence on social platforms, showcasing our vibrant company culture.
Lara Woodham
Director, Rowlen Boiler Services
Encourage Creative Employee Content Sharing
One great way to boost employee engagement is by harnessing the power of social media platforms themselves. Encourage your employees to get creative and share content on internal social media channels that highlights their work experiences, achievements, and collaborative efforts. They can post photos, videos, or written updates showcasing their projects, milestones, or even personal accomplishments. The beauty of this approach is that employees can utilize social media features like likes, comments, and shares to interact, support, and celebrate each other’s contributions. This not only fosters a strong sense of community and recognition but also amplifies employee voices and cultivates a positive and engaging work environment. So, let your employees unleash their creativity and watch as their shared content sparks meaningful connections and boosts overall employee engagement.
Rubens Basso
Chief Technology Officer, FieldRoutes
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