This requires more than the standard Twitter or LinkedIn course. Research has shown that a training program to educate employees in the use of digital media requires at least two months of intensive guidance. This period of personal guidance ensures that the acquired knowledge and experience is also applied structurally after the training program. It prevents the well-known relapse after the initial enthusiasm at the start of a training or project.
It also prevents employees from becoming transmission towers for corporate content. An undesirable situation, which in the long run will actually show a decrease in the reach of your brand, instead of the desired increase.
Relevance
It also does not benefit the credibility of employees if they all spread the same corporate message. During a training program, you train employees in sharing authentic messages that are relevant to their hotel email address list network. And even more important: in networking on the channels in order to get in touch with relevant colleagues or (new) customers.
An employee advocacy training program
To provide more insight into such a training program, I will focus on the Employee Advocacy training program that we developed at Isobar Social Embassy. In 2016, the program was completed by more than 1,000 participants from various companies. In the program, employees are helped to optimally use digital media in their daily work over a period of two months. Under the guidance of a coach, they get to work with platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn, but also internal platforms, such as Yammer.
The program is aimed at creating added value for both the organization and the employee. This is achieved by the employee actively learning to network on digital channels and spreading his own authentic message, instead of corporate content. One year after the start of the program, the results show that training and coaching employees in the use of digital media directly contributes to the business objectives and leads to great successes.