Improve Brand Awareness by Fostering Employee Engagement

Elevating your brand’s presence is a journey that involves not only clever marketing or close customer relationships, but also a deep dive into the world of employee engagement. You might be surprised to learn that the level of enthusiasm — or lack thereof — from your team members often marks the line between businesses that soar and those that stall. 

The magic of employee engagement touches every corner of your business, from keeping staff and clients around to boosting productivity and profits. Making sure your team feels a deep connection with your brand and its values is the secret to transforming them into your biggest cheerleaders. 

In a world where more than half of companies admit it’s tougher to keep employees than hire new ones, the success of your company hinges on creating an environment that makes people not only want to join, but also choose to stick around. 

The first step toward cultivating this kind of culture at your company is recognizing the intrinsic link between employee appreciation and enhanced productivity. In fact, employees are 69% more likely to exert additional effort if they feel valued and appreciated. 

This interconnectedness between engagement and productivity sets the stage for a thriving workplace, where employees feel a genuine sense of purpose and a connection to the overarching goals of the organization. 

And if you need more convincing, remember this: The vibe your employees give off shapes your customers’ experiences. Engaged and loyal team members lead to customers who not only stick around, but also bring new business your way through referrals. 

Now that you’re in on the secret of how crucial engaged employees are, let’s talk strategy. While there are many approaches, here are the top hitters: 

1. Craft and share your vision.
   It’s up to leaders to ensure every team member can echo the company’s mission and values. When employees bond with your vision and believe in their work, engagement naturally blooms. 

2. Build trust.
   Trust among team members and between staff and leadership is foundational for reaching goals and maintaining engagement. Being transparent about plans and progress — and ensuring actions match words — is critical. 

3. Recognize efforts.
   A simple “thank you” can work wonders, as can structured rewards programs. Recognition fuels a sense of worth and motivates high performance. 

4. Highlight purpose.
   Everyone’s role is vital. Help your team see the value in their work, its impact on the company, and how it influences the customer experience. 

5. Address toxic behavior.
   A positive team environment reflects well on your business. Toxic behavior, on the other hand, can demolish morale and engagement. Leaders must act decisively to maintain a healthy workplace culture. 

Your enthusiastic employees are likely already buzzing about your brand. Give them amazing content to share and they’ll light up the conversation even more.   

Encourage them to spread the word in their circles with incentives like referral bonuses or branded swag that sparks conversations. And don’t forget the power of social media. Providing engaging content for your team members to share helps them showcase your brand, vision, expertise, and capabilities. 

At Intero Digital, we foster engagement through an employee advocacy program that rewards employees for sharing company content on social media. It’s a win-win-win: We boost our online presence, we help our colleagues grow as thought leaders by feeding them awesome content to share, and they get meaningful gifts from the company in return.  

Since we kicked off this program in 2023, not only have we seen an increase in employee engagement, but we’ve also seen some other big wins for the company: more social media activity among our team, a spike in website traffic, more followers rolling in, and a boost in leads, too. This proves that getting your team engaged online isn’t just good for likes and shares; it can have a major impact on your business growth.  

Ultimately, your brand is a beacon for your employees, inspiring them and guiding their actions. If your team lives and breathes your brand, your business is set to flourish. Remember: If your employees aren’t buying into what your company stands for, why should your customers?