Lead with employee benefit

Clearly explain how advocacy helps employees themselves, not just the organization. 

We recommend emphasizing that an advocacy program gives people an easy way to "build their personal brand, stay informed, and showcase their expertise". When people understand the personal upside, engagement becomes more natural and internally motivated.

Example text: 

"Our advocacy program is designed to benefit you as much as it benefits the organization.

By sharing content that feels authentic and relevant, you can build your personal brand, stay informed about company news, and show your expertise to a wider audience — all in just a few clicks.

At the same time, your voice helps the company reach new audiences, strengthen trust externally, and attract talent or customers more organically. When employees shine, the organization shines with them."

Define simple KPI

Start with goals that are easy to measure and celebrate, such as how many people join, how many connect their social accounts, or how many users share their first piece of content. 

These early indicators help you track momentum without creating pressure or unrealistic expectations.

Learn more in Measuring your advocacy program's success.

Example KPIs: 

• 75% of invited users share a post within the first month
• 50% of invited users connect their LinkedIn accounts
• At least 3 new posts added each week post‑launch
• 1,500+ impressions in the first 30 days

Gain leadership support

Ask leaders to participate to strengthen their personal voice inside and outside the company.

Leaders benefit from ready-made content, broader reach, and a clearer public presence. And when they participate, employees see advocacy as endorsed, safe, and worthwhile.

Example message: 

Hi [Leader], we'd love your support as we launch our employee advocacy program.

Participating will help you boost your own professional visibility, reach broader audiences, and reinforce your leadership voice both internally and externally.

It also makes a real difference to the program's success. When employees see leaders sharing content, it signals that the program is trusted, supported, and strategically important for our brand.

Would you be open to joining and sharing content from the program? Participating doesn't require much time. You can also enable someone to share on your behalf, such as your assistant."

Find your ambassadors

Consider who should be in your initial group of users, the first 50-100 people.

Groups that already appreciate sharing your company's story, like Marketing, Sales, HR, or any team members who are naturally active on social media (hello GenZ!), are a good starting point. 

For ideas on selecting the right users and personas, see Identifying and engaging your brand ambassadors.

Example invite: 

Hi [Name], you've been selected as one of our first advocacy ambassadors because you're already active and sharing great insights on social media.

We'd love for you to join the first group using the platform. You'll get early access, a chance to shape the experience, and support us by giving feedback before we roll out to the whole company.

You don't need to share every day; even a couple of shares per week helps build momentum and show others what's possible. Let me know if you're in, and I'll send your early-access invite with more information! 

Fill with content

Focus on preparing a small but impactful content library, around 15-20 posts is usually enough for launch. 

Aim for a mix of post types and content that feels human and helpful: employee stories, behind‑the‑scenes moments, job openings, industry insights, product updates, or event photos. 

Find more ideas in Defining your content strategy and Best practices for creating content for your advocacy program.

Example post ideas: 

• "Meet the team" spotlight featuring a photo and a fun fact
• A short employee story about a recent success or learning moment 
• A job posting that includes a quote from the hiring manager 
• A product update accompanied by a simple visual explaining the value 
• Photos from team days, volunteering, or celebrations

Provide everything for ease

Provide multiple sharing message options, powered by AI, to help people who aren't confident writers. This reduces hesitation and makes the first share feel like a low‑effort, high‑reward action. 

Learn more about creating great sharing messages in Crafting captivating sharing messages.

Example sharing message endings: 

• Informative: "Great insight into where the industry is heading. Highly recommend giving this a read."
• Personal: "I loved working on this project. Proud of what the team achieved here!"
• Simple & friendly: "Quick read with some smart takeaways. Worth checking out!"

Highlight leadership

Add a few posts from your leaders, using publish on behalf to highlight their voice. This immediately signals that participation is welcome and safe. It also sets the cultural tone before launch, showing employees the type of content and tone that is encouraged.

Example post ideas: 

• A leadership-authored article summarizing key industry insights 
• A quote graphic with a thought leadership insight

Images of example content (click to view larger): 

Launch in phases (but with bang!)

Bring new departments and pisions on board gradually, in groups of 50-100 people at a time. You can welcome them through dedicated onboarding meetings, invitation messages, banners, and more. 

Make sure to include all the important details in your invitation to help everyone get started smoothly: the program's purpose, the personal benefit for the employee, how-to, etc.

Learn more about onboarding users in Onboarding and training your brand ambassadors.

Example notice: 

"You're invited to join our advocacy program! 

You'll find pre-approved posts that are quick to share and help us show the world who we are as a company, and who you are as a professional. 

Click the link to join; sharing takes two clicks."

Provide easy access

Use direct links to guides and a quick walkthrough video showing how to log in, complete onboarding, and share in minutes. 

Don't want to create your own resources? Use Haiilo's! We have videos and text guides, for example, Video: Sharing content or Connecting your social media accounts.

Example video (find it here):

Use fun incentives

Introduce the leaderboard and reward employees with small incentives, like a "first week challenge," coffee vouchers, or branded merch to make the launch feel exciting.

Learn more in Driving participation through gamification.

Launch challenges:

• "The top 10 on the leaderboard at the end of launch week will enter our giveaway for..."
• "Every employee who shares at least 3 times during launch week will enter our giveaway for..."
• "The top 3 employees with the most impressions at the end of launch week win..."

Add new content regularly

Create new content at least a few times each week to maintain interest and give employees ongoing opportunities to participate. 

Focus on variety: professional updates, people stories, milestones, behind‑the‑scenes photos, and helpful industry insights. A dynamic feed is the strongest driver of recurring engagement.

Remind users

Send daily digests and email newsletters, highlighting new posts or celebrating particularly successful pieces of content. 

These messages help people stay aware without feeling overwhelmed or pressured.

Recognize and gamify

Highlight ambassadors in team meetings, email newsletters, or recognition channels. 

Use points and leaderboards as fun motivators to reward consistent engagement and creativity.

Re‑engage inactive users

It's normal for activity to fluctuate over time. Instead of pushing people to return, email them gently: "We've added great new posts this week, take a look when you have a moment." 

This tone feels more supportive and keeps the door open without guilt.