How to Build a Strategy for Employee-Generated Content

User-generated content looks at leveraging the power of your customer’s creativity for business benefits. Employee-generated content (EGC) can be used in the same way, and is also an effective internal communications tool. 

Unfortunately, with internal messaging often used just to get basic information across, many organizations are missing the opportunity to enhance their company image and core values. 92% of consumers trust online content from friends, family and colleagues above other forms of messaging, so why wouldn’t this be the same for your employees? 

EGC allows employees to share what matters to them in line with business goals and messaging. Making the most of this type of content is certainly possible if you already have willing participants, but what if they’re few and far between? Let’s look at tactics to inspire your employees to get creative and how to develop an effective strategy for the future.

Tactics to inspire employee content creation

Your EGC strategy may need to begin cautiously. Take time to test the water and see how people feel about getting involved and contributing. These practical measures can also assist with your internal content strategy:

Create clear policies

Formalizing your EGC will encourage employees to get involved. Of course, there need to be some agreed parameters. You’ll also need a clear content creation policy and sharing guidelines so your employees know where they stand.

Design a how-to guide or playbook

Many of your employees will already be highly experienced in content creation. Whether Instagram obsessives, talented bloggers or creative videographers, you may find many of your employees regularly create in their personal lives but don’t know how to transfer this to the working world. 

An Employee Content Playbook packed with simple tips such as framing a video or making their written content more fun and engaging can help generate ideas and keep employees inspired. A playbook is also another opportunity to provide guidance on company messaging to ensure it’s ingrained in their content.

Explore a range of content types

Employees keen to contribute and offer something might not know where to start. There is a wide range of different types of employee-generated content and giving your staff options may be the inspiration they need to get started.

Employees can get involved in everything from edutainment and expert video content to welcome posts and onboarding content for new starters. Asking employees to “write something for the company blog” isn’t very inspiring and you may find many aren’t keen but by allowing a little more creativity and offering different content examples they can create, you’re more likely to get interest in getting involved. 

You can also consider specialized training sessions if you want employees to be engaged and interested in content creation. There are thousands of masterclasses from digital experts and content creators online, and you can also book workshops and webinars to help fire up and inspire employees. 

Celebrate comms champions

Showing your company values and mission through its people is inspiring, but it can be hard for someone to take the first step. If you have employees who are keen to create, let them lead by example. Whether they want to spearhead a company vlogging campaign or takeover your internal blogs, giving them a chance to show off their skills will pique interest and encourage others to get involved.

Ripple effect inspiration is a powerful motivator that you can leverage, and once you have a couple of employees on board, others will soon follow.

Provide the platforms and tools to succeed

Creating content for internal communications is about satisfying the needs of your employees whilst also remaining on brand with your messaging. The right tools will help to ensure any messaging is consistent and effective. 

LumApps is centered on internal communications and improving the employee experience. Our platform offers a range of intuitive customizable templates which make creating compelling and engaging content easy and effective. We are committed to making corporate communications accessible and relevant by enabling employees to create and share targeted content and dedicated spaces. It gives your employees the freedom they need to create effective content that the wider organization can learn and benefit from.

Listen and communicate

Your EGC strategy is all about communication, so it won’t work if you don’t listen to your employees’ thoughts and feelings about their involvement. 

This isn’t the kind of strategy that will succeed if you demand employees to create certain types of content on a strict schedule. It has to be organic and employee-led, and you have to take on board what they want to produce. Internal content exists to improve the employee experience, and so a tone-deaf approach will only serve to alienate and be off putting.

Use employee generated content to power your culture and values

Your employees are the best advocates for your business. Your company’s culture should be more than a vague concept discussed briefly on your website, it should be something palpable and grown organically by your employees. By empowering your employees to share their voices, they can become part of your culture which shows you value their thoughts, opinions, and influence on the business.