10 Best Practices for a Successful Employee Ambassador Program

Consumer trust in organizations has dropped to its lowest level since 2016, making it more challenging for brands to engage their audiences. It’s crucial now, perhaps more than ever, to lean into what’s working well for your company and lay the foundation for a successful employee ambassador program.

Your employees are your most valuable asset—and not just because of their skills or expertise. They also have the power to shape how consumers see your brand, fostering trust and genuine connections. And since 69% of consumers are more likely to trust influencers or people they know over branded content, why not tap into your employees’ influence to grow your reach?

An internal ambassador program can open up new doors for your business and team members. Think of it as a way to humanize your brand, build trust, and grow your audience while helping your employees grow their careers.

In this article, you’ll learn what it takes to turn your employees into brand promoters and use their influence to gain customer trust.

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Top takeaways for employee ambassador programs

What is an employee ambassador program?

Employee ambassador programs use employee support to amplify a brand's reach. We're not talking about marketing or sales teams, but employees who truly believe in the company's mission, values, and products.

These people are your best brand advocates, thanks to their credibility and enthusiasm. If they feel happy about your business, they'll praise it and share their experiences on social media and beyond without expecting anything in exchange.

This doesn’t mean employee advocacy can't be planned and deliberate. Often, employees become brand ambassadors as part of an organization-wide program. Those who fulfill this role are often excellent communicators, have a large social media following, and feel connected to the company’s culture.

Why your employees are your best ambassadors

Consumers care about your employer brand, not just your products or services. In a 2024 survey of more than 20,000 people, 77% said their trust in a brand is influenced by how the company treats its staff. This ranks just behind data protection (83%) and product quality (79%) as top trust drivers.

Based on these findings, it's easy to see the value of employee advocacy. When people are treated well and feel proud of where they work, they’ll speak positively about it and help instill trust in consumers.

Your staff members can tap into their networks to drive brand awareness and strengthen customer relationships. Not only do they know your business and products better than an outsider, but they can also offer authentic, unfiltered insights.

This kind of transparency builds trust, which can ultimately improve a company's bottom line. The benefits span multiple areas—from search engine optimization to marketing, sales, and customer service.

Brand ambassadorship programs are good for employees, too. Such initiatives can help your team members develop new skills, grow their professional networks, and establish their expertise. The result? Improved employee satisfaction, lower turnover, and a sense of belonging that fosters loyalty.

10 best practices for turning employees into brand ambassadors

Building a successful employee ambassador program requires ongoing work. Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

1. Communicate your vision and brand clearly

Whatever your vision or mission statement may be, it’s crucial to share it with your team. For starters, create a brand book that highlights your company's values, goals, and visual identity, and any other crucial information.

This document should define your brand guidelines, from the preferred language and tone of voice to your logo and other creative assets. It may also include case studies, success stories, and other resources that reinforce your unique value proposition.

Make sure it also tells the story that inspired your vision, so employees can retell it in their own words.

2. Know your employees

Understanding your employees’ motivations and goals allows you to tap into what genuinely matters to them. Try to find out what aspirations they have, what drives them in their careers, and what makes them want to work for you.

Conduct stay interviews to discover what aspects of their jobs they enjoy most. You could also implement feedback loops or send pulse surveys to gauge employee sentiment and identify patterns, concerns, or opportunities for improvement.

These insights can help you retain talent, reduce turnover, and drive engagement. An engaged workforce is more likely to advocate for your brand and share its message in a way that feels natural and authentic.

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3. Embrace transparency

As Harvard Business Review notes, simply sharing your strategy is unlikely to make a difference. You also need to disclose the “why” behind it and get your staff involved in the decision-making process.

Let’s assume you’re launching a new product line, such as organic skincare. Instead of just announcing it, explain to your employees why you’re taking this step. Better yet, ask your team for feedback. Encourage them to share their ideas, brainstorm product names, discuss ingredient sourcing, and so on.

Your team members could write about this experience on social media, talk about their role in product development, and share behind-the-scenes photos. They may also post regular updates about your new product line, building momentum for the launch.

4. Ditch rules, provide resources

Would you rather read a style guide than watch an entertaining video? Probably not—and the same goes for your employees. Yet many brands insist on weighing their people down with endless rules about what not to post on social media.

A better option is to provide your team with the resources they need to create great content. These may include:

Does your brand have a podcast, company culture videos, or funny social posts? All of these formats give your brand ambassadors a starting point.

The key is to leave room for authenticity. Encourage your staff members to write in their own voice and share their unique perspectives. This practice ensures their messages are perceived as credible, trustworthy, and heartfelt.

5. Encourage team-wide content creation

While it's important to carefully select your brand ambassadors, you should give everyone a chance to contribute in one way or another. The whole point is to foster an advocacy culture where all employees support and promote your brand to the best of their ability.

For instance, Adobe employees contribute to a section of their blog dedicated to the company's culture and values.

Inclusive approaches ensure everyone has a chance to speak up while amplifying your brand’s reach. At the same time, it helps create a positive work environment where employees feel connected to the company's success.

6. Prep your brand ambassadors

Don't just assume your team members know what, when, and how to post on social platforms. It's one thing to share a selfie or meme, and another thing to speak on behalf of an organization.

Help your employees understand what type of content resonates best with your audience. If you're targeting Gen Zers, it makes sense to share social media videos rather than written content.

Another idea is to host monthly workshops or put together a how-to guide and share it along with other resources, such as your brand guidelines. However, this doesn't mean you have to spend hours on employee training. Instead, create a social media policy that supports your company's best interests.

7. Make content sharing easy

Think about where your content will live. Ideally, choose one platform for your brand book, training recordings, and the content assets created by your company and employees. Make sure these resources are easy to access and share.

This practice can improve employee communication and collaboration, providing a central hub for your brand ambassadors. Whether someone needs information about a project or wants to share a creative asset, they should be able to do it without sending messages back and forth.

8. Do something worth writing about

The best content that resonates with its target audience is honest, heartfelt, and authentic. Your employees will be eager to share it with others to inform, educate, or entertain them.

First, you need to do something worth writing about. This could be something like a recruitment event, a volunteering program, or a corporate anniversary. For instance, KPMG's employee ambassador program revolves around the company's sustainability initiatives.

Think about what you'd want to read or hear about a company and then apply it to your own business. Do you give employees time to work on personal projects or help those in need? Are your team-building activities a hit? The possibilities for creating great shareable content are endless.

9. Acknowledge and reward your brand ambassadors

Your team members have no obligation to promote your brand. They do it because they want to, but this doesn't mean their efforts should go unnoticed. Even little things, such as sending them a private thank-you note, can boost their morale and motivation.

Better yet, ask them what they’d like to receive for their advocacy work. Consider sending a survey to find out whether they prefer referral bonuses, discounts, gift cards, gym memberships, or other incentives.

Employees who receive recognition are 45% less likely to quit their jobs in the next two years. They also feel more engaged, have better morale, and experience a stronger sense of purpose in relation to their work.

10. Empower employees to develop their personal brands

When employees share content that aligns with your brand’s message, their social media influence can be a powerful asset. Their posts could reach thousands of people, helping your business gain visibility, website traffic, and customers.

So encourage them to find their niche, start a blog, and share expert insights. Give them access to content creation tools, training courses, and other resources to help them grow their following.

You can also show your support on social media platforms and beyond. Share their posts, leave comments, and link to their blogs from the company's website.

With this approach, you'll also make your employees feel valued and recognized. Chances are, they will reciprocate and do their best to support your brand.

Measure your brand advocacy success

Once your employee advocacy program is live, measure its impact quarterly or more often and make the necessary adjustments.

Focus on relevant metrics, including:

Make sure to align your metrics with your business goals. For example, if you want to attract more potential candidates, track employee referral rates, careers page traffic, and follower growth on employer brand channels.

Use these insights to optimize your employee ambassador program. Depending on the results, you could get more people involved, try new content formats, or adjust your messaging to better address customers' pain points.

Keep an open mind and embrace different perspectives. Your employees have distinct personalities and backgrounds, and you can't expect them to follow the same script when promoting your brand.

Encourage them to find their own voices, speak from experience, and publish different types of content. Also, have one-on-one meetings with them to see where they struggle and what you can do to help them thrive as brand ambassadors.

Ready to get started? Use the BambooHR® Employee Community to keep your staff connected and engaged. Share your brand guidelines, brainstorm advocacy ideas, and give your ambassadors the recognition they deserve—all from one platform.

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https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/how-to-employee-referral-program
https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/measure-employee-satisfaction
https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/top-reasons-why-employees-leave-their-jobs
https://www.bamboohr.com/blog/difference-reward-and-recognition