Brands use employees’ social networks as influencers. But what do employees get out of it?
I've noticed a trend where CEOs of well-known companies are investing more in their personal brands on LinkedIn and X.
However, the level is increasing, and they want something similar from employees.
I think building your own profile is great, but not completely at the expense of the brand. It seems a bit like an invasion of privacy to me, maybe the employee has slightly different values, interests and things that they would rather share. I also don't think they will be rewarded extra for promoting the brand.
And take people who, for example, started building their brand a long time ago at their own expense, and now the company only benefits from it for free, or only as part of the employee's salary.
What is your opinion on this whole thing?
Should they be compensated? If yes, how?
Replies
TinyCommand
We’ve actually experimented with this in the past. Some of our sales team already had strong personal presence on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Instead of asking them to post “for the company,” we made it optional and turned it into a performance-driven model.
Each of them got a unique referral code.
They could create content in their own style, on their own terms.
For every customer that came in through their code, they earned a commission.
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@priyanka_gosai1 This sounds fairer, to be honest. Unfortunately, 90% of companies expect to do it for free.
It depends on the contract and the culture of the company. I believe that when you join a company, especially during the probationary period, you start to discover certain hidden rules within the culture. These can help you determine whether you can adapt or whether the company is not a good fit for you.
Part of this “contract hidden in the culture” might be that the company prefers, for example, marketers who act as ambassadors for the organization.
So for me, it depends on the culture, the contract, and the level of freedom employees have to post. However, I believe that employees who post can add huge value to companies by acting as ambassadors. As a result, companies will probably start seeking out this type of profile more often.
It is the company’s responsibility to make these expectations clear and to reward employees who bring added value. I can imagine for sales or marketing teams compensation and rewards for every client
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@bengeeklyWell, I can’t read their minds or interpret the nuances hidden behind vague, abstract wording. A contract should clearly and directly define the scope of work and the compensation. Otherwise, it’s not ethical.
By that logic, I could share confidential company information and then claim, “I was just teasing it to hook people and increase reach." The matter of demagoguery approach :D
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@sana_wajid yea, but companies require every role in some cases :D
Companies shouldn't expect employees to donate their personal brand. If an employee wants to contribute they can but there should no pressure. On the flip side, it is up to the company if they want to leverage existing employees who have a significant online audience. If they would like to do so, there should be conversations about compensation or some type of reward.
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@calvin_lim_1 Many companies just expect to do it pro bono 🤷♀️
@busmark_w_nika We are not lawyers (with a few exceptions). Pro Bono should not be the norm. I once had a friend working for a company that leveraged their employees LinkedIn. The team would check if employees shared company content.
I get paid by an employee to do the work of the company I work for, that is it. Anything that goes outside of that is of my own personal interest and work. if they want a part of that, they can't have it. Can't stay loyal to companies that will get rid of you for any reason no matter how loyal you are.
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@david_sherer We can see that "loyalty" from the company side when it comes to AI layoffs.
@busmark_w_nika Bingo!!
I’d probably only use a company account.
I can’t use my personal privacy for the company though it might be different if I were a shareholder.