Book a Demo

Suz Barton on using employee advocacy for social selling

Radically Transparent Published: March 03, 2022
Jen Gutman
Suz Barton on using employee advocacy for social selling

Suz Barton, Director of Demand Generation at Oktopost takes on social selling vs. employee advocacy.

Listen to the podcast:

Or catch us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.

Watch the recording:

Want to hear more from renowned marketing leaders on paid social? Catch all episodes here.

Episode summary

Suz Barton, Oktopost’s Director of Demand Generation reveals her secret sauce on how she’s helping sales leaders hit their numbers while staying sane under constant pressure to hit her own. Throughout the episode, Suz also uncovers the life-changing magic of using employee advocacy for social selling and she’s using advocacy to help sales teams be more effective. Suz even breaks down the differences between social selling and employee advocacy so you leave this episode with full confidence knowing which program outline to bring to your next strategy meeting!

Meet Suz Barton

Suz is Oktopost’s Director of Demand Generation and focuses on initiating conversations with new customers for our sales team across the globe. She has a solid track record of building strong relationships with customers and sales teams and has always been focused on driving growth in B2B technology organizations.

Away from running integrated marketing programs, Suz enjoys listening to rock music, watching football, and having adventures in the great outdoors – a part of her will always wish she could be Batman.

Stay in the loop

Radically Transparent is a podcast geared towards the modern-day B2B marketer. Host Jennifer Gutman and her guests are a mixture of renowned marketing and sales leaders from B2B marketing organizations around the globe.

Each episode shines a light on the inner workings of B2B leadership– including what keeps successful CEOs, CMOs, VPs, and social media teams up at night, professionally. The conversations are real, raw, and authentic all while revealing to listeners the unfiltered, not-so-known truths of today’s most interesting marketers.

Quickly becoming one of Oktopost’s most popular original podcast shows on the internet, new episodes air every Thursday on Radically Transparent, a podcast channel, built for marketers, by marketers.

Catch all episodes here.

Like what you heard?

Help us get the word out! Leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts by heading on over to the Library Tab under Shows. Click on the podcast subscription and scroll down to Ratings & Reviews to give it a star rating.

It’ll take you less than a minute and it’ll help us spread the word about Radically Transparent.

Subscribe to the radically transparent podcast, brought to you by Oktopost, today:

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the key difference between social selling and employee advocacy for B2B organizations?

Social selling primarily focuses on individual sales representatives using social media to connect with prospects, build relationships, and move deals forward. Employee advocacy, as highlighted by Oktopost's Suz Barton, involves mobilizing a broader range of employees to share company-approved content, amplifying brand reach, credibility, and thought leadership across their personal networks, often supporting and enhancing social selling efforts.

How can employee advocacy directly improve B2B sales effectiveness?

Employee advocacy directly improves B2B sales effectiveness by equipping sales teams with curated, shareable content that strengthens their personal brands and expands their reach into new, relevant networks. This strategy, championed by demand generation leaders, helps initiate more conversations, builds trust with potential clients, and ultimately aids in hitting sales targets by leveraging authentic employee voices.

What role does employee advocacy play in B2B demand generation strategies?

For B2B demand generation strategies, employee advocacy is crucial for amplifying content distribution, extending brand reach beyond owned channels, and generating qualified leads. By empowering employees to share valuable content, demand generation teams can tap into new audiences, nurture prospects with authentic interactions, and significantly contribute to pipeline growth and revenue objectives, as demonstrated by Oktopost's approach.

What are the first steps for a B2B company looking to implement a successful employee advocacy program?

To implement a successful B2B employee advocacy program, companies should first define clear objectives (e.g., lead generation, brand awareness), identify key internal champions, and establish a consistent content strategy. Selecting an appropriate platform to streamline content distribution and track performance is vital, along with providing comprehensive training to encourage enthusiastic participation from employees.

Why is integrating employee advocacy critical for modern B2B marketing and sales strategies?

Integrating employee advocacy is critical for modern B2B marketing and sales strategies because it provides an authentic, scalable way to build trust and credibility in a crowded digital landscape. By leveraging the collective networks and voices of employees, B2B companies can significantly boost brand visibility, drive higher engagement, and foster genuine connections that directly support social selling and overall demand generation efforts.

Suggested Articles

How to architect B2B influencer marketing for pipeline, not just impressions, with Justin Levy visual guide
Radically Transparent

How to architect B2B influencer marketing for pipeline, not just impressions, with Justin Levy

Legal marketing leadership: How leading law firms stand apart with Roy Sexton visual guide
Product Updates

Legal marketing leadership: How leading law firms stand apart with Roy Sexton

Rebranding starts with listening (AI can help), with Michael Yehoshua visual guide
Radically Transparent

Rebranding starts with listening (AI can help), with Michael Yehoshua

Get ready!

The latest B2B marketing magic is about to land in your inbox
Join 30K+ pros already on the inside