What is employee-generated content?

Employee-generated content (EGC) refers to any content created and shared by employees that promotes, supports, or humanizes their company's brand. In the B2B social media landscape, EGC often takes the form of LinkedIn posts, blog posts, videos, photos, or comments that reflect employees' expertise, personal experiences, or perspectives on their work and industry. While it may align with broader marketing or employer branding goals, EGC is unique in that it's created by employees, not the marketing team, and expressed in their own authentic voice.

What is employee-generated content in B2B?

In B2B marketing, employee-generated content is a key component of employee advocacy programs. Unlike corporate content that's produced and published by a company's official channels, EGC comes from individuals within the organization. It could be a sales leader sharing a customer story, a developer offering insights from a product launch, or a marketer resharing a company post with added context.

B2B audiences, particularly on platforms like LinkedIn, value credibility and subject matter expertise. That's where EGC shines: it brings the human element to the brand and builds more meaningful connections with your target audience.

How is it different from corporate content?

Corporate content is typically planned, polished, and published through brand-owned channels. It's important for consistency, control, and broader marketing campaigns. But it often lacks the personal touch and relatability that B2B audiences crave.

Employee-generated content, on the other hand:

• Uses personal tone and storytelling

• Reflects real experiences and opinions

• Varies in style and voice

• Feels more human, less promotional

Where branded posts may feel "safe" or scripted, EGC stands out in crowded feeds. It resonates because it's social content from people, not just about products.

How does EGC build trust in employee advocacy?

Trust is a cornerstone of successful B2B marketing, and that's where EGC is especially powerful. According to Edelman's Trust Barometer, people are more likely to trust "a person like me" over a CEO or a company spokesperson.

In employee advocacy programs, EGC helps build trust by:

• Humanizing the brand - employees give a face and voice to the company

• Sharing authentic stories - personal insights and experiences feel more credible

• Positioning employees as experts - especially valuable in complex B2B industries

• Creating transparency - content that isn't overly polished or scripted fosters honesty

When your team members share their real perspectives, they act as trusted messengers, not just mouthpieces for corporate messaging.

How does EGC boost reach and engagement?

Organic reach is increasingly difficult to achieve on social platforms, especially for branded accounts. Employee-generated content provides a scalable way to expand reach and increase engagement.

Here's how:

• Algorithm favorability: Platforms like LinkedIn prioritize content from individuals over brands.

• Network effect: When employees post, they expose your brand to their personal connections, often in new industries, roles, and companies.

• Higher engagement: Authentic content tends to perform better, generating more comments, likes, and shares.

• Influence multiplier: When multiple employees post about the same topic, it organically amplifies your message.

This is why many companies combine EGC with an employee advocacy platform, making it easier to distribute, measure, and scale.

Why is tone of voice important in EGC?

The true strength of employee-generated content lies in the employee's personal tone of voice. When everyone shares the exact same company-approved post, it feels inauthentic and easily ignored. It's often obvious to the audience that the post was scripted.

Encouraging employees to rewrite or personalize suggested content ensures:

• Authenticity - they speak as they normally speak

• Relatability - they connect more naturally with their own network

• Credibility - messages don't sound "market-y" or forced

• Creativity - diverse voices make your brand more dynamic

Today, many advocacy platforms allow employees to start with a suggested post and then edit it to fit their own tone-whether that's technical, humorous, concise, or storytelling-driven. This flexibility is key to making EGC work at scale.

How can employees personalize suggested posts?

Most organizations that use employee advocacy platforms provide pre-approved content suggestions such as links, captions, or hashtags. But to maintain authenticity, employees should be encouraged (and trained) to adapt those posts.

Ways to personalize suggested content:

• Add personal context - e.g., "I worked on this project last quarter."

• Ask a question - e.g., "Would love to hear your take on this trend."

• Use your natural tone - speak how you speak, not like a marketer

• Tag relevant people - coworkers, clients, or influencers

• Include personal visuals - photos from events, behind-the-scenes shots, etc.

Companies can support this by providing editable templates, copy prompts, or even examples of well-written employee posts.

What are the challenges of using EGC?

While EGC offers powerful benefits, it also comes with challenges that need to be managed:

• Brand consistency: Too much variation in messaging or tone can dilute your brand

• Compliance concerns: Especially in regulated industries like finance or healthcare

• Low participation: Not all employees feel confident or motivated to post

• Quality control: Some posts may misrepresent the company unintentionally

To overcome these, companies should:

• Offer clear guidelines (without being overly restrictive)

• Provide training or workshops on social media best practices

• Celebrate great examples of EGC internally

• Use an employee advocacy platform to centralize and monitor efforts

EGC works best when employees feel empowered, not pressured, to create.

How does EGC work on LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the primary channel for B2B employee-generated content and for good reason. It's where business conversations happen, and where trust, expertise, and authenticity matter most.

Here's how EGC thrives on LinkedIn:

• Personal posts have more visibility: LinkedIn's algorithm favors human posts over branded ones

• Professional networks are primed: Employees are connected to peers, prospects, and industry leaders

• Content variety works well: From long-form reflections to quick insights or polls

• Comment-driven engagement: EGC often sparks conversations that brand posts don't

• Rich analytics: Engagement metrics can show which voices and messages are resonating

Employee-generated content on LinkedIn is especially effective in industries with long sales cycles, where relationships and thought leadership drive buying decisions.

Final thoughts

Employee-generated content is a powerful, scalable way for B2B brands to amplify reach, build trust, and engage audiences-especially on platforms like LinkedIn. Unlike corporate posts, EGC brings authenticity, diversity, and human connection to your social presence.

By combining the structure of employee advocacy programs with the flexibility to use a personal tone of voice, companies can tap into their most underused marketing resource: their own people.

When employees share, people listen. And when they speak in their own voice, people trust.

FAQs about employee-generated content

1. Why is employee-generated content more effective than branded posts?
   Because it feels more authentic, personal, and trustworthy, especially on platforms like LinkedIn.

2. Can employees rewrite suggested posts in their own tone?
   Yes, and they should. Personalizing content increases credibility and engagement.

3. Is employee-generated content the same as user-generated content?
   Not quite, EGC is created by employees, while UGC usually comes from customers or external users.

4. How can companies encourage employees to create content?
   Through training, content suggestions, clear guidelines, and celebrating strong examples.

5. What's the best platform for employee-generated content?
   LinkedIn is the most effective platform for B2B-focused EGC due to its professional audience and trust-based engagement model.