Getting employees to share company content on LinkedIn is a challenge for many B2B marketing and social media managers. You've created great content, sent reminders, maybe even dropped messages in Slack, but only a handful of employees consistently engage.
This isn't just a frustrating experience. It's a missed opportunity. Company pages have limited reach, and LinkedIn prioritizes content shared by individuals. If you're investing in organic social media and not activating your employees, you're leaving visibility, trust, and pipeline on the table.
That's where employee advocacy comes in.
Why employees aren't sharing, and why it matters
Most employees are not thinking like marketers. They don't spend time wondering which blog posts to share or what kind of content their network will engage with. Even if they support the company, many feel unsure about what to say or worry they'll come across as overly promotional.
Meanwhile, company pages often struggle with low organic reach. LinkedIn's algorithm prioritizes content from people over brands. When employees share company content from their personal accounts, it appears more trustworthy and performs significantly better.
A strong employee advocacy strategy helps you cut through the noise and reach the right audience with voices your buyers already trust.
What is employee advocacy?
Employee advocacy is a strategy that enables employees to promote their company's content, culture, and values through their personal social media profiles. It is especially effective on LinkedIn, where individuals tend to see higher engagement than company pages, and professional networks carry more influence.
Done well, employee advocacy can help B2B organizations:
1. Extend organic reach
2. Increase engagement and visibility.
3. Build brand credibility and trust.
4. Attract qualified talent
5. Improve lead quality and accelerate the sales cycle.
It also benefits employees by helping them grow their personal brands and become visible voices in their industry.
Why LinkedIn is the best place to start
LinkedIn is where employee advocacy delivers the most value for B2B marketers.
Here's why:
1. Posts from individuals generate significantly higher engagement than company posts.
LinkedIn posts from employees earn up to 2.75 times more impressions and 5 times more engagement than those from company pages (Refine Labs). Another study found employee content can generate up to eight times more engagement (Plang Phalla via GaggleAMP).
2. People trust content from people more than from brands.
Research from Flockity shows that peer-shared content is perceived as more authentic. This is backed by findings in the International Journal of Research Publication and Reviews, which show that employee-generated content builds brand trust externally.
3. Employee networks are niche and highly relevant.
Employees are often connected to prospects, partners, industry peers, and decision-makers. According to Social Media Examiner, these networks are usually more aligned with your ICP than the followers of your company page.
4. LinkedIn prioritizes relevance and early engagement.
When someone interacts with a post, it is more likely to be shown to their network. LinkedIn's feed algorithm favors content from individuals with genuine engagement, rather than from brand accounts.
Common reasons employees don't share
Even employees who are passionate about the company may hesitate to post.
Common reasons include:
1. Not knowing what to share
2. Fear of sounding inauthentic or overly promotional
3. Lack of confidence in writing their own posts
4. Uncertainty about what's allowed or encouraged
5. Not seeing any clear benefit for themselves.
6. Simply forgetting or not having time.
To overcome these blockers, you need to remove friction and give people both the tools and the motivation to participate.
How to build a scalable employee advocacy program
To get employees posting consistently and confidently, build a program that removes barriers and creates real incentives.
1. Start with an ambassador club
Identify five to ten employees who are already active on LinkedIn and invite them to be your first advocates. Give them early access to content, involve them in shaping the program, and showcase their success stories internally. These early adopters can help set the tone for broader participation.
2. Try to make advocacy part of your company culture
Leadership should model the behavior by sharing content regularly and encouraging their teams to do the same. Embed advocacy into onboarding, team meetings, and performance reviews. When sharing becomes a norm rather than an exception, participation becomes easier.
3. Offer content that is relevant and interesting to your advocates
Create a centralized content library with pre-approved posts, images, and links. Make sure posts are easy to copy, personalize, and share. Give employees flexibility to adjust wording so it still feels like their voice.
4. Help your advocate employees write better posts
Offer basic writing guidance, prompts, or templates. Some may not know what good looks like. Share examples of effective posts, tips on tone and structure, or short scripts to get them started.
5. Recognize the people who are active and reward their participation
Spotlight top contributors in newsletters or company meetings. Introduce monthly shoutouts or simple rewards, such as gift cards or lunch with leadership. Recognition builds momentum and makes advocacy feel valued.
6. Offer training and support for anyone that is not fully onboard
Hold short workshops on how to use LinkedIn, grow a personal brand, or write compelling posts. Offer this as optional and low-pressure. When employees feel supported, they are more likely to stay engaged.
7. Track progress of your advocacy program and share results
Use UTM parameters or analytics tools to measure advocacy reach, engagement, and influence. Share wins with the company. Show how an employee's post drove webinar signups, led to a meeting, or helped with recruitment.
What kind of content works best for employee sharing?
To increase the likelihood that employees will share, focus on content that is relevant, helpful, and non-promotional.
Great advocacy content often includes:
1. Industry insights and thought leadership
2. Product or feature updates with clear value
3. Culture moments or behind-the-scenes content
4. Customer stories or case studies
5. Event announcements or recaps
6. Recruiting-related updates or job openings
7. Posts written by employees themselves
Make sure content is timely, varied, and easy to engage with. The more relevant it feels to their network, the more likely it will be shared.
How to measure employee advocacy success
To prove the value of your employee advocacy program, track both activity and outcomes.
Metrics to watch include:
1. Number of participating employees
2. Total posts shared
3. Post reach and impressions
4. Click-throughs or traffic to target URLs
5. Social engagement, such as likes, shares, and comments
6. Conversions or leads influenced
7. Internal feedback and sentiment
Start small, track what matters most, and improve over time. If you're using a formal platform, reporting can be automated. If you're managing manually, use UTMs and create simple dashboards.
Why employee advocacy supports real business goals
Employee advocacy helps you extend your reach, build trust, and influence decision-makers without relying solely on paid social or company page updates.
In B2B, trust and relationships matter. Buyers are more likely to engage with peers than with brands. When employees speak, prospects listen. Their content sparks conversation, opens doors, and creates visibility with exactly the right audience.
It is not just about amplification. It is about creating meaningful touchpoints that support lead generation, hiring, and brand growth.
Final thoughts
If you're struggling to get employees to share on LinkedIn, the problem may not be your content. It might be your approach. A thoughtful employee advocacy program removes friction, builds confidence, and turns everyday employees into influential brand advocates.
By creating a culture that values employee voices and providing the support they need, you unlock a more human, authentic, and scalable way to reach your audience.