Tips for building a successful corporate influencer program

Corporate influencer programs are an excellent method for improving internal and external corporate communication. Internally, contributions from colleagues ensure transparency and exchange between departments. Externally, they provide authentic content that is appealing to young talent and strengthens the company's brand recognition. But how can such a program be successfully set up and implemented?

This article provides tips on how to set up and operate your own corporate influencer program. ‍

How can a corporate influencer program be started?

It is best to check at the beginning whether the company already has a desire for corporate influencers.

Social media savvy employees who regularly post to their personal LinkedIn or Instagram profiles should be interviewed here. If there is a desire to develop further in this area and also to create content for the company, there is a good basis for a corporate influencer program. Intrinsically motivated employees are prepared to invest the most time in the program and produce the best quality content.

Nevertheless, even the most motivated employees should be guided through the program. Clear start dates, training, and regular feedback help employees develop and post posts regularly.

How can the program be made public in the company?

“Roadshows” within the company are an effective means of attracting more participants. The various departments are visited and the benefits of corporate influencers are presented.

Of course, there are departments, such as Finance or Controlling, which are more cautious when it comes to public speaking. This is often due to the fact that they work with particularly sensitive data, which is why employees are unsure what can be published. It is therefore important to personalize the roadshows for the individual departments and to talk about concerns. Training that clearly shows which content is harmless is crucial here.

It is also possible to use the FOMO effect when recruiting. In order to do this, the successes that other departments have already achieved through corporate influencers can be shown. As a result, other employees also want this success and are taking part in the program.‍

Should working as a corporate influencer be regarded as working time or free time?

Since corporate influencers invest their time to create added value for the company, the time spent on the activity should be considered working time.

It is important to note that the balance between working as an influencer and the actual work content is ensured.

It is best to discuss a timetable with the respective manager, which determines how much time is invested in which task and where the priorities lie.

How can content be planned?

Content planning should be based on stakeholders.

Stakeholders include normal external communication, corporate influencer departments and corporate influencers themselves. If the stakeholders are clear, the relevant content can be compiled. This could include press releases, new collaborations or personal experiences and successes. Depending on the urgency and quantity, these can then be weighted and planned. It is also important to give corporate influencers a lot of creative freedom and to allow them to talk about the things that really inspire and move them. This is the only way to create the necessary authenticity for a successful corporate influencer program.

Should corporate influencers meet certain design requirements?

Balance is also crucial here. If corporate influencers are too restricted by regulations, they can be demotivated. If they are not given guidelines, the quality of their content can vary significantly.

The best practice is to bring all participants to a similar level of quality through continuing education.

Requirements should be kept to a minimum. A shared hashtag is helpful for collecting all contributions and generating synergies through the various networks of participants. If brand compliance is required for certain content, influencers must be provided with easy-to-use templates.

How can corporate influencers be informed about current trends and tools?

There are two efficient ways to keep corporate influencers up to date. One option is to offer regular training courses in which participants are familiarized with the latest trends and tools. The other option is to offer a forum for all corporate influencers where they can ask questions and exchange ideas. It is best to introduce both, as continuing education can always be based on the most frequently asked questions in the forum.

Is there content that works particularly well?

Fundamentally, content becomes successful when it either provides deep personal insights into the life and thoughts of the corporate influencer or provides the community with concrete, applicable insights.

Simply reflecting what is currently happening in the company, what events are taking place and what kind of initiatives are being launched is not enough to address the community permanently. It is better to talk about what practical findings have been collected after an event.‍

How can cofenster support corporate influencer programs?

With the cofenster video software, some of the basic challenges of corporate influencer programs can be solved.

• By To-do links Individual participants can simply upload their videos and do not have to be laboriously brought together.
• Stage instructions can be included in the to-do links.
• All videos can be done with a mouse click through templates in corporate design be brought in.
• For recurring formats, you can also screenplay templates be created.

With cofenster, all corporate influencers are able to produce professional and brand-compliant videos in a very short time and without previous video knowledge.