If you’re anything like us, the Holiday Season has crept up very quickly this year.
Whether you’re all prepped and ready or still finalising your strategy, we’re here to shed light on a secret weapon sitting within your ecosystem; Employee-Generated Content (EGC).
Influencers and creators are key to how brands fuel their channels with high-performance content during the peak sales season. Employee-generated content is another powerful tool to add to your mix. A tool that’s cost-effective, simple and all about offering an expert, inside look into your products and Holiday Season offers.
Keep reading for our top 3 reasons why unlocking the creativity in your workforce can transform your marketing from Black Friday to Christmas and beyond.
#1 Employee recommendations speak volumes (insider knowledge FTW)
We’ve all been there - how many times have you been at a restaurant or clothing store, and when you can’t decide you ask the staff for their hot tip? A lot right? EGC is this process in action because consumers TRUST the opinions of your employees because they have the inside scoop.
By having your staff make videos about their fave products you’re generating a pool of content that’s not just authentic but is about their personal take on your products - not just the brand narrative the marketing team is focused on. More and more brands are investing in Employee Creator Programs, take a look at how these top brands have done it.
We all love to be in the know, and consumers seek answers and inspo on social media in the lead-up to Black Friday and the holidays more than any other time of year. Fueling your social accounts with EGC is the secret to helping your customers battling decision paralysis, via the voices they trust.
#2 Gamify your Cyber & Holiday Season deals (& track results)
Here’s a great way to create some fun, healthy competition around EGC - give your staff personalized discount codes.
It ties in seamlessly with the sales mania of the Black Friday, Cyber & Holiday Seasons, teaches you about your most popular products, AND what content is the most effective.
It works like this:
A) Give your team members discount codes. Think Sam200, Jess200, Ryan200
B) Make sure they mention it in their content and put it in the caption
C) Track the number of code redemptions upon purchase to show their effectiveness
By doing this you can see a direct ROI from EGC through its impact on sales. PLUS you can raise the stakes a little and incentivise your employees with a portion of the proceeds, or a gift for the winner. We all know the content will improve when competition is involved.
#3 More variety for minimal costs
With a new pool of content creators, think of the volume and variety of creative footage and content you can generate. Here are just some ideas:
- Employee picks
- Product reviews
- A-day-in-the-life
- Workplace pranksters
- Tutorials
- BTS content
- Interviews
- Trending sounds
The list goes on, check out 48 creative ideas for EGC here, or watch a couple of holiday-themed examples from Waitrose and Macy's crew members below.
The holiday season is the perfect time to start experimenting with EGC. The best part, it could cost you as much as they're already paid to be working - simply carve out some time to shoot some content while on the clock.
EGC is a win-win. If you have talented, creative people in your workforce - they’ll love getting the chance to shoot some fun content, and you get your hands on a pool of new content for your channels.
We know the Holiday Season is intense (the person writing this blog works in marketing too, I feel you 😅), but it’s also the perfect time to start testing the waters with EGC.
TRIBE is partnering with major retailers to design, implement and scale their Employee Creator Programs, and we’ve seen first-hand how effective EGC strategies are.
Give EGC a try now and track its impact over the holiday season or click the button below if you’re interested in unlocking the true potential of your workforce.
