Hannah Montana said it best: “Mix it all together, and you know that it’s the best of both worlds.”

She might have been talking about her double life as a pop star, but the same can be said for employees doubling up as influencers. 

When a brand’s real employee creates content on their own, that is called employee-generated content. It’s no secret that influencer marketing is powerful, but over the past year, employee-generated content has quickly climbed the ranks to become one of the most effective marketing trends. 

The lines between employees and influencers are blurring, and honestly, we’re here for it.

Employees Sharing their Work Lives Just for Fun

Have you noticed that people working at your favorite brands are appearing more frequently on your FYP? If you're chronically online, like most marketing girlies are, you have most definitely seen ‘OOTD,’ or ‘Come With Me’ videos. 

Employees at big brands have been hopping on these trends, giving people the opportunity to see real faces associated with the brand. 

Take Carissa Nelson, a micro-influencer who posts beauty, fashion, and lifestyle videos. She has her own TikTok account, but she also shares content about working for the Urban Decay team. Her video about her first day of work got over 43k views, and it was all filmed and shared by her.

People aren’t just clocking into work, they are clocking into their socials too. Employees like Carissa, are creating organic brand awareness and building trust with consumers. 

Why Employees Are the Perfect Match

• They Understand the Brand Closely

Someone who understands and loves a brand is someone who knows how to promote it best. They know what to say, who to say it to, and how to say it.

One of the biggest challenges within marketing is finding the perfect influencer for a brand. In fact, 44% of marketers say it’s their biggest challenge among several other common reasons. 

It’s not easy to find influencers who are passionate and knowledgeable about your brand, or creators who aren’t just in it for a check. But you know who does check all these boxes? Take a guess…

Employees! Who better than people who know the ins and outs of a brand? Employee-generated content is made by content creators who are loyal to their brand and genuinely want to see it thrive. 

The employees already understand the brand’s voice, mission, and aesthetic. That’s quite literally their job!

• It Won’t Break The Bank

 Influencer Marketing works, but it also can be expensive. According to HubSpot, more than half of marketing teams that invest in their influencer marketing spend between $100K and $500K. 

No shade to influencers, but sometimes a brand’s team is already serving up quality content, and doing it on a budget. 

Employee-generated content is way more affordable because they’re already on your payroll. 

Although this doesn’t mean companies should stop working with influencers entirely, it just means they have cost-effective, but still highly effective, options. 

• It Builds Trust and Connection

 Employee-generated content allows people to get to know the faces behind their favorite products and campaigns. Their followers get to step inside the office for the day. Maybe they’ll join them for the behind-the-scenes of a photo-shoot, or even ‘follow’ them on a brand trip through their POV. 

That kind of honest content helps to build loyalty and connection. People want to feel like they’re a part of something, and by taking them behind the scenes, brands make them feel just that. 

People are also more likely to trust someone who works at the company, compared to a random stranger or faceless brand posts. By seeing who the person is and getting to know them, it makes all their posts feel more authentic and credible. 

This connection can lead casual viewers into becoming real and loyal fans, and loyal fans are a marketing dream. 

When the Brand Joins In, Employees as Influencers

More and more companies are noticing the powerful marketing tool that is employee-generated content. Instead of waiting on the sidelines for an employee to post a ‘Day in my life’ video, brands are starting to take control. 

Brands are encouraging and supporting this form of content by building programs for their employees. Take Ulta Beauty, for example. They launched their first-ever associate ambassador program, Ulta Beauties, where they give employees the opportunity to represent the brand on social media officially.  

Now, employees are being rewarded for the content they create, and it’s working. The perks that come with posting have led to more employees participating. Brands get more exposure and build stronger relationships with their viewers, and employees get perks beyond compensation. It’s a win-win!

We Have Content Creators At Home

Some brands are taking employee-generated content a step further by turning it into a full-time job. Traditional employee-generated content happens organically at the employee’s discretion, but is hiring full-time content creators the new best practice? 

This practice, often known as in-house content creation, takes employee-generated content to the next level. These employees are strategic and experts when it comes to creating content; they know how to tell a story.

Recently, Starbucks posted that they were looking for full-time content creators. The position’s title, Global Content Creator, is exactly what it sounds like. They are hiring people to travel all over the world to capture authentic content that will bring their brand story to life. 

This new role shows how brands are investing in authentic storytelling. They’re combining the genuineness of employee-generated content with the expertise of dedicated creators. 

However, it could be argued that strategic and perfect content made by full-time creators could risk losing some of the raw authenticity that can only come from organic employee-generated content. What do you think? 

Final Thoughts

As marketing trends change and evolve, brands that find the right balance between organic employee voices and strategic storytelling will be the ones who stand out. Brands just need to mix it all together and they’ll have the best of both worlds!

Cue a Hannah Montana transition: 

Oh woah, oh woah woah, oh woah woah woah, yeah…

Here are a few key takeaways to remember: 

• Employee-generated content isn’t going anywhere, it’s a highly effective marketing tool.
• Employees are ideal influencers because they know the brand, help reduce marketing costs, and build awareness and trust. 
• Brands are now taking the lead by creating opportunities that support employee-generated content.

✍️ Written by Sarah Costa