Why using employee-generated content is important for your internal comms? 

What is user-generated content? 

UGC, or the use of consumer-generated content for promotion, has been known in marketing for years. This is content in a broad sense, as it also includes visual content such as photos and videos about products or services. This form of promotion is, of course, facilitated by the accessibility of the internet, including social media, which encourages people to share their opinions.  

Some brands are using UGC with considerable success. Examples include advertising campaigns such as Starbucks’ “White Cup” or Coca-Cola’s “Share a Coke” contest. Other classic examples of user-generated content are tutorials, tests (e.g., the famous iPhone shatterproof test), or recommendations (e.g., TripAdvisor). The main advantage of such content is authenticity – brands do not pay for these opinions, so the people who receive such a message perceive it as credible. In the era of advertising blindness, this is a powerful tool that can be successfully used in internal communication. 

User-generated content in the service of internal communication – why does it work? 

It is not hard to imagine that UGC’s strategy is also efficient when it comes to generating internal content. The basis of the phenomenon of employee-generated content is the assumption that the employees know each other best. Therefore, the communication created by them is the most effective. 

In the face of the global trend of declining trust in authority and all information sources, employees still trust their employers and each other. But we can see a crack here too. While as many as 61% of employees believe the information provided by their company (compared, for example, to 58% provided by the government and 46% by advertising), 74% of employees estimate that they miss important information. The reason? Lack of an internal communications department or its low effectiveness. 8 out of 10 people say that communication in their organization is average or poor. To what extent can employee-generated content change this? 

What are the benefits of employee-generated content? 

Marketing effectiveness based on user-generated content comes from engagement and authenticity. For employee-generated content, the list of benefits is long:

1️⃣ Increasing employee engagement – strengthening employee engagement is one of the more complex organizational processes. If 74% of employees are currently “actively unengaged,” there’s plenty to fight for.

2️⃣ Recognition – inviting employees to co-create internal communication is a great way to appreciate their work, knowledge, or skills. It’s a significant element of building engagement. It can support all “employee-recognition programs”, implemented in the organization. 

3️⃣ Finding the purpose of the work – a sense of meaninglessness of the job is one of the most common reasons for resignation, lack of engagement, and burnout. Inviting people to take an active role in creating communication at various levels encourages them to dig deep and reflect on what they want to tell their colleagues – what is important about their work, what they have, and what they still need to be more satisfied. 

4️⃣ Strengthening employee bonds – employees who work remotely or at distant locations sometimes forget that they are part of a larger whole. Some of us work for months or even years without knowing anything about our co-workers. Therefore, encouraging employee-generated content creates a sense of belonging because it brings people together.   

5️⃣ Dialogue building – messages always sent from the same people (most often from the highest levels) or impersonally (from the communication department) give the feeling of one-sided communication. Employees hearing a voice from “below” can have a feeling that someone represents them on the forum of the whole company. Such communication encourages interaction – commenting, sharing opinions, sharing content. 

6️⃣ Mutual inspiration and encouragement for development – a well-told authentic story inspires and motivates action. Therefore, storytelling is considered to be one of the most effective tools in communication and education (also in business). 

Internal communication modeled on user-generated content has another advantage, this time important from the perspective of IC employees. Employee-generated content means that communication departments are no longer the only generator of content in the organization. Thanks to that, they can focus on their more strategic role, including the coordination of communication activities and supporting the achievement of business goals of the entire company. 

Things to watch out for when co-creating employee-generated content 

Content creation is in line with the communication strategy – inviting employees to cooperate means being open to their suggestions and ideas, which are not always in line with the company’s needs. Internal communication employees are the guardians of the communication strategy, resulting directly from the business objectives – sometimes it is necessary to set boundaries. 

• Language of communication – finding a balance between the authentic voice of the employee and the official voice of the corporation. 

• The right choice of employees involved in the communication – it’s always a good idea to start with the bold, “media” people to gradually expand the reach. Showing the same people repeatedly reduces authenticity and makes others uncomfortable. 

• Ensure training – don’t leave employees alone with the task. Make sure to provide positive feedback and structure their knowledge of content creation (written, video or audio). Without development, you lose interest and commitment to the project. 

Inviting employees to co-create corporate communication can greatly enhance their sense of value, involvement in work, and personal development. With proper management of employee-generated content, the organization will also benefit in many ways. It is a relatively cheap way to create high-quality content, valuable for the recipient, to support organizational culture, stimulate commitment, and integrate employees. 

How can Workai support your internal communication?

Workai is a platform that doesn’t just let you post messages. It provides interaction so you can stay in constant contact with your employees, also through an internal social network. Thanks to an extremely easy-to-use CMS that offers a rich array of templates and content blocks, you can publish any media you want and also benefit from integration with Canva or Pexels.