In my years of creating content for social media, without a doubt, posts that get the most attention are posts that include, or are about, your employees. Content that shares a tidbit of information about them, their role in your business, or involvement in the community, will always be social media winners.  Why is this such a social media grand slam?

Your people are what set you apart

The reason this is so effective and engaging is that when it comes down to it, businesses are about the people. This becomes even more important if you have a business with a great deal of competition. If the general public seems to think all the businesses in your category are the same, and they make purchasing decisions with the eeny, meeny, miny, moe method, then highlighting employees is just about the only way to differentiate yourself.

Many times a business will tell me what sets them apart is their people or the customer service they provide. The problem is that almost every business says this and the phrase has become like wallpaper to potential customers. You have to show it, and social media is the best way to do this. Before we get to the ideas of what to post, consider the visual.

Monkeys like to look at other monkeys

When posting about people, always include a photo!  Why? Because “monkeys like to look at other monkeys.” It’s true. People want to look at photos with other people, rather than images of objects. Images of people are personal and you always want to get the employee’s okay. Let them see the photo and certainly, make sure they are aware that you are posting about them. You have to get their buy-in but in the long run, it’s a win-win for both you and your employees

Getting your employees on board

Your employees have to be comfortable with what you are saying and showing, but this is not usually too difficult. Most employees will be on board because most want to appear in the company’s social media environment.

A few employees may be somewhat resistant but give it time. What I’ve seen is that it becomes a bit of a popularity contest. You’ll find your social media superstars, those who get the most engagement, and it may surprise you!  Highlighting employees has a nice side benefit of growing your likes and followers. Employees will often share the post on their personal page where their friends can see it. Then these friends will be more likely to follow your page because they get a chance to see their friends.

Don’t feel as if you are “using” or “exploiting” your employees. It provides your employees with many benefits like:

• Boosting their credibility
• Building their professional reputation
• Giving them a feeling of appreciation
• Allowing them to share their knowledge

If your social media feed is filled with posts about your employees it also helps in your recruiting effort and better matches candidates with your culture. New hire prospects are definitely checking out your social media.

20 ideas for social media posts involving employees

What to post? The possibilities are endless. In case you are experiencing writer’s block, here are a few ideas to get you started:

1. Highlight new employees
2. Congratulate them on their work anniversaries
3. Wish them a Happy Birthday
4. Announce their promotions
5. Announce their retirement
6. Create a post about a conference they attended and what they learned
7. Feature their favorite “pick” from your line up of products
8. Ask them to submit a photo of them with their dog for national dog day
9. Post a positive review they received from a customer
10. Have them provide a “tip”, they are the experts when it comes to your business
11. Did their softball team win a championship? Congratulate them!
12. Anytime they win an award, give them a shout out!
13. Did they dress up in sports attire for work on the day of the big game? Take a photo and post it.
14. Show them volunteering or partaking in community events
15. Take a photo of a unique item on their desk
16. Post a picture of them with their favorite customer
17. Share something funny that they do  
18. Show them helping to clear snow off customer’s windshields
19. Share throw-back photos of team members
20. Take and share photos of the office potluck

The possibilities are endless! Enlist the help of those closest to your employees and know what’s going on, possibly the HR manager or a department manager.

The stars of your business are your employees and they can be the stars of your social media platforms. There’s little risk and the rewards can be huge!