According to the 2013 Edelman Trust Barometer, when it comes to putting information out about your brand, your employees are the most trusted voice you’ve got. Employees can reach an audience ten times larger than yours, and their messages are powerful. How powerful, you ask?

Let’s take a look at just a few of the numbers:

• 94% of consumers trust reviews and personal recommendations over paid advertising

• 77% of customers are more likely to buy a product when recommended by a trusted source

• Content shared by employees is shared 8x more than company content

• Just a 12% increase in social advocacy generates a 2x increase in revenue growth

• 78% of salespeople who engage in social selling beat their quotas and outsell peers

Customer Experience Wins or Loses with Your Employees

Thanks to the transparent, real-time social world we live in today, your dealership will undoubtedly struggle to find ways to build trust and engage authentically with your customers. Brands who are delivering on their promises and have nothing to hide are discovering they can’t afford not to empower employees to engage consumers with brand messages. The upside far outweighs any common objections or myths.

Engaged Employees are Results-Driven

Forbes defines engaged employees as individuals who have an emotional commitment to the organization they serve and its goals. A recent study from National Business Research Institute shows the powerful ripple effect of employees identified as engaged:

• Engaged employees are more productive than their un-engaged counterparts

• Up to 80% of overall customer satisfaction is affected by employee engagement

• Engaged employees understand the business context and the bigger picture

• They stay up to date with developments within their industry

• Engaged employees want to ‘make a difference at work’ and are willing to go the extra mile

Engaging your employees as social advocates will improve every measurement of business success. Other industries have discovered the power of a social culture and I‘m excited to show automotive dealerships how to join the revolution.

The Right Tools for the Job

Starting a social advocacy program at your dealership might seem overwhelming, but if you’re not already convinced, I’ll show you how you can’t afford not to capitalize on your employee’s reach. It takes a village to search, locate, curate and publish content on social media, but with the right tools and a plan, you can make it happen. I look forward to showing you the way!

Key Takeaways:

• What is an Employee Social Advocate

• Your Brand vs. Your Employee: Who Has More Influence?

• Expanding Your Definition of Social Media to Engage Consumers More Effectively

• How to Get Started: The Social Media Advocate Tool-Kit

Don’t miss “Your Dealership Will Never Be a Blackbelt at Social: The Secret to Social Success” and 100+ sessions, workshops and case studies at the 18th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition from April 21-23 in Tampa, FL!