Quick!! Think of one way in which you can promote your brand.....
What did you think of? Adevertising? Promotions? Or Word-of-Mouth?
If you thought about these then you think like most people and if you think like most people then should you call yourself any different?
Look around you while you’re sitting on your desk in the office, (or stand up if you’re in a cubical!) what do you see? Yes you see your partners, you see friends and you see your colleagues. But if you’re like me then you see walking, talking smiley billboards which cost you nothing and are one of the best sources that would promote your corporate brand.
The question is HOW? And the answer is straightforward. 'Employee Branding' is what it’s called – It is a simple process by which you educate your fellow employees about your brand, its goal, its mission and things you as a company have done in the recent past as a whole to meet those corporate objectives.
Posting your mission statement on the wall is not enough and neither is having it on the front page of your annual report. It’s most effective when you gather your employees every month or even weekly and tell them about the company’s vision and how they have made it possible to get one step closer towards the corporate goal.
It is very easy to forget the long-term objectives of a business when employees spend their whole day dealing with short term queries. Yes, we do need to prepare those over due financial statements, we need to get the new website out of the way, but always keep track of the direction in which the organization is progressing. And if you are able to communicate these objectives of the long-run to your fellow employees, they would feel much more closer to your brand.
Here’s a tip: carry out a small survey – go around and causally and ask your employees of what was your company’s growth last year? See if they know what your annual turnover is? You’ll be surprised to know that most of them would not know the answer to these very obvious questions. So if they don’t know, they can not boast about it to others. It’s actually sad that they are unaware of what they have achieved as a team – as a company.
My point is, that among the hundreds of meeting you have every month, gather all your staff for 15 minutes to tell them how the company is progressing and thank them for their efforts.
This would help you in 2 ways: a; Your employees will get a massive boost of confidence as they will know the positive effects of their combined efforts on the firm along with a pat on the back with that ‘Thankyou’. b; if they go out anywhere in conferences or a business event, they’ll be aware of the current progress of the company and would be able to market it well.
So now wherever they go or who ever they meet (personally or professionally), rather then saying, "I am working on the bank reconciliation statements this week", your employees would be able to boast "We have grown 15% this year." It not only promotes your brand, but it also keeps the employees informed and makes them feel proud of themselves by being, though, a small, but an integral part of a corporate family they dedicate 8 hours of their day, everyday.
What did you think of? Adevertising? Promotions? Or Word-of-Mouth?
If you thought about these then you think like most people and if you think like most people then should you call yourself any different?
Look around you while you’re sitting on your desk in the office, (or stand up if you’re in a cubical!) what do you see? Yes you see your partners, you see friends and you see your colleagues. But if you’re like me then you see walking, talking smiley billboards which cost you nothing and are one of the best sources that would promote your corporate brand.
The question is HOW? And the answer is straightforward. 'Employee Branding' is what it’s called – It is a simple process by which you educate your fellow employees about your brand, its goal, its mission and things you as a company have done in the recent past as a whole to meet those corporate objectives.
Posting your mission statement on the wall is not enough and neither is having it on the front page of your annual report. It’s most effective when you gather your employees every month or even weekly and tell them about the company’s vision and how they have made it possible to get one step closer towards the corporate goal.
It is very easy to forget the long-term objectives of a business when employees spend their whole day dealing with short term queries. Yes, we do need to prepare those over due financial statements, we need to get the new website out of the way, but always keep track of the direction in which the organization is progressing. And if you are able to communicate these objectives of the long-run to your fellow employees, they would feel much more closer to your brand.
Here’s a tip: carry out a small survey – go around and causally and ask your employees of what was your company’s growth last year? See if they know what your annual turnover is? You’ll be surprised to know that most of them would not know the answer to these very obvious questions. So if they don’t know, they can not boast about it to others. It’s actually sad that they are unaware of what they have achieved as a team – as a company.
My point is, that among the hundreds of meeting you have every month, gather all your staff for 15 minutes to tell them how the company is progressing and thank them for their efforts.
This would help you in 2 ways: a; Your employees will get a massive boost of confidence as they will know the positive effects of their combined efforts on the firm along with a pat on the back with that ‘Thankyou’. b; if they go out anywhere in conferences or a business event, they’ll be aware of the current progress of the company and would be able to market it well.
So now wherever they go or who ever they meet (personally or professionally), rather then saying, "I am working on the bank reconciliation statements this week", your employees would be able to boast "We have grown 15% this year." It not only promotes your brand, but it also keeps the employees informed and makes them feel proud of themselves by being, though, a small, but an integral part of a corporate family they dedicate 8 hours of their day, everyday.
