Lauren Cursiter, global marketing and communications manager, Mastery, at Google, explores the power of influencer marketing for employee engagement.

We've likely all been there: scrolling through social media, when a familiar face shares a new product, and over time, you start noticing that product everywhere. Eventually curiosity gets the best of you, and you’re tempted to buy it when you realise…bam! You're influenced! That is the power of influencer marketing.

Influencer marketing is a partnership between popular social media users (aka an "influencer") and brands to promote a product or service.  Since 2019, the influencer marketing industry has tripled, now worth $21.1 billion. Why? Because it works! 63% of consumers say they're more likely to buy a product recommended by an influencer they trust.

For example, Animalhouse Fitness, a company that creates products for athletes, gifted their new product "MonkeyFeet" to over 100 fitness influencers. This led to approximately 1,470 posts about the product and a mention on a popular podcast with an audience of roughly 11 million people. Ultimately, the campaign brought in $7 million in revenue and helped make Animalhouse Fitness one of the fastest-growing companies on Shopify.

Now, what if we harness this power and orient it inwards within a company to boost engagement with employees? As internal communicators, we have limited channels and opportunities to capture attention and drive action, yet we're constantly pushed for higher engagement. By tapping into the same principles as influencer marketing—matching the goal of a brand with influential voices—we can achieve tremendous impact with internal corporate initiatives.

Let's say you're trying to generate enrolment for a new internal learning program. Imagine someone within your organisation who has conviction and sway. What if they authentically recommended the program to their peers and team, versus a promotional email? I know which one I'd be more likely to act on!

If you're considering experimenting with internal influencer marketing to your strategy, here are five steps:

1. Who: Choose your influencers. Based on your objective, identify the audience you want to inspire action from. Within that audience, identify employees with the largest network and strongest voice (consider your network and internal affinity groups). Select individuals passionate about the topic. For example, if promoting a learning program, choose someone passionate about growth. These individuals can be anyone—from senior leaders to new hires—the key is identifying respected people who are passionate and have a strong network to sway opinions and drive action.

2. Why: Create a mutually beneficial experience. Once you've chosen your influencers, you need to get them onboard and convince them on why they should get involved. Validate their influence (flattery helps!), discuss the initiative's importance, and explain how this collaboration benefits them, such as exposure opportunities (town halls, speaking engagements), networking or rewards (bonuses, swag).

3. How: Empower them to become advocates. Provide early access to your offering and invite feedback or co-creation. Just as brands offer "free samples", et your influencers experience the initiative's value firsthand to craft genuine narratives. For example, if promoting a new workshop, let influencers experience the pilot. This way, they'll feel ownership and be more likely to promote it.

4. What: Help them craft their stories. Powerful influencer marketing hinges on authentic storytelling. Encourage your influencers to use relatable anecdotes to illustrate the topic's value and help them craft compelling stories. In our workshop example, were they able to overcome a challenge because of it? Encourage them to share their real-life experiences!

5. Where: Make it easy for them to leverage their platform. Once your influencer has their narrative, help them leverage their influence and recommend where they can share the message. This could be in team meetings, newsletters, internal chat boards, or offer opportunities like organisation-level meetings (consider how it benefits them!). Make it easy by checking in regularly and sharing updates with helpful prompts.

By embracing internal influencer marketing, companies can unlock a powerful, authentic way to engage employees and drive meaningful action. Just as external influencers build trust and influence by sharing their genuine experiences, internal advocates can amplify messages and initiatives in ways that resonate with their colleagues. The result? Higher engagement, increased participation, and a deeper connection to company goals and values.

In the end, influencer marketing can’t be the sole strategy for promoting a new initiative. However, it can be an effective tool to expand reach and inspire action. Harness that influence, and the results will speak for themselves.