More employee-generated content in 2025 👯
Are your best brand storytellers already on the payroll?
This week’s Social Signals was written to my 2023 summer social vibes playlist, thinking warm thoughts!
I’ve found myself spending more time on RedNote—of all places—as many other social networks have been, well, exhausting to navigate in the last week.
Xiaohongshu’s complicated ownership and strong-arm oversight aren’t something to gloss over, but the vibe on RedNote is surprisingly chill and genuinely encouraging on social media right now. There are no ads, and the community feels refreshingly supportive, which is rare at the moment.
As I wrote last week, if you work in digital or social media, you owe it to yourself to spend time exploring the #1 app in the App Store. Who knows? You might want to hang out there more often, too.
In this issue of Social Signals we’re talking EGC based on some thoughts I shared with Ad Age last week and wanting to unpack it more. I’ll admit I didn’t get as far as I wanted with examples, so if you have some good ones, please share! Stay warm out there! -Greg
👯 We Need More Employee-Generated Content in 2025
Your employees are more than workers—they’re storytellers, creators, and ambassadors for your brand. Empowering them isn’t just good marketing—it’s your biggest untapped advantage for 2025. Let’s explore why in this issue…
Picture this: You're scrolling through your feed, bombarded with ads and polished brand posts mixed with content from your actual friends or influencers you chose to follow. What makes you pause? Nine times out of ten, it’s a human face.
There’s something about real people—whether it’s a team member sharing their expertise or an employee behind the counter talking about their day—that grabs our attention and builds trust.
This is the power of employee-generated content (EGC), and it’s reshaping how brands—both B2C and B2B—connect with audiences. From mega consumer brands to niche SaaS companies, employee content is going to be worth considering this year.
The Data Backs It Up
Employee Content Outperforms Corporate Content: LinkedIn reports that employee-shared content receives 8x more engagement than content shared by the brand itself. (SOURCE)
Trust is Built Through Relatability: According to Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer, 63% of consumers trust “someone like me” over official spokespeople. (SOURCE)
It’s Not Just a Marketing Tool—It’s a Recruitment Magnet: Glassdoor found that 79% of job seekers consider a company’s employer brand when applying, and employees’ authentic voices make the most compelling case for joining your team. (SOURCE)
PR Week wrote about this last week, Companies should harness Gen Z's power as brand ambassadors.
Key quote from that story: “Employers should champion Gen Z employees’ personal branding endeavors in a manner that seamlessly aligns with the company’s brand identity. Think of it as having a team of in-house influencers who prioritize authenticity and understand brand ethos.”
Why EGC Works for Both B2C and B2B
For B2C Brands: We all know that we need human faces to "stop the scroll." Some of the biggest consumer brands are shifting toward featuring employees in their social media content because it resonates more than paid influencers or actors. From a brand safety and efficiency standpoint, using in-house talent keeps things on-message and under budget.
For B2B Brands: EGC might not mean dance trends or viral challenges for B2B brands, but it can be just as impactful. Think about LinkedIn: a behind-the-scenes look at your engineering team, a product manager walking through a feature update, or a thought leadership post from your marketing team can drive both engagement and credibility. Your employees’ expertise becomes an extension of your brand’s value proposition, making it easier to build trust in a competitive space. And our target audiences for B2B are also.. human!
The C’s in ECG
What are the C’s in EGC, Greg? Here’s a breakdown of the most impactful types of EGC, with examples to inspire how B2C and B2B brands alike can put their people front and center.
1️⃣ Social Media Content
What It Is: Photos, videos, and/or posts created by or starring employees.
Examples:
B2C: A corporate employee walking the hallways or shopping the HQ gift shop or a retail employee sharing a video about their favorite product or giving a behind-the-scenes tour of the store. For example, Paige and the team at KwikTrip and Gail Lewis at Walmart. Two different ends of the same spectrum.
B2B: A team or team member writing a thorough recap and/or sharing a LinkedIn update about a new project, milestone, or lessons learned at a conference. The innovation team at U.S. Bank does a great job of this at CES each year.
Why It Works:
It adds a human face to the brand, making the content more relatable and engaging while showing authentic moments. But don’t forget, raw and relatable doesn’t mean crappy. But it does mean accessible.
2️⃣ Behind-the-Scenes (BTS) Content
What It Is: A look into daily life at the company, showing workplace culture, team camaraderie, and processes.
Examples:
B2C: A restaurant employee showing how a signature dish is made in the kitchen or how they prep for a busy shift.
B2B: A developer walking viewers through how their team brainstorms new product features or solves a technical problem.
Why It Works:
Audiences love a peek behind the curtain, whether it’s for entertainment or to understand how your business operates.
3️⃣ Thought Leadership and Expertise
What It Is: Employees sharing insights, tips, or perspectives related to their area of expertise.
Examples:
B2C: An in-house beauty advisor posting on Instagram about skincare tips or trending products. A blog post on the company website authored by an in-house expert, then cut into social tidbits.
B2B: An engineer sharing a detailed LinkedIn article about how they solved a complex challenge. An employee hosting a webinar (with an email registration gate).
Why It Works:
It positions employees as trusted experts and reinforces your brand’s credibility in its space.
4️⃣ Employee Takeovers
What It Is: Employees temporarily managing a brand’s social media account to share their perspective or role.
Examples:
B2C: A theme park or retail employee doing an Instagram Story takeover to show a day in their life.
B2B: A sales rep taking over the company’s LinkedIn Stories during a major industry event or conference to provide live updates.
Why It Works:
Takeovers give employees the spotlight and provide fresh, authentic content for your audience. And it’s fun for your employee, too.
5️⃣ Testimonial-Style Content
What It Is: Employees sharing their experiences, opinions, or passion for their work.
Examples:
B2C: A video of a barista talking about why they love their job and how they interact with customers.
B2B: A short-form video on LinkedIn featuring an employee discussing their favorite part of working at the company.
Why It Works:
It humanizes your brand and boosts your employer branding efforts, making it appealing to both customers and potential hires. Again, scrappy not crappy is the goal here.
6️⃣ Product Spotlights or Demos
What It Is: Employees showcasing your product or service in a way that feels authentic and personal. This can be repeatable and scaleable.
Examples:
B2C: A retail employee creating a TikTok showing how they style clothing from the store. An employee of a CPG company making a recipe using the product.
B2B: A tech employee filming a casual walkthrough of a new software. This could be as simple as a Loom-style screen record.
A Note: Fair Compensation for EGC
If your employees are stepping into on-camera roles or creating content that extends beyond their day-to-day responsibilities, this can’t be treated as a free add-on to their jobs. Just as you’d pay external creators or influencers, your employees deserve fair recognition—whether that’s financial compensation, extra time off, or formal credit for their contributions.
Wait!! Here’s Why You Still Need Agency Counsel
Does moving your content strategy into EGC mean you can ditch your agency? Not so fast. I’m not working myself out of a job here! EGC is about amplifying authenticity, but you need strategy, oversight, and coordination to do it effectively- and safely. Here’s where agencies add value:
1️⃣ Strategy, Brand Voice, and Guardrails
Why EGC? What’s it doing? Agencies help define both the strategy and the balance between employee creativity and brand consistency. EGC only works if it feels real, but it also has to align with your core messaging. Setting clear guidelines without stifling creativity is key.
2️⃣ Creative Direction and Production Quality
Not every employee will naturally understand lighting, framing, or storytelling. Agencies should provide training, toolkits, or production to ensure content shines without losing its authentic touch.
3️⃣ Crisis and Brand Safety Management
When you’re empowering employees to represent your brand, there’s always a risk of missteps. Agencies can monitor content, manage potential crises, and step in with solutions before small issues become big problems.
📊 EGC is a Trend to Watch in 2025
In my recent piece for Ad Age (scroll down to read!), I explore why EGC is the next evolution of owned content strategies. Think newsletters, podcasts, and livestreams—but powered by your people.
The takeaway? Your employees are more than workers—they’re storytellers, creators, and ambassadors for your brand. Empowering them isn’t just good marketing—it’s your biggest untapped advantage for 2025.
What do you think? Is EGC part of your brand’s strategy yet? Let’s discuss—I’d love to hear how you’re tackling this opportunity.
🤠 Greg Speaking at SXSW 2025
Well this is exciting. SXSW invited me to return as a SXSW Mentor in 2025! My session time is Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m. and interested folks can RSVP here.
🤖 Results of the A.I. Survey Social Signals Readers Contributed to Are Out!
Thanks to those of you who helped contribute to the survey I circulated just before the holidays. We have the results here! Most marketers and comms professionals are testing the waters, integrating AI in bits and pieces. No knee-jerk budget cuts and no fear-driven investments. Instead, they’re building new skills, and leveraging AI for increased productivity and deeper insights.
The future? Smarter campaigns and elevated teams. Boom. More from our AI team at FINN here.
🎤 Greg Speaking at Digital Summit Chicago
I’m speaking about digital-first marketing at Digital Summit Chicago on April 16-17 with the industry’s top marketers. Would love to see you there! Register at an exclusive discount with my code, SPEAKER150.
👖Freezing Our Pants Off (Again)
With the polar vortex sweeping through the country (and even a rare canceled day of school here in Minnesota), it had me thinking back to 2019 when my friend
was freezing pants at his house (as one does) during that year’s polar vortex.My kids had a snow day from school because of the -32 windchill, and I said “let’s make something go viral!” And we did!
Those pants got picked up by BuzzFeed, IFL Science, BoredPanda, Distractify, Someecards, 22 Words, the front page of Imgur, and news pubs in Canada, Ireland, India, Spain, Japan, and Serbia!!
The meme persists, and I get a new Google Alert or two around this time every year as that content gets reposted whenever it gets frigid, including again this week.
Because it was COLD, and we were freezing our pants off. Again..
See you in the future! 🚀✨
Greg
PS: adding this last minute because I highly recommend watching this entire 20 minutes A.I. agent demo from OpenAI’s launch of Operator yesterday. I have a lot to say about it, but if you keep in mind this is the worst that this technology will ever be, we’re in for quite the stunning future when it comes to agentic A.I. taking over so many tasks for us.