A Guide to LinkedIn Employee Advocacy

LinkedIn Employee Advocacy isn't exactly what it sounds like; while we at Random are all for providing people with ample benefits, robust lines of communication, and developing a healthy work-life balance, employee advocacy on LinkedIn is about your employees advocating for your business. It's the LinkedIn equivalent of an influencer campaign, but (often) virtually free.

Employee Advocacy Statistics

Only 3% of employees share company-related content on LinkedIn, but drive a 30% increase in overall engagement.
75% of B2B buyers consult social media, especially LinkedIn, before making a purchase.
Companies with socially engaged employees are 58% more likely to attract and 20% more likely to retain top talent.
Employees of socially engaged companies are 27% more likely to have an optimistic outlook about their company.
Content shared by employees has 2x the engagement than the same content shared exclusively their parent company.

Pretty good, huh?

Step One: Establish Clear Goals

A successful employee advocacy campaign begins with a clear goal. There are many functions an employee advocacy campaign can serve:

Attract new employees and top talent
Drive sales
Cement your business as a leader in your field and community
Reach more customers and increase your audience and engagement
Foster stronger connections between your employees and customers

Step Two: Find Your Ambassadors

Which of your employees should you recruit to be your first employee advocates? If you're a small company, the answer may be everyone! If you're a large company, start with leadership and your most social-savvy team members.

If the company's top brass get on the employee advocacy train, it's far more likely that other team members will follow suit and understand the importance of your advocacy campaign.

Social media masters will make the launch of your new initiative smoother. Think also about what teams would have the biggest impact on social media. Sales, marketing, and human resources are all excellent places to start. After onboarding your experienced employees, over time you can add those who are more apprehensive about social media. Provide lunches and seminars to educate new additions, and enlist your first recruits to help teach and train as you grow your employee advocacy network.

No matter what, remind employees of how their participation in an advocacy program benefits them: greater power and influence in the company, and a larger professional reputation.

Step Three: Content and Contact

Recommend content to your new employee advocates. Content could include articles, polls, quizzes, sales, job listings, photographs, statistics, fun facts, surveys, events, webinars, and more.

Follow the 4-1-1 Rule for every 6 pieces of content:

4 curated (third-party)
1 company-exclusive
1 promotional

Be sure that no more than 25% of the content your employees share is company related. Your audience will lose interest quickly if employees exclusively share dry company content. People on all social platforms want content that they'll find useful and interesting.

LinkedIn Elevate, GaggleAMP, Bambu from Sprout Social, and Hootsuite Amplify are just a few of many tools that can be used to manage employee advocacy. However, if these aren't feasible for your company due to price or company size, sending a simple weekly email to employees with recommended articles to share, company information or blogs, and promotional content will suffice. If you use an email, be sure to include headlines, short shareable blurbs about the content, and native links to allow employees to share with ease and clarity.

Step Four: Report Results

Be sure to continue to monitor growth and results, ideally with a report at least once a month to ensure your strategy is working.

If you use an employee advocacy tool, monitoring the impact of employee advocacy will be relatively easy! Otherwise, you'll have to manually pull data from your employees' posts, such as link clicks and engaged demograhics, as well as other KPIs such as sales, website traffic, and job applicants.

Check out these great employee advocacy tools: https://www.oktopost.com/blog/top-10-employee-advocacy-tools/

Step Five: Longevity

Employee advocacy is a long game. Keep the ball rolling by reporting successes and growth to employees, adjusting your campaign strategy as needed, and offer fun reward initiatives for engaged employees.

Finally, good luck! If you'd like to chat more about employee advocacy or any other social media needs you may have, reach out to us below.

5 LGBTQ Podcasts You Need in Your Life

Happy Pride Month! These 30 days are about honoring the past and current contributions LGBTQ people have made to our world. Visibility is crucial for both finding community and celebrating individuality. Queer people being able to share their stories is one of the most powerful forms of visibility, and podcasts are one of the most powerful platforms for storytelling we have today.

Whether you're a history nerd or obsessed with pop culture, here are 5 of the best LGBTQ podcasts you need in your life this Pride Month (and year-round, really).

1. QUEERY with Cameron Esposito

For the classic podcast lover.

This show is full of humorous, yet intimate, hour-long conversations between stand-up comic Cameron Esposito and LGBTQ artists, musicians, authors, actors, and more. Some notable guests include Brandi Carlile, Nyle DiMarco, and Hayley Kiyoko. Together, the interviewer and interviewee cover what it means to be queer in creative industries and in the modern world as a whole.

Check out this episode:

2. Making Gay History

For the history buff.

This podcast is a series of portraits of LGBTQ trailblazers told through the host's recorded archives. Many of the episodes highlight the long-forgotten heroes and witnesses of the AIDS crisis and gay rights movement, including Randy Boyd, Jill Johnston, and Meg Christian. Their website even includes more background information and archival photos for each episode. Making Gay History is an incredibly necessary and enlightening project for both LGBTQ+ people and allies looking for a better glimpse into the history of the queer community.

Check out this episode:

3. Keep It

For the pop culture lover.

This show features fun banter about everything from the newest blockbuster movies to the best destinations to travel to as a gay person. Even with high-profile special guests like Gabrielle Union and Kristen Chenoweth, listening to the episodes feels like you just happen to be dropping in on a casual conversation between friends. If you're looking for a podcast that explores music, movies, and pop culture moments through a queer lens, this show is perfect for you!

Check out this episode:

4. Teenager Therapy

For a coming-of-age audience.

This relatable, heartfelt show is made by and for teens and young adults. In their own words, the hosts are five stressed and sleep-deprived teens, covering a wide variety of mental health topics. Their episodes span from dealing with confrontation to understanding your gender identity and sexuality. The short episodes are a must-listen for high school and college students who want to know they are not alone in the struggles they are facing.

Check out this episode:

5. One From the Vaults

For the history buff, again.

One From the Vaults is a powerful look into a topic that is still in the process of being uncovered and relayed: trans history across the Americas and Europe from the last 150 years. Host Morgan M. Page brings you all the dirt, gossip, and glamor from trans history. These stories remind us that being trans is an identity that has existed since the beginning of time. And until history books start including the stories of trans and gender nonconforming people throughout history, this show stands in as a great teacher.

Check out this episode:

What LGBTQ podcasts have you been loving lately? Give us some recommendations in the comments!

How to Use Reels if You Hate Being On Camera

Whether you're a small business or an individual creative, social media like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook provide ample opportunities to expand your audience.

Instagram Reels is a short-form video feature and a fairly new addition to Instagram's line-up of tools.

Video content has proven to capture and hold an audience's attention better than photo or text alone--according to Hootsuite, video posts on Instagram have a .76% higher Engagement Rate (ER) than static photo posts (a meaningful difference in ER), and an additional Hootsuite experiment suggested that Instagram Reels were helpful in driving traffic and increasing subscribers. All signs seem to say: Instagram Reels is definitely an effective tool for increasing social media engagement!.

However, many find appearing on-camera to be daunting, uncomfortable, even terrifying.

What even is Instagram Reels?

With Instagram Reels, you can create short videos up to 30 seconds long, easily editing clips together, applying filters or Augmented Reality (AR) features, adding text, or including music from Instagram's music library, original audio from you or another user, or voice over. Functions like Remix allow you to record your own Reel and add it side-by-side to another Reel, so you can collaborate, hop on trends, or add your own commentary or riff. Video editing tools are included in the feature and are easy to use.

Instagram Reels is Instagram's direct answer to the wildly popular platform TikTok, and a clear indication of the increasing power and popularity of short-form videos, especially among younger audiences.

Instagram is clearly making competition with TikTok a priority: they recently announced that Instagram Reels reposted from TikTok, as evidenced by the TikTok watermark, would be punished by Instagram's AI with reduced visibility and decreased promotion to potential new viewers.

While it's easier to build an audience from scratch on TikTok, thanks to the app being video-only and their powerful proprietary algorithm, Instagram Reels are incredibly potent for Instagram users who already have a following--whether than be large or relatively small.

Instagram Reel Ideas and Inspiration

If you hate being on camera, fear not: how-to videos, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and news are the four most popular video subjects on Instagram Reels, and none of them require showing your face or doing a dance!

There are dozens of ways to make engaging Reels if you have stage fright:

How-To Videos
- As mentioned above, how-to or diy instructions are incredibly popular. You can make an earnest instructional video highlighting a focus of your brand, or a joking how-to: a life-hack video or DIY pillow instructions versus a 30 second video on how to give yourself braces or rule the world.
Behind-the-Scenes
- Give your audience a look behind the curtain: do you have a studio or production floor? No matter what subject, you can nearly always show behind the scenes!
Day in the life
- If you're uncomfortable showing yourself on-camera, do a day-in-the-life video for a pet, an employee or coworker, or even an inanimate object!
Interview
- Do you have employees or coworkers who are comfortable being on camera? You can start an interview or question series. It can even be something silly, like what's their favorite knock-knock joke, or something more prescient, like their favorite product offered by your business.
Making-Of
- What are common processes of your work, whether that be animation, manufacturing, or cleaning? Take your audience on a time-lapsed journey, beginning to end.
Before and after
- Show off your work with before and after videos! Potential customers may be amazed at the results, especially when they're put next to each other so starkly.
Animals
- There are few subjects more universally appealing than beloved pets. Highlight your interesting, silly, or endearing animal companions. Offering their internal thoughts or sweet captions may enchant your audience.
Remix
- Respond to another video and join the conversation using the Remix function in Instagram Reels--and if you don't want to show your face on camera, you can simply use voice-over, text, or text-to-speech.
Food
- Whether it's a quick recipe or simply footage of fresh bread or the first spoonful of a sundae, a Reel highlighting delicious food will often go over well with audiences.
Recipe
- Share a recipe you love with simple steps and accompanying clips.
Animated gifs and videos
- Add to a conversation by sharing popular memes, videos, or gifs through Reels with your own caption or commentary!
Headliner and animated audio
- If you happen to have a podcast, repurposing audio for Instagram Reels can expand your audience. Try adding a visual element by animating audio with apps like Headliner.
Product and product features
- Can you highlight specific products you make or use in your work? Show your audience their unique beauties, conveniences, and features. What makes each product great?
Testimonials & reviews
- Feature rave reviews of your business! You can animate text using products like Canva, or even highlight clips of viewers or customers.
Surroundings & POV video
- Travel and nature videos can prove popular. Share put-together videos of your beautiful surroundings at home or out of town set to music.
Giveaways
- Everyone loves free stuff! Feature giveaways and promotions with your Instagram Reels.

Instagram Video Tips

Similar tips apply to Instagram Reels as any Instagram video.

Use good lighting! Natural light by a window or outdoors is an easy way to get a well-lit video without a studio setup.
Keep it short and sweet. Reels are 30 seconds max! If it's a DIY video with heavy instructions, you can make a multi-part series, even spacing it out over several days for more content.
Use filters and AR from Instagram to spice up your videos. It's all integrated into the Reels function--explore and have fun!
Use the Align option to help edit your clips together--it will help center the same person or subject in the middle of the screen through your entire Reel, making your video neater and easier to follow.
Make your Reel accessible to a wider audience by making use of hashtags--be sure to include several.
Reuse old content with a flashback or throwback caption!
Try to collaborate with similar businesses or influencers to expand both of your reach and generate interesting content.
Post your videos at prime times of day--look at your analytics to see when your audience is most active, or try for generally-active times of day. Mornings before 10:00 AM, lunchtimes around 12:00 noon, and evenings between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM after dinner are good target times. Experiment and post content at different times, and observe which days and times consistently perform better for you!
Check in with your analytics in Reels at least once a month to better understand how your videos are doing and what your audience likes.

Examples of Faceless Instagram Reels from Influencers

Use the Explore tab in Instagram to find inspiration for your own Reels, or check out the content from your favorite influencers.

Here are some popular Instagram influencers making use of Reels without putting themselves on camera to get your wheels turning:

@newyorknico
- A life-long New Yorker who does tremendously popular interview series with the characters of New York, small business owners and personalities alike.
@nytcooking
- The New York Times Cooking Instagram produces Reels that highlight their delicious recipes and food photography.
@juliesofieart
- A great example of showing both behind-the-scenes and process videos from this talented illustrator
@satinhoops
- This fabric artist highlights their creations through Reels with charming text
@kittenxlady
- Kitten content and valuable information! While the eponymous Kitten Lady will often appear in her videos, she just as often produces content exclusively starring her furry friends
@flatbushcats
- Similar to Kitty Lady above, this animal rescue group produces short, well-edited videos about four-legged friends in need
@ofsds
- The Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary showcases elderly dogs up for adoption, with their human caretakers offscreen on the sidelines
@nowitsclean
- Who knew cleaning could be so satisfying? Videos showing before-and-after footage and helpful how-tos have built this channel an ample following
@beginninginthemiddle
- Interior design can speak for itself! Many videos produced by this industrious family feature their work, rather than their faces

If you're ready to add Instagram Reels to your social media strategy, contact our team today.

Why Your Business Will Be Better if You Listen to Taylor Swift

As the world is taken by storm, yet again, by Taylor Swift, we should all take note of what she, as a businesswoman, keeps getting right. With the re-release of her Red album breaking records and popping up in everyone's feed Taylor continues to deeply connect to her audience and make an overall impact on the world. By looking closely, it's obvious why“she listens.

Her fans knew she would be re-releasing her albums, but Red held a special place in their hearts. Not only was it Taylor's first dip into pop but on social media, since its original release in 2012, the album took on a life of its own (despite being one of her least awarded works). A whole autumnal aesthetic was created around it. The emotional song-writing was worshipped by writers and fans alike. And the longest song on the album, All Too Well, became a fan favorite.

Now nearly ten years later Taylor took back all that feedback and put it into practice with Red (Taylor's Version). She finished building that universe the fans built around the album. She released the original ten-minute version of All Too Well. She made a short film around the song. She made a music video for a never-heard-before song on the album, I Bet You Think About Me, and left subtle references to the storytelling in other songs.

Taylor embraced public feedback. She took what was important to her audience and let them know she was listening by giving them what they wanted and maybe a little bit more. This not only brought her great success but a deeper, stronger connection with her fans.

In the case of a business, this translates into observing your target audience. What's important to them? Is there something they're interested in? Is there something currently happening in the world that matters to them?

Listening to people and taking their opinions into account breeds loyalty and appreciation. It also makes your brand feel smart and human.

With Red (Taylor's Version) gathering so much attention in the media and jumping to the top of the charts, brands like Starbucks, Sour Patch Kids and Target took advantage of a huge part of their customer base being fans of Taylor. A lot of them used humor, dishing out jabs to the possible ex-boyfriend that inspired Taylor's songs.

Good morning to everyone except Jake Gyllenhaal… actually where is he I just wanna talk pic.twitter.com/3IoxffKRbH
— Sour Patch Kids (@SourPatchKids) November 12, 2021

It all goes back to giving the people what they want. Sometimes it's not even about your brand, but about forming a community and a genuine bond with your audience. And liking the same things brings people together. Agreeing that All Too Well was a masterpiece that tore us all up is more than enough proof of trustworthiness.

If you're looking for help building a community around your brand, reach out to our team today. We're also available to chat about Taylor Swift any time.

5 Things To Do When Editing A Podcast

The world of podcasting has expanded beyond belief, becoming a diverse and dynamic method through which people can share new stories with the world. Podcasting is relatively accessible, with basic equipment, editing programs, and hosting software being a small but worthy investment. For those who are interested in starting a podcast or are already in the midst of things, here are five general things to do and keep in mind while editing.

1. Outline

Before you edit”or even record an episode”you should have a good understanding of how you want the episode to sound and some basic topics you'd like to cover. The specificity of this outline depends on the structure of your podcast. Even if your format is a free-wheeling discussion, it's important to nail down a basic narrative arc to keep in mind when recording and editing. How will the episode begin? What are the transitions from topic to topic? What's the episode's climax? Where are the ad breaks, if applicable? What's the episode's resolution? Keep track of this outline when you edit, making sure your edits help further your proposed narrative arc.

2. Listen

Whether you sat in on recording or you're listening to the raw audio afterward, you should always take notes of specific phrases, words, or times that need the most attention in post-processing. Listen for unrelated tangents that don't contribute to the conversation or for short excerpts that can be distributed on social media.

3. Clean

Depending on the sound your show is going for, you may decide to heavily edit the audio or take a more hands-off approach. Um's, coughing, and heavy breathing are not listeners' favorite noises and might warrant a select-and-silence. We're all guilty of starting sentences we don't finish. Obviously, everything is context-dependent, but more often than not, these half-baked phrases should be removed to tighten up the discussion and keep things flowing. Did your guest say something that shouldn't be aired? Something that's factually incorrect? Depending on your podcast's guidelines you can either cut these sections, record an insert during post, or update your show notes with disclaimers or corrections.

4. EQ

Besides cleaning up the spoken word, it's worth taking a few extra steps to improve the quality of your audio as much as possible. Equalization, or EQ, is the process of modifying specific frequencies. There are many different aspects to EQ editing. One thing you can do is use a high pass filter to remove low-frequency noises, like the AC running, fans, or other room/white noise.

5. Listen

Take a break. Return to the podcast with fresh ears. Now, listen as an audience member. Are there any missed coughs, bumps, or half-finished cuts? Can you follow along with the conversation? Are there any sections that feel too long? Did the podcast episode meet or exceed your initial expectations?

These five basic steps and concepts are important for ensuring that your podcast sounds as good as possible. Of course, it's always nice to have upgraded audio and recording equipment, but there are many pre-and post-processing tips and tricks you can use to optimize whatever you may have.

If you're ready to level up your podcast, reach out to us hello@thatrandomagency.com

What are Google Web Stories?

What are Google Web Stories?

Web Stories on Google are immersive, full-screen experiences that appear within Google search and Google Discover. The stories are hosted on your own website and powered by AMP technology (open-source HTML framework).

This is different from stories on Facebook or Instagram because they exist on the Google platform and your website, but similar in that they allow you to publish a succession of images, videos and audio.

Because of Google's massive search engine capabilities, the opportunity to be seen in search or images is very compelling. Content publishers have been early adopters of this feature, repurposing blog posts, articles, videos, and social media stories.

Benefits of Google Web Stories

Google Web Stories are engaging. They bring an immersive experience to your site that both mobile and desktop viewers can enjoy. Furthermore, you own the content”this is a major difference between Web Stories and social alternatives. Because you own the content, you have the ability to repurpose the asset across other platforms such as email, digital brochures, etc.

There is no time limit or expiration on the Web stories”they can be featured as long as you like and won't get lost in a timeline like on Facebook and other social platforms. Google Web Stories have no design restrictions beyond making sure that they meet the general technical requirements. Additionally, using the live-story attribute on your Web Story will notify a user in real-time that you have added a new page, which is useful if you are covering breaking news or developments.

Google Web Stories also allow for unique ad opportunities to integrate with AdWords, SEO tie-in, and other ad options. Web Stories can even operate like programmatic ads in that you can flow them with the rest of your story. Depending on why you are creating the story, you can add CTA boxes, links to landing pages and links to product pages.

How do I use Google Web Stories?

Google Stories are code-heavy, so it may be difficult for a layperson to decipher how to use them. Partnering with a programmer may be the best option for the tech-averse. There are many WordPress plugins, however, that make this integration process easier.

Options for Non-Coders:

A plug-in that allows you to create Google Web stories from within your WordPress website's CMS
Newsroom AI allows you to create stories for free. With the free version, you can embed stories onto your website and onto Google. There are many templates to choose from and helpful analytics are available through the reporting feature.

The paid version of Google Web Stories grants the ability to leverage Google ads for yourself and gives you access to the Getty editorial image library and videos
Make Stories provides many easy features such as images, icons, symbols and more and provides a drag-and-drop interface for design. Make Stories provides a WordPress integration, and you can also export each story in a zip file, publish it to your FTP on your site, or embed. This is a good option to use to explore the platform and see what it's all about before a full investment.

Google Web Stories provide fresh and compelling options for capturing the interest of your online audience, whether for engagement, awareness, or advertisement.

If you're ready to start leveraging Google Web Stories for your brand, contact us today to see how our team can help you build a custom hashtag strategy for your business.

Meet Julieta, Our Newest Social Media Intern

Say hi to Julieta, Random Agency's new Social Media Marketing Intern! We can't wait to get to know her and what better way to do that than a Q & A?

First, the obvious question: Why did you choose Random Agency?

It was the connection with both Lauren and Meghan who interviewed me. The energy and conversation we had left me feeling really good about what I could learn from them and the work we could create together. Working at Random allows for parts of my writing craft that can get rusty when writing longer format stories to come out of hibernation.

Tell us three cool things about yourself.

I can make the best vegan lasagna.

I've lived in three countries in the past 3 years.

As a kid, if I had the TV on, there was a 98% chance I watching Animal Planet.

Favorite TV show?

Right now, a telenovela from Argentina called Esperanza MÃa.

If money was no object, where would you go and what would you do?

I would buy a piece of land big enough for me to have a few grazing animals, a vegetable garden, a chicken coop, and a house with a library. Probably somewhere in Europe.

What's in your refrigerator right now?

Grapes, tofu, sweet potatoes, spinach, SO many Medjool dates, and oatmeal.

If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

The power to heal any living thing.

What's your favorite childhood memory?

Running. We were in PE class and we were supposed to run 500 m. It was the entire class of girls. And I remember just feeling so much joy and adrenaline as I zoomed past. I didn't have to think I just had to work my legs as hard as they could go.

Name one thing you wish you could do better.

Focus.

Which three things would you take to a desert island?

A small eco-friendly house, a survival guide, and boots.

What is the last book you read?

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. So. Good.

What is your favorite account to follow on Instagram?

@staybeyondgreen - They're a company that works with sustainable lodging around the world. By promoting them and informing their followers about these places all in one place makes it easier for me to know where I could stay if I ever went somewhere. I always loved traveling and moving around but since finding out how much unnecessary pollution it brings to the earth I've wanted to adopt a gentler approach to it.

How To Use Hashtags on Facebook

Since its creation, the hashtag has become a centerpiece of social media. Hashtags allow your posts to be searchable and more visible, so they should be a staple in your social media strategy. You may already know how to use them on Instagram and Twitter, but you might be asking: what's the deal with hashtags on Facebook? We've got answers.

#SocialListening

Before you can know how to use hashtags in your own Facebook posts, you should learn from the best. Follow popular pages and businesses to learn how they are using hashtags. You can also analyze your competitors' hashtags to see what they use and when and why they use them. Lastly, take a look at some of your followers' posts to get a sense of what they talk about, and then you can choose tags for your own posts that target your audience's interests.

#KeepItBranded

Give your posts an extra layer of branding by using one or two original hashtags consistently. For example, a branded hashtag for Random could be #TheRandomBlog. Including a tag unique to your business in your Facebook post leaves the audience with a sense of who you are and an opportunity to check out the other posts you've made with the same hashtag.

#LessIsMore

You've probably seen plenty of Facebook posts that are so loaded with hashtags you can barely make sense of what the user is trying to say. Basically, avoid doing that. On Facebook, fewer hashtags equals more engagement. Try to limit your tags to no more than three per post.

#BalanceItOut

When including multiple hashtags in a post, balance the popularity of the tags. Use a hashtag generator like this one from Inflact to find hashtags by keyword, photo, or URL and see how often they're used. Choose a mix of tags that are popular (in the millions), average (100k-500k), and rare (less than 100k). Use hashtags related to your industry and the audience you are trying to reach.

#BeSpecific

Be sure to use hashtags that are specific to the topic of your post, your business or industry, and the audience you are targeting. If your tags are popular but not relevant, your post might be more visible but it won't reach your target audience. If your tags are too obscure, nobody will be searching for them. Finding the delicate balance between relevance and specificity might take some practice, but the result is worth it. Check out some more hashtag tips below.

#ShortAndSweet

Another part of choosing and creating hashtags that takes practice is the length. If your tag is too wordy, it will be difficult for users to read. Here's an example of what not to do: #internationaltravelerandphotographer. Long hashtags like this can often be broken down into smaller ones that will generate more engagement: #international #travel #photographer. To make tags even easier to read, you can capitalize the first letter of each word in the hashtag.

If you're ready to start leveraging hashtags for your brand, contact us today to see how our team can help you build a custom hashtag strategy for your business.