At Comms Reboot in Toronto, my Frequency podcast co-host Chuck Gose said “You can’t spell culture without cult.”
It was meant as a joke, but it’s one of the many phrases from the event that have stayed with me. Coupled with some of the conversations Chuck and I have been having on the Frequency podcast, it’s clear that employee advocacy isn’t quite where it needs to be, and the thinking to get us there isn’t quite right.
The episode where we talk about employee advocacy can be found here (and it’s also on Apple Podcasts and YouTube too)
It seems that the focus on things like hashtags, content specifics and share targets are all being rolled out with the hope that employees will suddenly become brand cheerleaders. But here’s the truth – you can’t force advocacy, you have to earn it. And you definitely can’t fake it if your company culture is broken.
If your employees aren’t proud to work there, no amount of branded Canva templates are going to change that. And if they are proud, they won’t need a campaign to tell their story – they’ll already be telling it.
We’re jumping to marketing before we’re listening
Here’s where most advocacy efforts go wrong: employees are treated like an untapped marketing channel instead of human beings with opinions, experiences, and frustrations.
The current formula looks like this:
- Build a content hub
- Encourage people to post on LinkedIn
- Track shares and clicks
- Call it success
But what we’re really doing is asking employees to wear a badge that says “I love this place!” without checking whether they actually do.
And they know it. You can feel when content is manufactured. So can customers, potential recruits, and pretty much anyone else reading it. That disconnect creates distrust inside and out.
If you want real advocacy, start with real culture
Advocacy doesn’t start with a toolkit. It starts with trust.
When people:
- Feel proud of the work they do
- See how they make a difference
- Feel respected by their leaders
- Trust that the values on the wall match the ones in the boardroom
…that’s when they want to tell others about their job. Not because they’re told to, but because they believe in it.
That kind of advocacy is rare. But when it happens, it’s powerful. It’s not slick or scripted. It’s genuine, messy, human and believable.
So if your advocacy programme is falling flat, don’t start with the campaign review. Start with the culture audit.
Want a real advocacy strategy? Fix the culture first.
If you want employee advocacy that actually means something, start here:
Start small, go deep – Begin where culture is already strong—certain teams or departments—and build from there. Let success stories ripple outwards.
Tidy up the employee experience – Fix what’s broken. People won’t advocate for an organisation that doesn’t deliver for them.
Create share-worthy content, not corporate fluff – Give people things they want to talk about: behind-the-scenes moments, exciting projects, personal wins, client impact.
Track what matters – Don’t just count clicks. Look at tone, sentiment, the why behind the sharing. That’s where the real insight lives.
Enable, don’t orchestrate – You’re not directing a play—you’re hosting a conversation. Provide resources, not rules.
Advocacy is a by-product, not a campaign
You don’t “build” employee advocacy. You create the conditions where it naturally happens.
When people feel part of something that matters, where their work has meaning, their voice counts, and their experience aligns with the message – they advocate without being asked.
It’s not about turning employees into marketers. It’s about making work somewhere people are proud to be.
If your culture isn’t there yet, don’t launch the programme. Fix the foundations first. Because when you get it right, employees won’t just spell culture with a “cult.” They’ll own it, shape it – and they’ll tell the world.
