Imagine a faculty member in the psychology department at a major university. They write a column for a media outlet about their work and research but never directly mention the university or the psychology program they teach in. Would this be considered an effective way to promote that university?
By conventional marketing standards, some might say no. Yet research on employee-generated content (EGC) suggests that this kind of content can benefit organizations even when the content focuses on the employees’ own work, interests and expertise rather than directly promoting the organization. And while it is not a case of either-or, this kind of expertise-focused employee content can play a strong supporting role to more traditional marketing efforts that do focus on the organization.
Traditionally, EGC differentiated itself from brand-generated content by being created by employees who were not among those officially responsible for representing the brand (such as marketing and PR teams). It was intended as a way to extend the brand’s reach beyond the usual channels and make both the content and the brand feel more authentic and trustworthy. Often, however, the brand or organization was still featured in the content, whether through direct mention or having a background presence.
In recent years, EGC based on the personal experience or expertise of employees has become more common. Often in such content, as with the example of the psychology faculty member, the brand or organization may not be mentioned. Yet this indirect approach may offer a different kind of benefit than traditional approaches that focus on the brand. And while the example of the faculty member is drawn from the field of higher education, this kind of work or expertise-focused employee content applies to a broad range of industries. More importantly, research suggests it can be an effective way to promote an organization.