We often joke that “Abanyarwanda bose baraziranye.”. That your colleague is a neighbor to the cousin of the person you want to do business with. Everyone knows someone who knows someone. And with the number of WhatsApp groups we all belong to? Phew. Now imagine what those connections look like within a corporation of 200+ employees. Study shows that, on average, an employee’s network is ten times larger than a company’s own social media following. Yet, many organizations still treat marketing as something that happens just outside the organization, forgetting that their most powerful voices are already inside. Every day, employees are the ones building the products, fixing the problems, serving the customers, and refining the experience. They live the products long before they are advertised. And so, leaving them out of the marketing equation is walking past a goldmine. Yes, let marketing teams do what they do best: develop strategy, track metrics, protect the brand voice, and manage visual identity. But if we truly want to sell, and sell with impact, then marketing cannot sit in one department alone. It has to live across the organization, from executives to interns. And while we would like to believe employees are already advocating for the brand, research suggests otherwise. Only 13% of employees globally are actively engaged. So how do organizations turn employees into authentic, credible brand advocates, without forcing it? Start with product knowledge This one may sound obvious. It isn’t always practiced. Employees need to know the products, really know them. Better yet, they should use them. Because when someone hears about a product from a person they trust, it feels different. It’s personal. It invites questions, conversation, even skepticism, and that’s a good thing. To advocate confidently, employees must be able to answer questions, address concerns, and share honest feedback. And this shouldn’t be limited to sales teams. Whether someone works in finance, IT, operations, or support, they are still a touchpoint of the brand. They should feel equipped, not hesitant, when the conversation comes up. Segment them Not every employee should advocate for every product and that’s okay. Instead of one broad internal campaign, organisations should think about employees the same way they think about customers: in segments. Identify who naturally aligns with which product, bring them on board, get them excited, and let them tell their stories in their own way. In banking, for example, Gen Z employees are often the most natural ambassadors for digital channels and lifestyle products. Parents will speak more convincingly about school fees loans. Young adults don’t need to be convinced to talk about mortgages, they are already living that reality. When employees speak from experience, advocacy stops feeling forced. And in the process, they begin to position themselves as trusted voices and informal leaders within their own networks. Brand guidelines, in their own voice. Employees shouldn’t sound like advertisements. Give them room to speak in their own voice. Loosen the scripts. Trust the stories. Authenticity cannot be templated. That doesn’t mean abandoning brand guidelines. It means teaching them the tone, the strategy clearly and patiently, so employees understand the boundaries and the responsibility that comes with visibility. Whether this education happens formally or informally, it matters. Not to control the message, but to protect both the brand and the employee. Recognize your internal ambassadors This is often where the conversation gets uncomfortable. Organisations spend heavily on media and influencers, and rightly so, for reach and scale. But influence works differently. People are far more likely to trust, and buy from, someone they know. If organisations are serious about employee advocacy, they must be willing to recognise and reward it. This doesn’t always mean cash, but it does mean intention: visibility, perks, and yes, sometimes put it in the budget. Internal ambassadors are not “free media.” They are strategic partners. Measure the impact Just like any strategy, employee advocacy must be measured. Track reach, engagement, conversions, sentiment, and feedback. Understand what works, who is driving impact, and where support is needed. Measurement legitimizes the effort, and signals that the organization takes it seriously. All of this, however is not a magic wand. It is only feasible where the culture allows it. When employees feel that their voices matter, advocacy becomes natural. It becomes a source of pride. A way to live the brand, not just work for it. In a market like Rwanda, where people are all using their connections, employee advocacy is a competitive advantage. The writer is a Communication, and Marketing professional at the Bank of Kigali The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
