Participation Marketing will convince business leaders to think hard about employee advocacy as a business strategy that has many positive business outcomes. Internally, it will engage employees and make them feel part of something bigger, which will naturally result in employee engagement, retention, and increase in productivity. Externally, it will help brands reach new audiences with trusted and relevant brand stories.

1. PARTICIPATION
MARKETING
Unleashing employees to participate and
become brand storytellers

2. 92%of consumers say peer
recommendations are
their most credible
source of brand
information
of people find "people
like yourself & employees
of a company” credible
and trustworthy when
seeking information
about a product
67%
of business pros &
ITDMS participate
and engage with
colleagues and peers
within social media
65%
SOURCE: Acquity Group, Boston Consulting Group, Edelman, SNCR
of B2B business decision
makers do research before
buying, seeking
colleagues POVs and
making purchase
decisions
94%
EMPLOYEES
(EXECS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, AMBASSADORS)
WHAT’S THE MARKET OPPORTUNITY FOR EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY?
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
If done right, employees can aid and influence their peers through the purchase
funnel with their conversations
2

3. NEW BUSINESS REQUIREMENTS ARE FORCING BUSINESS TO CHANGE
TODAY’SNEWENVIRONMENT
BUSINESSREQUIREMENTS
INTERNAL EXTERNAL
MANAGE MORE EFFICIENT
AND EFFECTIVE
INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT PROCESSES
Harness the massive amount of
available content and data to
rethink and re-equip business
operations
ENGAGE IN A MULTI-
STAKEHOLDER
CONVERSATION
Use new mediums to
communicate with a wider,
multi-faced set of stakeholders
– influencers, media and
customers
INNOVATE AT FASTER
SPEEDS
Focus business efforts on
innovation rather than
continued improvement in
order to stay relevant
HUMANIZE YOUR BRAND In a world where marketing is
driven by data and content,
brands must learn to
communicate with empathy
EMPOWER EMPLOYEES Equip employees with the right
content at the right time in
order to increase brand impact
EMBRACE THE RISE OF THE
INDIVIDUAL
Whether you are a B2B or B2C
company it’s important to
remember “people buy from
people.” It’s vital to sync the
internal with the external
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
The evolution of digital transformation is forcing business to change at a rapid
pace to keep up with competitive landscape
3

4. THE POTENTIAL BUSINESS IMPACT OF EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
DRIVE
BRAND AWARENESS
CHANGE
BRAND PERCEPTION
SOLVE
CUSTOMER
SUPPORT ISSUES
EDUCATE
EXISTING CUSTOMERS
PROVIDE
INSIGHTS FOR
INNOVATION
INFLUENCE
PEERS
TO BUY
FILL
THE SALES PIPELINE
Employee advocacy programs must move beyond just sharing branded content
and calling it a day
4

5. EMPLOYEE ADVOCACY MUST DELIVER VALUE TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
The cycle of value will determine success for all of the brand stakeholders – employees,
partners, the channel, media, influencers and customers
SALES & REVENUE
BRAND ADVOCACY (WOM)
INSIGHTS & FEEDBACK
THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
CUSTOMER SUPPORT
SOCIAL SELLING
STRATEGIC PLANNING
TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT
SOCIAL ENABLEMENT & TECHNOLOGY
HAPPY EMPLOYEES
HIGH MORALE & PRODUCTIVITY
ARMY OF BRAND CHAMPIONS
ORGANIZATIONAL
READINESS
TRUSTED, CONTENT
AMPLIFICATION
ENGAGEMENT,
BRAND LOVE
ACTIVATION, MEDIA
INTEGRATION
1
2
3
4
EMPLOYEES CUSTOMERSBRAND
5

6. Defining The Value Proposition
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Doubling down on “what’s in it for employees” to increase participation is
critical for long term growth
What’s in it for the
BRAND?
Content creation
Reach new audiences w/ trusted,
branded content
Trusted source for
insights and feedback
Promote / defend brand
What’s in it for
EMPLOYEES?
Employee engagement
Internal “rock star” recognition
Access to exclusive content
Platform for sharing thoughts
with the wider audience
Thought leadership
6

7. Two types of employee advocacy programs
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Most employee advocacy programs can be classified as either brand
amplification or brand journalism
BRAND AMPLIFICATION
This program involves sharing “branded” messages and content with employees so they can “re-
share” the content within their personal social media channels. Content can be customized and/or
changed by participating advocates and is usually managed by a central marketing organization.
These types of programs are more “entry level” and a starting point for most brands.
BRAND JOURNALISM (CONTENT DRIVEN)
This program involves mobilizing employees to tell stories (usually long & short form) that are
published on a corporate site/blog, the LinkedIn blogging network or a media site. It can also
involve employees sharing and amplifying other employee stories/content. Social Selling programs
also fall into this category.
7

8. Brand amplification employee programs
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Most employee advocacy programs start with this method and scale once best
practice and key learnings are met
8

9. Where does employee storytelling fit into brand marketing?
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Employee advocacy programs are just one component of how brands should tell stories
online; data & insight-driven is the common denominator
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Build a social governance model to manage all the editorial, creative and content operations, listen & respond to relevant
conversations, and deliver a KPI model that measures engagement, growth and business impact.
AUDIENCE & MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Prioritized media
relations strategy based
on what the audience is
reading
Targeted Media
Relations
Narrative
& Channel Strategy
Data-driven stories that
break through the clutter
with a unique social
channel strategy
Paid Social
Activation
Laser-focused targeting
and segmentation based
on audience interests
and characteristics
Stakeholder
Activation
Identify and activate
the right influencers &
employees that will
deliver maximum
business value
9

10. W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
HOW TO ACTIVATE EMPLOYEES TO
BE BRAND STORYTELLERS
A strategic guide that can help large and small brands – B2B, B2C, Healthcare,
Education, Public Sector – plan, launch and optimize employee programs.

11. THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES OF EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Delivering an amazing employee experience should be the
focal point of all programs and activations. Making that
experience memorable, and more importantly, convenient
for employees to share content, is critical.
The content itself must not only tell a good story but also
be relevant to the brand, product or business priority. It
should resonate with what employees care about and align
with their passions.
In order to determine success of employee programs,
there must be a framework establishing what to measure
and how to measure it.
PLAN IDENTIFY
AMPLIFY AMPLIFY
PLAN IDENTIFY
AMPLIFY ACTIVATE
11

12. PLANNING & OPERATIONS OF EMPLOYEE PROGRAMS
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
PROGRAM LOGISTICS
How long will the program
last? What do we call our
program?
STAKEHOLDER
COLLABORATION
Are all of our internal
stakeholders involved –
legal, brand, IT, etc.?
SELECTION CRITERIA
Who do we want
as our advocates? How do
they join the program? Is there
a criteria?
BRANDED CONTENT
What do we want our
advocates to say and does it
align with our content
strategy?
SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY
Do we have a policy in place
that protects the brand and
empowers our employees?
TECHNOLOGY SELECTION
Do you have the right
technology for our
program? Can it scale long
term as the program grows?
GOALS & OBJECTIVES
What exactly do we want to
achieve with our program?
Does it align to our
marketing and business
goals?
12

13. Mapping employees to content, outcomes and desired actions
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
EXECUTIVES
SALES
CHAMPIONS
SUBJECT MATTER
EXPERTS (SME)
CONTENT TYPES
Industry & Thought
Leadership
Brand product and other
IT related topics
Social Selling, Thought
Leadership
Pre-created content from
brand and marketing,
thought leadership,
cultural, job openings
CHANNELS
Executive branded Twitter
handle, branded blogs,
LinkedIn (blog/influencers)
engagement in industry
forums, bylines
SME branded Twitter
handle, community,
engagement in industry
forums
Branded LinkedIn profile
and/or personal social
channels
Personal social channels
ACTION
Content
Creation
Content
Creation
Shares
Shares
13

14. Customize Training Curriculum Addressing Levels Of Participation & learning styles
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
CONTENT
CREATORS
CONTENT
CREATORS
CONTENT
CREATORS
CONTENT
CREATORS
CONVERSATIONALIST
LISTENERS
Low
Participation
High
Participation Create a training curriculum with a focus on
thought leadership, long-form content,
blogging, videos, podcasting, webinars and
events.
Create a training curriculum with a focus on
best practices of community engagement
and provide value-add content for
maximum participation.
Create a training curriculum with a focus on
how to use tools to listen to brand and
industry related conversations.
5
min
15
min
30
min
QUICK GUIDES
What can you do in social if you only had:
PLAYBOOK
Step-by-step guide on
how to build a brand
online, engage with
customers and deliver
business value
14

15. Align Employee Narrative With Brand Story
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Insights from audience analysis
Determine “winnable moment” – what’s the core idea?
Employees are the hero
of the story
Employees are a character
in a broader story
Employees comment
on a story
Data and insights extracted
from the analytics will be used
to inform a strategic
framework and social narrative.
The strategic framework will
inform all content creation and
creative assets.
An editorial and creative
framework that categorizes
content based on guidelines
and the brand criteria.
Content Narrative
15

16. ENSURE THAT EMPLOYEE-DRIVEN CONTENT ADDS VALUE
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
UTILITY
Helps me “do”
something or solves
a problem
EDUCATION
Makes me smarter
about a topic or
subject
ENTERTAINMENT
Makes me laugh
and inspires me to
be happy
ACCESS
Connects me to
others that share the
same passions
EMOTION
Elicits a passionate
reaction that
empowers me
EXCLUSIVITY
Makes me feel
special and
emotionally vested
INFORMATION
Current news, views
and insider
information
PROMOTIONS
Give me rebates and
product related
promotions
16

17. Make it easy for employees to participate
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Your Company
17

18. Here’s how it works
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Mobile
Notification
Company
News Feed
Sharing
Interface
18

19. Amplify Employee-generated Content Across All Media
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Integrate employee-generated stories and content
across the broader digital eco-system.
PAID: Syndicate employee driven long form/blog
content to 3rd party, relevant sites (promoted content,
content syndication)
EARNED: Pitch thought leadership content to relevant
media, bylines, etc.
SHARED: Publish and promote content on branded
social channels. Amplify w/ paid.
OWNED: Build media site (content hub) that
aggregates employee-generated and branded
content.
PAID
MEDIA
SHARED
MEDIA
OWNED
MEDIA
EARNED
MEDIA
19

20. Activate Employees With Real-Time insights & CONTENT ACTIVATION
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Monitor audiences
weekly for real-time
insights based on
what they are
talking about,
writing and sharing.
Amplify employee
content using paid
social, custom
audiences, paid search,
or content distribution
platforms.
Provide weekly real-time
insights – trending content,
conversations, articles,
competitive share of voice,
topical share of conversation,
etc.
Use insights to brainstorm
real-time engagement
content for employee
programs.
Create shareable,
employee-driven social
content (blogs, images,
posts) based on what’s
trending within the
audience conversation.
MONITOR
AUDIENCE
REPORTING
CONTENT
ACTIVATION
SHAREABLE
CONTENT
PAID MEDIA
TARGETED
MEDIA
Pitch media stories based on
thought leadership content
written by employees,
subject matter experts and
executives.
1
2
3
4
5
6
20

21. Repetitive And Consistent Storytelling Is Critical before customers will believe
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING BYTHOMAS SMITH (SLIGHTLYMODIFIED)
The 1st time people see the content, they don’t really see it. The 11th time, they wonder how the company is paying for all these ads.
The 2nd time, they don’t even notice it. The 12th time, they start to think that it must be a good product.
The 3rd time, they are aware that it is there. The 13th time, they start to feel the product has value.
The 4th time, they content appears to be familiar. The 14th time, they start to feel like they’ve wanted a product like this for a long time.
The 5th time, they actually read the content. The 15th time, they start to yearn for it because it’s not in the budget.
The 6th time, they thumb their nose at it. The 16th time, they accept the fact that they will buy it sometime in the future.
The 7th time, they get a little irritated with it. The 17th time, they make a commitment to buy the product.
The 8th time, they think, “Here’s that stupid ad again.” The 18th time, they curse their poverty because they can’t buy this terrific product.
The 9th time, they wonder if they’re missing out on something. The 19th time, they count their money very carefully.
The 10th time, they ask their friends or colleagues if they’ve tried it. The 20th time prospects see the ad, they buy what it is offering.
21

22. The Customer Journey: Where employees meet the customer
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Google Search (unbranded,
industry term).
Industry related technology
discussion
(i.e. data center, networking,
servers).
Technology discussion within the
blog post comments between
customer and blog post author.
Follow each other on Twitter and
continue there.
Frequent sharing, retweeting and
commenting within various social
networks. Subscribes to brand’s blog
feed.
Branded white papers, blog posts
and other forms of thought
leadership.
Continued dialogue with employee
about the benefits with of using
brand’s technology solutions.
Seeks validation from other, 3rd
party, sources before making
purchase (i.e. asks colleagues,
Google search for customer
testimonials, etc.)
Industry white papers and research
reports. Customer related “guest”
blog posts and/or customer
testimonials.
Brand’s thought leaders and subject
matter experts continue to share
content that adds value to the
technology conversation; passes
along conversation to sales.
Retweets and shares branded
content. Contributes to brand’s
community and industry blog.
Branded white papers, blog posts
and other forms of thought
leadership to include support related
material.
Employees retweet and share
content from customers. Engage
openly and in public about the
brand’s technology solution.
CUSTOMER BEHAVIOR CONTENT TOPIC AREA EMPLOYEEINTERACTIONPURCHASEFUNNEL
AWARENESS
CONSIDERATION
PURCHASE
ADVOCACY
22

23. Determining The Right Measurement Framework
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Let proud employees
endorse the company to
build a great employer
brand and help with
recruiting
HR & CompanyCulture
Drive social selling, lead
generation, and create
more productive sales
thought leaders
Sales & Marketing Leads
Inform and engage
employees to become
experts, advocates, and
contributors
EmployeeCommunications
Humanize your brand and
increase awareness
through your employees’
authentic voice
BrandAwareness
Drive more registrants
and attendees to
webinars and events with
real-time sharing
EventPromotion
Trackable metrics at every level, from impressions to engagement to clicks and sales. It’s critical
to track sales & leads leads generated by employee sharing and content creation
23

24. W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Praise for the book
A sincere thank you for the support, reviews, feedback and encouragement along
the way. I am indebted and humbled by your gratitude.

25. Feelin’ the love
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Participation Marketing unequivocally puts the
transformation back into digital transformation by
focusing on the single most underplayed element of
successfully re-imagining markets - our people. Brito
offers a practical blueprint for how to put your
employees at the tip of the spear of your transformation
goals by first making them your biggest fans and then,
your most genuine and loudest advocates.
Sameer Patel
CEO, Kahuna
Michael does a brilliant job connecting the challenges
of today's workforce with the promise of turning
employees into advocates. It's a practical, step-by-
step guide for how to launch great employee
programs and how to earn the reward of making
them succeed.
KATY KEiM
CEO, LQ DIGital
Storytelling is a visceral part of human nature. I have
observed that brands who tap into the employee voice
to surround sound their customers with relevant, and
trusted content, build longstanding and highly
profitable customer relationships. Once again, Michael
has written a book that delivers; this time it is one that
provides an actionable playbook for companies of all
sizes to launch and operationalize employee advocacy
programs.
LISA JOY ROSNER
CMO, Otonomo
Your business is already filled with promoters and every
marketer needs to figure out how to unlock the power
of employee advocacy. Michael shows you how to do
this and then integrate that trusted employee-driven
content into larger brand marketing initiatives.Lauren Vaccarello
VP Marketing, Box
Employees are the most valuable asset of any company. If
you know how to unlock their passion, you can build an
army of powerful advocates for your brand. It's not about
training your employees to parrot your company's
message. It's about building passion around your
company's brand and its purpose - and shaping your
company's culture such that it empowers your employees
to advocate. Michael, a leader in the industry, helps you do
just that.
Maria Poveromo
VP, COMMS Adobe
If you're wondering how to inspire and mobilize your
employees to be brand storytellers, ask Michael Brito.
His book is an exceptionally thoughtful and actionable
'how to' guide and a journey through the learnings of
courageous companies creating true engagement and
informed, digitally connected brand advocates.
Jerilan Greene
CCO, Yum! Brands
25

26. Feelin’ the love
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Trust and authenticity are critical factors for marketers
today. And there's nothing more trustworthy than
employee voices. Michael builds a strong case for
employee advocacy and shows marketers how to
integrate trusted employee-driven content into broader
marketing initiatives.
Jackson
Jeyanayagam,
CMO Boxed
With Participation Marketing, Michael has delivered
the field manual for engaging today's workforce in
telling your company's story. He has masterfully
connected the nuts and bolts of orchestrating
technology with advice for engaging employees at an
authentic, human level. Mastering both of these areas
is critical to driving value from employee advocacy
programs - and Michael has delivered the road map.
Jim Rudden
CMO Spredfast
It's widely known that employees are viewed as trusted
and credible sources when others are seeking
information about a company or brand. Michael delivers
a very structured plan that guides large and small
companies on how to truly activate employees to be
storytellers and drive brand relevance.
Jascha Kaykas-Wolff
CMO Mozilla
The key to successful digital transformation is building a
culture of trust and transparency, starting with the
employee experience. Michael does a fantastic job of
bridging the gap between internal employee
engagement and external customer relationships. The
result being a powerful community of brand storytellers
who are constantly engaged and adding value with
customers, prospects and partners.
Elise Steele,
Former CEO,
Jive Software
26

27. W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
About the author
Michael Brito

28. About Michael Brito
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
I’ve been building brands online since Al Gore invented the Internet. !
I am a digital strategist, published author, TEDx speaker, adjunct professor, and avid 49ers and
Lakers fan with over 20+ years of experience helping organizations break through the clutter and
reach their audience with game-changing marketing programs.
As an Executive Vice President at Zeno Group, I am responsible for helping clients reach their
target audience with laser-focused precision - the right story, at the right time, in the right channel
and with the right media. This unique methodology requires a combination of audience
intelligence, creative, editorial content and targeted paid media.
Previously, I was the Head of Social Marketing at W2O Group, and Senior Vice President of Social
Strategy at Edelman Digital where I consulted for Fortune 500 companies implementing
integrated content and digital marketing programs, globally.
I have been blessed to have worked for innovative Silicon Valley brands like Hewlett Packard,
Yahoo, and Intel building online communities before social media was even a thing. I also served 8
years in the U.S. Marine Corps - Oorah!
28

29. A personal thank you
W W W . P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A R K E T I N G B O O K . C O M
Hello,
I hope you are doing well and that 2018 is off to a great start. Last year was tough on me
personally so I am looking forward to what this year will bring. !
I wanted to personally thank you for downloading these slides about my book. I hope that it gives
you some value as you think about an employee program for your business.
The book is now available for pre-order here. YAY! If you are interested in purchasing a copy or
two, you can use my discount code for 20% off the original price (discount code: AMKPART20).
URL: http://bit.ly/BritoPreOrder
If you are interested in bulk order, please let me know and I’ll see about getting a larger discount.
Plus, I’d be honored to spend some time with your team via a conference call or in-person visit.
Thanks so much and I look forward to hearing back from you.
With gratitude,
Michael Brito | @Britopian
29