Employee-Generated Content: Creating a Video First Strategy

​Struggling to build trust and engagement with polished brand content alone? Wondering how to empower your employees to create authentic videos for your business?

In this article, you'll discover how to implement a video-first employee-generated content (EGC) strategy to amplify reach, boost credibility, and connect with your audience in a more human and relatable way.

Why Employee-Generated Content Matters for Businesses

Employee-generated content, similar to user-generated content, has evolved to become an essential part of brand strategy. According to Melissa Laurie, there are three compelling reasons why companies should use employee-generated video:

Amplifies Products and Services: Rather than relying solely on outsourced content creation, businesses can leverage their internal team's knowledge and enthusiasm to promote products and services more authentically. Sephora's employees regularly share content discussing their favorite products, creating a different tone of voice than traditional corporate messaging. This approach feels more genuine and relatable to consumers.

Activates Employee Engagement: A recent study revealed that 77% of employees are disengaged at work, costing the global economy $8.8 trillion. Employee-generated content gives these team members a voice and purpose, reconnecting them with the company's mission and their colleagues.

Attracts Top Talent: According to Melissa, 58% of job seekers now search on social media for information about prospective employers. This trend will only increase as Gen Z and, eventually, Gen Alpha enter the workforce. Creating employee-generated content that highlights your workplace culture is a powerful way to attract and retain top talent.

The Three P's Framework for Employee-Generated Video Content

Employee-generated content represents a powerful opportunity for businesses of all sizes to enhance engagement, attract talent, and amplify their products and services. By following the Three P's Framework—Planning, Producing, and Promoting—you can implement a successful video-first strategy that showcases your company's authentic voice through your most valuable asset: your people.

As Melissa puts it: “Think of it like an engine where you're training your people and motivating and then making sure that they feel comfortable… and learn this skill.”

Ready to get started with employee-generated content? Remember that learning to create engaging videos is a skill that develops with practice. Support your team with clear guidelines, proper training, and positive reinforcement, and you'll soon have a library of authentic content that resonates with your audience in ways that traditional marketing cannot.

To implement an effective employee-generated content strategy, follow the Three P's Framework: Planning, Producing, and Promoting.

#1: Planning Your Employee-Generated Content Program

The planning phase lays the groundwork for successful employee-generated content. Without proper planning, you risk getting content that doesn't align with your brand or strategic objectives.

Define Pillar Themes for Your Company's Employee-Generated Videos
Melissa suggests focusing on these entry-level content themes to get you started:

• Who Are We?: This theme showcases the personalities and daily experiences of your team members as well as company culture. Examples include day-in-the-life videos showing what it's like to have specific roles, behind-the-scenes glimpses of the workplace, and employee stories and journeys.

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A post shared by Jim’s Group (@jimsgroupofficial)

• Education: This theme focuses on sharing knowledge, insights, and industry information. Examples include industry trends and analysis, product or service tutorials and explanations, and how-to content related to your field. Salesforce is a great example of a company that has employees create content explaining their tools and features. Airlines have employees create content like “How to make coffee at 30,000 feet.”

@salesforce

We’re not just dropping badges — we’re earning them too. See what's new on Trailhead. 👀 #Agentforce #Trailhead #AIAgents #SalesforceAI

♬ original sound – Salesforce

• About Your Work: This theme showcases your company's projects, successes, and approaches. Examples include case studies of successful projects, insights into your winning strategies, and highlights of your work process.

Create Brand Guidelines for Your Company's Employee-Generated Videos
Your brand guidelines should not be overly complex or restrictive; you don't need a twelve-page document. Instead, develop simple brand guidelines for employee-generated videos that give your internal creators some creative latitude. Your guidelines should cover basics like:

• Text on Videos: Provide guidance on text styling (colors, fonts, size) since adding text to videos is an effective way to engage scrolling viewers. Consider whether you want a consistent black-and-white style or are comfortable with employees using more colorful and diverse text treatments.
• Do's and Don'ts: Create a simple reference that outlines acceptable and unacceptable practices. For example, specify areas in the office that are off-limits for filming, set guidelines around language (e.g., no swearing), and outline any sensitive topics to avoid.
• Set Up a Submission System
  Establish a clear process for employees to submit their videos. Rather than relying on email, Google Drive, WeTransfer, or Dropbox, which can become disorganized, Melissa recommends using a project management platform to set up a specialized dashboard. These systems allow your staff to upload videos, give direct feedback, request changes, and approve content for publishing. You can also have a section for setting captions and hashtags.

#2: Producing Employee-Generated Content

The production phase is where your planning transforms into actual content and is often the most substantial part of implementing an employee-generated content program.

Train Your Team on Video Recording
Many people assume that because everyone has a camera on their phone, they already know how to create videos. However, filming for social media requires skills that most employees don't naturally possess.

You need to set your team up for success by dedicating at least a full day to training your team on video creation. This training should cover:

• Content Theme Education: Explain the pillar content themes you've established and why they matter. Then, let employees decide which themes they might be most comfortable with and allow them to focus on those areas.
• Elements of Engaging Videos: Train your team on what makes videos perform well, such as:
  • First Frame Optimization: The initial visual and text are crucial for stopping the scroll.
  • Pacing and Delivery: Teaching employees to speak at an appropriate pace, especially at the beginning of videos. “Sometimes people can be a little bit slow to get into the start of their video. So, help them learn how to get the key message across quickly.
  • Pattern Interruption: Using quick cuts, movement, or visual changes to hold a viewer's attention.
• Script Development: Give employees a template that breaks down the essential elements of a video: a compelling hook, 1 to 3 main content points, and a call to action when appropriate. Then, guide them in creating one or two simple scripts for their videos.
• Practical Experience: During the training session, have each participant create at least one or two training videos. This hands-on practice builds confidence and provides immediate feedback opportunities.

Help Your Team Learn to Develop Content Ideas
Many employees will struggle with coming up with content ideas.

Melissa shares an example they used with a university client for an easy starting point you can model.

“We created five questions and sent them to six different teachers. They're all filming a face-to-camera video answering these questions, and then we're cutting up the videos and stitching them together.” This approach creates an engaging compilation with multiple perspectives addressing a topic like “Why this is the best job in the world.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by SpudBAR (@spudbarau)

Alternatively, employees can:

• Draw inspiration from industry publications, LinkedIn updates, or trending news relevant to your field.
• Use tools like ChatGPT with prompts such as “What are the five things trending in social media today?” to generate topical content ideas.
• Position themselves as thought leaders by sharing valuable insights with your audience.

Choose a Video Editing Approach
Depending on your team's skills and your desired workflow, Melissa outlines two approaches to video editing:

• Option 1: Clean Version Submission: Have employees perform basic editing (trimming beginnings and endings, removing obvious mistakes) but submit a clean version without text overlays or effects. Your content team can then add branding elements, captions, and any necessary polish. Melissa recommends CapCut for editing because its free version allows for basic video trimming, audio improvement, and text overlays—all essential skills to teach your team.
• Option 2: Complete Video Submission: Employees with more advanced editing skills can create fully edited videos with text overlays, captions, and effects. However, this approach may require more revisions on your side.

#3: Promoting Employee-Generated Content

The final phase focuses on getting your employee-generated content in front of your audience and maximizing its impact.

A common misconception about employee-generated content is that employees must post videos on their personal profiles. Melissa clarifies that publishing this content on your company's official channels is the most effective approach. This approach gives you editorial control over what represents your brand while still showcasing authentic employee voices.

To maximize your investment in employee-generated content, Melissa recommends putting a small advertising budget behind your videos.

Even a modest budget of $100 or less per video can significantly increase visibility while providing valuable data on performance. This approach:

• Creates a positive feedback loop for employees who see their content gaining traction
• Provides access to detailed analytics and reporting
• Helps identify which content themes and formats perform best

Pro Tip: Rather than requiring employees to share company videos on their personal profiles or tagging them from your company channel (which Melissa doesn't recommend), focus on spotlighting their contributions through internal channels.

Tips to Launch Your Employee-Generated Video Content Program

As you implement your employee-generated content program, start small. You don't need your entire company to participate from day one. Begin with a small group of enthusiastic employees and grow as others show interest.

As your employees deliver, remember that employee-generated content doesn't need to look professionally produced. Authentic and casual videos often perform better on social media.

And don't assume only young employees can create engaging video content. Melissa emphasizes that with the proper training and support, employees of all ages can excel at creating short-form videos.

To maintain momentum with your employee-generated content program, Melissa suggests creating incentives. 

A hotel chain awards $100 vouchers for a stay at a property while Melissa's own company holds a vote for “favorite video of the month” to create friendly competition. She then awards a virtual trophy and sends a gift card to the winner.

These incentives acknowledge the value of employees' contributions while encouraging ongoing participation.

Other Notes From This Episode

• Connect with Michael Stelzner @Stelzner on Instagram and @Mike_Stelzner on X.
• Watch this interview and other exclusive content from Social Media Examiner on YouTube.

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