Companies yearn for the kind of rabid fans that flock to Apple events and stores for new product launches. They would do anything to get that kind of engagement, because they know brand advocacy is a great way to spread the word and increase awareness.

But customers aren’t the only pool of people who can become effective brand advocates. Employees are an oft-untapped pool of such advocacy as well.

Turning employees into brand advocates is not hard. But it does take the company’s leadership to make it a priority. Here are some tips:

• Make sure your employees are engaged. Engaged employees are much more likely to spread the word about the company they work for. Passive employees could care less about how to grow your company’s reach.
   
• Create content. Engage employees regularly within internal networks and communities, offering up opportunities to interact with one another and company content. When employees create content, they’re more likely to share it.
   
• Promote team members. Encourage the development of employees at all levels through training and learning. Create pathways to self-promotion and help employees grow their own personal brand so that they can connect it back to the company.
   
• Give them a say. Employees who feel like their voice is heard on key issues relating to the company are going to be much more invested in the company’s success. Teams and committees, a company message board, suggestion boxes, surveys, and other tools can be deployed to actively seek feedback from all employees.

Employees can be a great source of brand advocacy, free word of mouth marketing. Ignore them at your peril.