Advertising can buy visibility, but not trust. Especially in B2B markets, where buying processes are longer and decision-makers consult multiple sources, credibility plays a crucial role. An ad without a strong, recognisable presence of the company and the people behind the brand quickly feels like “just sending”.

Organic visibility via employees – with meaningful contributions and authentic profiles – enhances the effect of paid campaigns. Thought leadership is not built with banners, but with people. It is this combination – visibility and credibility – that makes LinkedIn so powerful for (international) B2B positioning.

People do business with people. Therefore, customers and partners not only want to know what you offer, but also who is behind the brand. They look for expertise, for information that can be trusted. People who share the information inspire more trust than when companies do. On LinkedIn, it is often the connection with the employee that is the first meaningful contact moment with the company.

A powerful profile, a clear post or simply being visible regularly makes a tangible difference. Not only for the company, but also for the professional himself. It supports knowledge sharing, strengthens the network and contributes to positioning within the market.

No one gets excited by a mandatory programme. What does work: give space to explore, share examples and support initiatives. Start with people who are willing and able. When they experience results, enthusiasm will grow naturally.

When local managers themselves lead by example, space and trust are created. If marketing provides clear structure – formats, content ideas, guidance – participation becomes easy and attractive. This creates ownership, not because it has to, but because it works.

Top-down mandatory rollout rarely works. Start small. Choose one or two people or maybe even countries where there is already some curiosity. Work with local marketing or sales managers who are open to a pilot.

Let them suggest active colleagues themselves. Provide this group with formats, guidance and space to experiment. Keep it light and practical.

Important; get management involved and motivate them to be visible themselves. Good example at C-level does follow. Try to involve someone from management in the pilot.

Offer support that matches their local context:

• A 45-minute session: how to position yourself professionally on LinkedIn
• A practical toolkit: content formats, tone-of-voice, post inspiration
• One-to-one coaching: profile review and mainly feedback on activity on LinkedIn; comments and posts

The more relevant it feels, the greater the engagement.

Is a colleague in Spain getting valuable responses to her first post? Share it. Does a sales lead in Sweden say, ‘I saw your post last week’? Highlight it.

What works locally builds trust elsewhere. Practical examples say more than internal memos.

Although ownership is crucial, it does help to set clear frameworks. In doing so, it is valuable to distinguish between KPIs at individual level and at organisational level – such as the performance of company pages. Without metrics, the impact remains invisible. By formulating soft KPIs – such as the number of optimised profiles, active ambassadors per country or monthly content activity – you give direction without forcing it.

In addition, hard KPIs can also help to seriously position the programme within the organisation. Think of:

• Number of LinkedIn posts per ambassador per month
• Average reach or engagement per post
• Growth in profile views or connections of ambassadors
• Leads or job applications generated through LinkedIn activity
• Percentage of employees with a complete profile (above 70%)

For company pages, you can think of:

• Engagement rate per post or campaign (likes, reactions, shares)
• Average views per organic post
• Click-through rate (CTR) to website or landing pages
• Engagement on employee posts shared via the company page (likes, reactions, shares)

These data provide guidance for HQ as well as for local teams: where is energy, where is extra guidance needed, and where are best practices emerging? In this way, you create room for growth, without the programme becoming bogged down in non-commitment.

Organic LinkedIn usage is not an sideshow. It is a strategic foundation that contributes to brand positioning, customer trust and sustainable visibility.

A successful LinkedIn ambassador programme requires customisation: room for ownership, support at local level and clear frameworks from HQ. It only works if you support employees with training, formats, content inspiration and coaching – and at the same time show them the results.

The key is to start small, let people experience what works and make successes visible. That way, the programme grows organically – carried by the people who make the difference.

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Want to approach this strategically and effectively? I help international teams activate LinkedIn in a smart, appropriate way – without pressure, with results.

📲 Call me for advice for your company: +31 6 238 728 35