Having followers online it’s become a pretty big deal. It’s not just for looking popular either; for businesses, especially smaller ones, it can truly affect your sales numbers. But the relationship between a creator or brand and their fan base can go way beyond just likes and comments. Now, a lot of small- to medium-sized businesses grow by taking advantage of outsourcing their HR needs by having fans apply for certain online tasks that do marketing for the entity.
Some companies are starting to hire their loyal supporters to fill actual roles. Maybe someone in the comments is always giving amazing feedback on videos? Or does someone on Twitter consistently advocate for the brand in the chat? They actually might be your next employee; the relationship between businesses and fans has a lot more value to the former than just support and views – or does it?
Hiring from the Fanbase
Why hire from the fan base in the first place? Well, there are a few good reasons. For a starter, these people have already shown that they like the company. They believe in the work; there’s very little that is more convincing or motivating than a product or service that someone loves and wants to sell or recommend to others. They also know the product really well, probably better than a random person coming in for an interview. This translates into being able to create good content and copy for advertisements or other marketing materials, or even social presence, for a business. While it’s crucial to cultivate genuine engagement, some companies might initially buy LinkedIn followers to kickstart their presence and attract the attention of potential fans and future employees. This can provide a larger pool from which to identify those truly dedicated individuals who could become valuable team members.
Plus, the cost might be lower at the beginning! Finding experienced people for certain positions, such as social media moderation or creative tasks, can be costly. They get to do something really exciting, and that will give them a great entry into a field without spending so many years on schooling. You are offering a special opportunity to someone within your circle and are making it really useful to them; what is more beautiful than that?
Making it Work Long-term
The trick, though, is that companies need to know how to actually make it work. A company needs to think about how to take care of the employee, which starts with the payment. First, they still have to pay living wages to these workers, even if they are diehard supporters of the brand. Next, they really must get some structure to the company to set it apart from friends and workers. So, companies aren’t just hanging out with a friend; there’s a real job with duties and expectations.
You will still have to evaluate people properly, too. It might be tricky that you already know them a bit, but you will still want to consider the qualifications, the personality of the future employee, and more. It really just comes down to being fair and honest, and that will keep the friend-turned-work partner as happy as you can. It ends up being pretty exciting to learn that many people in the modern workplace want to feel valued, heard, and appreciated!
Potential Pitfalls and Legal Headaches
Keep in mind that there are also certain dangers. Is it possible for that person to provide services for you in the long term? If the business is going to promote or fire anyone, you need to be careful about favoritism and discrimination and always have a good lawyer on deck in case there might be potential legal claims. Be sure that the former ‘follower’ is actually up to it, or else things might get complicated really quickly and unexpectedly.
And those laws… They also follow everything you do regardless of how nice you are to people during a process from beginning to end. You may still have to pay overtime, and you may still have to give them benefits. Know your local and global laws. It is important to have certain paperwork when someone is an employee, no matter how close you feel to them!
Evolving Employment and Community
The truth is that the meaning of ’employment’ is changing. More jobs are accessible as remote positions that can be done from anywhere in the world, and it might be easier to have friends do the work. Also, how a ‘community’ is formed has been shifting to the internet, so your followers may be more of a real community than people on the outside may think. Also, social media gives every person the opportunity to be known and potentially make money.
What this all comes down to is that it may bring something different and maybe really good and maybe potentially bad! Be smart, plan it out, and remember that all of this changes very quickly as society shifts. Being aware will make the company able to take care of itself and its followers!
Conclusion
Turning fans into worker teams is new and possibly very powerful. It is important to balance the community with the business and be really transparent about what is happening. Think from both sides and ensure you know how to navigate.
