Corporate Influencers – how it works

Potential customers or business partners no longer rely solely on a company’s website to learn about its purpose and values — more and more, they turn to social media. Here, they don’t just find the official corporate account, but also the people who work for the company — so-called corporate influencers. When employees actively position themselves as experts in their field, the company benefits as well.

What does a Corporate Influencer do?

Corporate influencers – also referred to as business influencers or brand ambassadors – are employees or leaders who are perceived as experts within their company.
They are highly knowledgeable in their area of expertise and consciously decide which topics they want to communicate about and what they want to stand for. After all, they are presenting a part of themselves to the public.
This communication can take place both online – on social media – and offline, for example at events, conferences, or trade fairs.

What are the benefits of a Corporate Influencer?

Using employees as influencers benefits both sides.
The individuals who take on this role strengthen their public presence and can position themselves as experts in their field.

Companies benefit when their people are seen as authentic, approachable professionals. People tend to trust other people more than they trust corporate messages.
Many companies find that when employees speak about their company, they reach target groups that would otherwise be difficult to engage through traditional marketing—both in terms of quality and connection.
This enhances a company’s reputation and image. Through the interaction of corporate influencers, companies become more human, communicative, and relatable.

Personal Branding

Influencers should engage with the topic of personal branding.
Personal branding refers to the creation of a (digital) “personal brand.” The focus is on the individual’s personality—not the company, brand, or its products.

A successful personal brand is defined by a clear message, a unique and distinctive presence, and a strong, well-defined positioning.
To be credible, corporate influencers must appear authentic. This only works if they genuinely represent their chosen topic through clear, personal storytelling—whether through written content, posts, comments, or videos.

What’s essential: not every post should require approval from the communications department.

How to Identify Corporate Influencers within Your Own Company?

Basically, anyone can become an influencer.
A company doesn’t have to search long to find the right people. Its own employees represent a large pool from which the company can select suitable candidates. It’s important that the individuals in question are well-connected and may already be actively discussing topics via their LinkedIn profiles or even speaking at business events. Key qualities include being communicative, intrinsically motivated, open-minded, and possessing specialized expertise in a specific area.

Influencer programs make it easier for individuals to step into the role.
These programs teach potential influencers, among other things, which topics they can comment on in the future, what tone suits them, and which channels are best for them. Ideally, the communications team or an external PR agency should be involved to professionally support the corporate influencers and guide them in developing their own storytelling.

Our partnership with Petra Bernhardt

Petra Bernhardt developed and rolled out the Corporate Influencer Program for an international IT company in 2019. As Influencer Lead, she was responsible for the external influencer program and, over time, built a large and strong network with leading influencers in the DACH region.

Kontx is an expert in storytelling, brand reputation, and personal branding, having extensively supported SMEs, start-ups, and large companies on these topics in Switzerland and Germany.

What unites Petra Bernhardt and Kontx is their approach: in-depth industry experience in both the SME sector and large industries is essential for successfully advising companies. This knowledge plays a crucial role in preparing courses and in dialogue with clients. Industry expertise and understanding how a company’s target audiences think are prerequisites for preparing and conducting the courses. Only by knowing the industry and the needs of the target groups can a sustainable influencer program be created. This is where we, as partners, make the difference.

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Connect with Bettina Gebhardt!

Our services

Basis: The Corporate Influencer compact course

Developed and conducted by Petra Bernhardt, supported by Kontx
  • 1 hour – The all-in-one Impulse lecture
    You will gain an overview of the importance of LinkedIn, personal branding, profiles, posting, networking, and success measurement. In this impulse lecture, participants can get a sense of whether they want to take off on LinkedIn.
  • 45 minutes – Personal branding and profile
    You will learn how to define your personal brand and create your perfect LinkedIn profile.
  • 45 minutes – Content and posting
    You will learn how to search for content, create content, and craft the perfect LinkedIn posts.
  • 45 Minutes – Networking and success measurement
    You will learn how to build and expand your network on LinkedIn and how to measure the success of your personal branding efforts effectively.
  • 30 Minutes for 6 Months – Office hours in the community
    Take advantage of the monthly community office hours to ask your questions, share best practices, and gather ideas for new content.
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Personal Branding – The Foundation for Corporate Influencers

Developed by Petra Bernhardt; Delivered by Petra Bernhardt and Kontx
  • Workshop on Building a Digital Personal Brand
    • What values do I want to represent, and what strengths do I have?
    • In what style and tone do I want to communicate?
    • What should my visual language be?
    • What topic do I want to focus on?
    • Who do I want to reach with my messages?
    • What are my personal competencies?
    • What sets me apart?
    • How can I create recognizability?
    • How do I present myself in a unique, authentic, and most importantly, convincing way?
    • How do I position myself?
  • Consideration of the position (e.g., Management, HR…) as well as the professional environment of the aspiring influencer.
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Tell the story: Storytelling and content Development for Corporate Influencers

Developed and conducted by Kontx, supported by Petra Bernhardt
  • Target audience definition
    • What is unique about my industry?
    • What are the needs of my target audiences?
    • Which platforms and channels should I use to reach them? E.g., LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok?
    • Which platforms and channels should I use to reach them? E.g., LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok?
    • Is LinkedIn the right platform for B2B?
  • Workshops on authentic communication 
    • How can I tell stories?
    • How can I regularly find new topics to talk about?
    • How do I create videos, graphics, and images?
  • Research on current and relevant topics in the industry
    • Provide input on what employees can post (posts will be written by employees or Corporate Influencers themselves)
  • Creating editorial plans
    • How do I create a content plan?
    • When should I post?
    • How do I measure my posts? How do I define KPIs?
    • What legal aspects should I consider (e.g., image rights)?
  • During the work, set up opportunities for employees to independently write, like, and comment on posts
  • Monitoring the process
  • Uncovering improvement and growth potential
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Clients don’t necessarily have to go through every step. They can also join the process at step two or three.

HOW WE WORK: STEPS TO A SUCCESSFUL CORPORATE INFLUENCER PROGRAM

Basis: The Corporate Influencer Compact Course

Before we begin any training with a company, we first take a close look at the industry, the market environment, and the various target audiences. In our view, this is the key to success—and Petra Bernhardt shares this exact approach. That’s why Kontx works closely with the social media and corporate influencer expert. At an internationally active IT company, she built and led the external influencer program as Influencer Lead. Petra developed her own influencer development program back in 2019.

With “The Corporate Influencer Compact Course – 5 Hours to Success,” Petra Bernhardt addresses companies that want to create a tailored influencer program. She always adapts the program to the specific industry, topics, needs, and challenges of the company’s target groups. Each industry follows its own logic and requires a highly precise approach to audience communication.

Any employee interested in becoming a corporate influencer can take part. In addition to the course sessions, Petra provides weekly tasks to ensure participants become confident and ready to take action. The program is fully customizable and can be condensed into a single day or extended over several sessions.

Personal Branding – the basis for corporate influencers

​In the second part of the program, Petra Bernhardt and Bettina Gebhardt provide participants with the essential tools to embark on their journey as corporate influencers. The workshops focus on building a digital personal brand and implementing a corporate influencer program. A key aspect is ensuring that participants have the freedom to choose what and when they post, fostering authenticity in their content. This approach emphasizes close collaboration with clients to support genuine and effective influencer engagement.

​Targeted storytelling and content development for Corporate Influencers

The third part of the Corporate Influencer Program helps aspiring influencers develop their personal storytelling. We guide each individual in defining their niche and creating authentic social media marketing strategies. Additionally, we work with each participant to identify their target audience and understand their specific needs. We regularly research current and relevant industry topics that can help them engage their audiences effectively. We define key content themes, develop content plans all the way to the C-level, and also assist in creating a compelling storytelling strategy for the company’s channels. Ideally, the company’s channels and the influencers’ channels are closely aligned in terms of content. This process is continuously monitored through close collaboration with the Corporate Influencers, ensuring they maximize their potential on social media and as speakers at industry-relevant events.

Performance monitoring

Tracking success is just as important for corporate influencers. Which topics and posts perform well? Which formats fail to engage the target audience? Setting clear KPIs should be part of the process right from the beginning. Collaboration with the communications department or a PR agency can be helpful in developing an appropriate KPI framework.

  • Number of followers of the corporate influencer
  • Post likes
  • Comments on posts
  • Impressions
  • Clicks
  • New applications and interest in the company Unternehmen

Corporate influencer activities allow a company to quickly see whether the individuals resonate both internally and externally. They may serve as role models for colleagues or be invited as speakers and subject-matter experts for external engagements.

Corporate influencer activities allow a company to quickly see whether the individuals resonate both internally and externally. They may serve as role models for colleagues or be invited as speakers and subject-matter experts for external engagements.

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Frequently asked questions about Corporate Influencers

What does a Corporate Influencer do?

Corporate influencers, business influencers, or brand ambassadors are employees or leaders who are seen as experts or thought leaders within their company – voluntarily and in their own authentic way.
This can take place on social media, but also at events and conferences.

What are the benefits of Corporate Influencers for companies?

Companies benefit when their people are seen as authentic, approachable experts by potential customers or employees.
This positive image reflects directly on the company itself. It’s an ideal strategy for attracting top talent, building customer loyalty, and winning new clients.

Who can be a Corporate Influencer?

Anyone who enjoys using social media and feels comfortable showing up and sharing their voice in the digital space can be a Corporate Influencer.
Participation should always be voluntary — no one should be forced into the role.
Those who have no interest in social media are unlikely to succeed in this area.

The key traits of successful Corporate Influencers are a genuine enthusiasm for social media, authenticity, and credibility.

Can anyone become a Corporate Influencer?

Anyone with an interest in positioning themselves as a Corporate Influencer can become one.

Are Corporate Influencers paid?

Usually, Corporate influencers are not paid separately for their role.

Is there a difference between Internal and external Corporate Influencers?

Yes. External Influencers are a form of marketing where a brand collaborates with “Influencers” to promote a product or service. However, these Influencers are not part of the company’s structure.
In contrast, internal or corporate Influencers are regular employees who belong to the company and position themselves as experts on social media.