How corporate influencers strengthen their brand (through visual storytelling)
Influencer has been an official job title since 2008. At that time, fashion and cosmetics brands used individuals with a wide reach to present their products to as many people as possible, particularly via Instagram. Since then, the profession has developed in many directions. Companies have also recognised that employees with a wide reach in the new media can bring considerable benefits for the corporate culture. The term: corporate influencer.
Corporate influencers convey a company's image to the outside world via social media. Much of this works through visual storytelling. Professional but authentic image content shows everyday working life and thus conveys an attractive image to future employees, business partners and the press. As a photographer in Frankfurt as well as on Mallorca, I often deal with companies that make targeted use of the reach of their employees.
C-levels that have actively integrated the concept of the corporate influencer into company structures also end up in my shoots from time to time. Melanie Kleemann, Retail Executive and expert for digital transformation, has experienced the trend of corporate influencing at large companies such as IKEA and P&C at first hand - and revealed the secrets of their success to me.
What is a corporate influencer?
A corporate influencer is an employee of a company who represents the company on social media and communicates its values, products or services to the outside world. Content from an "insider's perspective" comes across as more authentic and genuine than traditional advertising. Even if employees present their thought leadership without specific references to the company's values or products, this falls under corporate influencing. Platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram are used to provide insights behind the scenes, share expertise or represent the corporate culture. In contrast to external influencers, corporate influencers work directly within the company, making communication particularly authentic through direct integration into the company's day-to-day operations.
By building a personal brand within the company, such corporate influencers help to strengthen the company's image and reach, build trust with the target group and attract both potential customers and new talent. One example would be Satya Nadella, who uses LinkedIn and other platforms to provide insights into Microsoft's corporate culture. Through his authentic communication about leadership and technology, he embodies Microsoft's values and thus strengthens the brand from within.
Corporate influencers use storytelling by sharing personal stories from their day-to-day work that give an insight behind the scenes of the company. Through their individual experiences and perspectives, they bring their brand values to life - and this requires image and video material that is both professional and authentic.
About Melanie Kleemann
Melanie has built an impressive career in the retail sector, characterised by her strategic and operational expertise in turnaround situations and business transformations. For over a decade, she has successfully planned and implemented customer-centric digital transformations at C-level for international companies such as IKEA, Vorwerk and P&C. Her passion extends far beyond digitalisation: her collaborative new leadership focuses just as strongly on engagement as on co-creation by and with customers and employees.
Melanie has been working as an Executive Interim Manager and Senior Advisor throughout Europe since April 2024 and brings her extensive experience to the strategic leadership and support of transformative projects and initiatives. Melanie knows exactly what is important when building a personal brand as a corporate influencer. The public perception of a company can benefit enormously from corporate influencers - if the following points remain in focus.
1. authenticity
Today, we are bombarded with input from all sides. Life and consumption are getting faster and faster. Bright colours and motivating slogans are no longer enough to positively shape a corporate image. People long for real stories - which is why authentic expression is the most important point that corporate influencers need to take to heart.
Corporate influencers strengthen the trust of the audience through precisely these personalised presentations. This applies to both text and visual content.
2. create emotional connections
Emotions play a central role in marketing. In a figurative sense, this is exactly what corporate influencers do - they market their company. Compared to text, visual content such as images and videos appeal more directly to emotions and are therefore remembered for longer. Corporate influencers who specifically use visual storytelling to share personal stories and experiences reach their target group more easily and quickly.
Behind-the-scenes videos in which employees provide authentic insights into their work and corporate culture are a clear example. Such emotional content has a stronger impact than facts, skills and success stories. There is also room for mistakes and learning curves, which not only make every brand more tangible, but above all more human.
3. consistency across all channels
There is often not just one channel, but several. Just as all starting points of the customer journey should merge into a uniform experience in modern omnichannel companies, corporate influencers should also appear uniformly across all channels.
Just as with personal branding, the same rules apply here: consistent colours, image styles and slogans (ideally in addition to the company) on platforms such as LinkedIn and Instagram communicate brand values clearly and coherently. This visual recognition strengthens credibility and increases brand awareness for both the individual and the company, as it firmly anchors the brand image in the minds of the target group.
4. digitalisation as a superpower for corporate influencers
Everyone and everything is talking about AI. These and other innovative technologies are also expanding the possibilities of visual storytelling for corporate influencers. Innovative technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) tell even more immersive and interactive visual stories.
One example is the use of AR, which could enable Melanie Maas-Brunner from BASF to transform complex chemical processes into understandable and exciting 3D experiences. Companies benefit from these technologies with brand messages that sustainably increase the attention and engagement of target groups in a novel and captivating way.
5. visual storytelling of the corporate values
Visual storytelling not only communicates corporate values, but above all brings them to life. For this content to be truly convincing, it must be seamlessly aligned with the brand values and identity of the company. This requires a clear line in collaboration and communication. Tobias Krüger from the Otto Group demonstrates this impressively by not only describing the company's cultural change, but also making it visually tangible.
He uses authentic videos and images of internal workshops, team events and new working models to show how change is actually lived within the company. Through this visual content, he conveys how Otto is developing into a modern, agile company that focuses on innovation, collaboration and an open corporate culture. This makes the abstract concept of "cultural change" tangible and understandable for viewers.
6. measure impact: KPIs and ROI
Melanie Kleemann puts it in a nutshell: visual storytelling is useless if you don't measure what works and what doesn't. Important KPIs such as engagement, reach and conversion rate help companies and their corporate influencers to analyse the impact of their content. By using analytics tools, they can continuously adapt and optimise their strategy and thus drive ROI and brand development in the long term.
Authenticity, emotional connections, consistency and the use of modern technologies are the key elements for successful visual storytelling for corporate influencers. Strategic investment in corporate communication strengthens companies in the long term - and if you need support with this, a professional shoot in Frankfurt am Main is the ideal starting point. Thanks to Melanie for the valuable insights!
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