Connor BrookePromoting your business online and in person can be a big challenge. This is why amping up your sources and channels for word of mouth to occur is crucial. If you’re searching for a way to amp up the volume, brand ambassadors may be exactly what you need.
Finding a few brand ambassadors can definitely help you promote your brand by using word of mouth tactics. Thanks to social media, you may be able to find a few ambassadors eager to help by simply looking online. In fact, there are a ton of opportunities out there for you to get the word out about your business. The best part is, it can be done without you having to mass-blast your information… Instead, you can have an ambassador do it for you.
What Is A Brand Ambassador?
A brand ambassador is a person who uses and/or has tried your product and absolutely loves it. In fact, they like it so much that they promote it on your behalf without payment or having been asked. Most brand ambassadors also happen to be experts in the field, so their free endorsement typically appeals to the crowds.
A great brand ambassador can really make their word stick providing you with a good source of credibility. Take a dentist, for example, who recommends a specific brand of toothpaste to her patients. She most likely will pitch only the brands she trusts and uses herself. Therefore providing you with a persuasive advertisement, that is powerful and believable.
Some people use advocate and ambassador interchangeably. But, it should be noted that a true brand advocate is a consumer, and a brand ambassador is typically someone that is sought out to help.
Why are Brand Ambassadors Important?
There are a variety of reasons a brand ambassador is important. They can help you accomplish quite a bit, in the realm of getting your brand and product out there. Plus, they happen to love your product just as much as you do, so their sharing is typically done out of love and is easily received by future customers.
1. Content creation
One of the best parts about having a brand ambassador is that they will create content for you. If you are on a social platform, you have probably seen content created by an ambassador. It’s typical for a brand ambassador to rave about a product online, and even include an image of the product in their post. Best of all, this content is free and made purely because the customer loves what you do. As mentioned, most of these posts are unsponsored and unpaid, unlike endorsed influencer created content.
2. Advertising your business
What do ambassadors do with their created content? They share it. Meaning you now have free advertisements for your business swept over the web. It’s like having an army of super fans helping you to get your brand message across. Most of the time they share via social media, but they can post on other places like review sites and forums.
3. Resonate with an audience better than you can
Get this, your ambassadors have an easier time connecting with your audience than you do. This is because they are typically experts in the field. Oh, and not to mention they are speaking directly to their friends, family, and those who already follow them. Plus, their enthusiasm for the product comes off as genuine, and that is the real reason they have an easier time resonating with potential customers.
What You Should Look For In Brand Ambassadors
Now you see why brand ambassadors are awesome. But how do you know which of your customers will make a good ambassador? The trick is to find someone that you can trust, and others can trust too. You also want to make sure you pick someone who truly loves your brand. So much so, that they will be fine talking about you repeatedly, and over an extended time.
Keep an eye on these types of people as they make great brand ambassadors.
1. Existing happy customers
If you have some great customers and notice a few that are beyond thrilled for you, use them. They would make a great ambassador. They are happy, they like you, and they seem enthusiastic.
If you are new to the scene, you may not have a wide range of customers yet. No worries. Get people interested in offering them to try your product for free and then provide you some feedback. Once you let them test out the waters, you can gauge whether they’d be a good ambassador for you.
2. High Social Levels/Following
Perhaps you do some digging and find that you have a few customers who have given you a shout out on social media. Check out these people’s profiles. If they have a large friend base, it’s good news for you. That means they will be able to spread the word about you to a large chunk of people! Scoop these guys up and let them know how much you appreciate their efforts. You can even through in some branded swag to keep them talking about you.
3. Professionalism
Depending on your business, you may look for certain people to represent you, over others. For example, a women’s clothing boutique will probably only want a woman brand ambassador. Regardless of the type of person you are looking for, they should all have one thing in common. They should act professionally. Depending on your type of business, the definition of a professional can vary. But, the point is, you want someone who is going to put your spotlight on you for all the right reasons. You don’t want to work with someone who can be wishy-washy and disrespectful.
How To Run A Brand Ambassador Program
You’ve sorted out a few people that you think will be a great brand ambassador. Now you’re stuck wondering how to actually run an ambassador program. No, you don’t have to run a super complicated program. If you really wanted, you could just ask some customers to help you out. However, if you want a well-oiled program, you might want to consider a few things.
1. Software
Software is can be a life-saver because it can do all the hard work for you. You won’t have to spend hours tracking performance on your own. You won’t have to worry about reaching out to remind ambassadors to do their job. And, it doesn’t even have to be that expensive (especially if you consider the money you’ll make from your ambassador’s leads.
Brand24 is great and affordable software that can help you track who is talking about you online. It can also help you pinpoint your potential ambassadors so that all you have to do is reach out to them.
SocialToaster is a software that can help you run your ambassador program. It helps you find social media users who talk about you. It helps you turn them into superfans who then share your content with their social networks.
Those are just a few of the many options out there. There are others that can help you run full-circle programs that allow you to reward ambassadors, and do so much more with your program, like Heartbeat and Experticity, which allows you to control all aspects of your ambassador program.
2. Use applications
Another way you can find the best ambassadors for your brand is to weed out those who are unfit. You can do this by creating an application process. Once you reach out to potential ambassadors, have them take an assessment. This is your chance to ask them straight up if they are willing to share you with their friends. This way you can take out the ones who are not willing, and keep the ones who are. Plus, you may be able to dwindle it down even more to those who are willing to talk about you, time and time again.
3. Define milestones
Whether you are running a program based on a spoken contract, spreadsheets, or through software, you need to have clearly defined goals and objectives. Do you want ambassadors to share a certain amount of times? Does it matter what platform they share on?
Another thing you need to have worked out is whether or not you are going to compensate your ambassadors. Some programs pay the ambassadors with products, some pay with money, and some don’t pay at all. Whatever you choose, you need to define these terms with your ambassadors. Let them know how they will be compensated and what they will be compensated for.
4. Build Trust
Having a good rapport with ambassadors can keep them active. If you start to get skittish or put off bad vibes, it can hinder how your brand ambassador feels about you. Which can have opposite results. So, make sure you are easy to communicate with. Be there for them, answer questions, and encourage them along. You can even send feedback to them every once in awhile, to show that you are recognizing their hard work and effort. Building trust can help build your reputation too!
Examples Of A Brand Ambassador Program
Now that you have your head in the game. Let’s review a few ambassador programs. Who knows, maybe you’ll see a few ideas that you’d like to try in your own program.
1.Lululemon
Some Lululemon Ambassadors. Via Lululemon.com
The athletic clothing company wanted to foster authentic relationships. It’s said that Lululemon’s ambassador program encourages autonomy and personal growth in both employees and consumers. They wanted to use local ambassadors, influencers, alongside elite athletes, and fitness gurus. The goal of the program is to provide feedback on the product and help out with social impact programs. Thus leading to an increase in brand loyalty.
Lululemon ambassadors can fit into one of the three categories, 1. Elite Ambassadors, 2. Global Yoga Ambassadors, or 3. Store Ambassadors. The ambassadors are chosen because they are able to reflect the Lululemon culture.
2. Skullcandy
A few Skullcandy Ambassadors. Via SkullCandy.com
The bright and flashy headphone brand started an ambassador program to help generate more reviews. They wanted to make sure consumers were able to find reliable information to aid in their purchasing decision. Therefore they found some ambassadors to put to the test.
The gear testers (aka SkullCandy Ambassadors) were recruited to provide product reviews on the SkullCandy website only after putting the product to the test. The testers were encouraged to use the products as advertised and provide honest feedback.
The feedback given came back and was able to reinforce the product line and provide useful information to future customers. SkullCandy now uses this user-generated content and feedback to help future customers identify which of their products will work best for them.
SkullCandy also has a list of members who are considered “SkullFamily”. The SkullFamily is made up of athletes who show off the SkullCandy products in their everyday lives. Thus, influencing their fans around them.
Closing
Brand ambassadors can hit different demographics in a variety of regions you may not be able to market to. It’s one cost-effective way to widen your marketing, without having to put much money or effort into it. You provide the product, and your brand ambassadors take care of the rest.
If a brand ambassador isn’t quite what you’re looking for, you may want to consider using an alternative (yet, similar) type of marketing.
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This article was written for Business 2 Community by Connor Brooke.
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