All You Need To Know About Brand Advocates
What Is A Brand Advocate?
A brand advocate, in short, is someone who believes in your business so strongly that they promote it with their friends, family, and followers. They'll repost your posts, they'll mention you from word of mouth, they'll email their co-workers about you, they'll leave positive reviews, and they'll find other meaningful ways to support your passion.
Brand Advocates Vs. Brand Ambassadors
Brand advocates are mistaken so much with brand ambassadors that some marketers use them interchangeably. And while they share a lot of similarities, there are actually a few things that separate them.
For one, brand ambassadors are people your business chooses to promote your brand. They would be the CEO of the business, or a social media marketer, or another prominent employee. For another, brand ambassadors are more long-term - mostly because their life is directly attached to the business by either working in it or with it.
Brand advocates can choose to stop promoting the brand whenever they want. They can continue to purchase from the business, but they can also stop talking about it with their friends, family, and followers. Therefore, in this case, it was their choice to promote your brand. Brand advocates can either be your customers and clients, or even your employees.
Benefit
If you don't have brand advocates, then it's important for your marketing strategy that you start trying to get them. They play a major part in your business growth. Here are a few benefits you'd gain from them:
Organic Growth - since your brand advocates are sharing the news about your business and how much they love it, more people are going to hear about your brand and want to become a part of your community.
Builds Trust - the sad truth every business has to face is this: people trust people more than they trust businesses. This distrust includes business owners and business ambassadors, because they have something to gain from a purchase. Brand Advocates, however, have nothing to gain.
Media Notice - if enough people begin to talk about your business, then the media might find interest in writing an article about who you are and what you do. This can only make awareness about your brand all the bigger.
Bigger Reach - another benefit is that you will reach beyond your own following. Brand advocates have their own followers and friends and families - people who listen to them, trust them, and would love to hear about a business that they swear by.
More Business Time - with all of the organic growth that your brand advocate helps create, you can spend less time marketing and more time on your business.
How To Create Brand Advocates
Focus your business on your clients/customers. Keep their needs in mind and make sure that they feel heard by you.
Create unique products and services. Make sure you aren't interchangeable with other businesses.
Don't forget to provide great customer service. Respond to everyone who mentions you and contacts you. Let them know that they each matter by listening to what they are saying.
Acknowledge your clients/customers. Tell them that you appreciate them or create a thank you post.
Need More Guidance?
If you need more guidance or have more questions about social media - set up an appointment with Owner Jamie Cocco! He'd be glad to help. Click the button below to view his availability calendar.
