Companies look for brand ambassadors every day. Everything from online conversations, to online photo apps and even people just wearing the brand name on a t-shirt can show who is and who isn’t a potential brand ambassador. While these are more passive ways to search for ambassadors, check out Nokia’s more aggressive approach to find brand ambassadors on Facebook.
What exactly is a brand ambassador? People with an ounce or more of online influence become brand ambassadors every day and create new ones according to the influence they have. This is a spin on the classic phrase “the customer is always right”. As it gives users/customers a VIP look into the company and makes them feel part of the whole and essentially special to the brand. A brand ambassador gives a voice to the brand, a positive spin usually, and spreads the word to their own personal network of individuals.
Giving the customers this sense of importance helps them spread good word of mouth about your product and/or service.
The best kind of ambassador is an influencer, loyalist, a walking and talking personification of your brand. Someone who is passionate about what your brand stands for and what it produces. In order to get people to be more passionate about your brand it’s important to give them perks and prizes for essentially advertising for you. Exclusive invites, product testing and VIP access to certain events and/or workshops will give them a closer look at who it is they’re representing.
According to a blog on Social Toaster “In the case of a brand ambassador program, both parties need to be happy and invested in the program in order to receive the greatest benefit”.
This video explains the importance of making sure the influential person is in sync with your values and your brand.
Those benefits are both for the ambassador and the brand. This is a win-win situation and becoming more popular every day by marketing experts. Try and build up your online presence if you’re interested in eventually becoming a brand ambassador and seek out brands that interest you and you’d be proud to represent.
Research from Zuberance indicates that 33% more sales are driven by brand ambassadors than average customers. Additionally, they will also drive 18% more web traffic than the average customer, illustrating the significance of influencer outreach programs. This is a marketing trend that is here to stay.